Thank you NetGalley for the free ARC. I am always looking forward to Jodi Picoult's novels because I know she will tackle a tough subject. This book does not disappoint. I am going to be careful about how much I will give away, so I don't spoil the plot. The underlying story is a murder and the accusation that the boyfriend did it. We also learn that the boyfriend's father was a very violent person and just maybe that this violence was passed down to him because f what he saw as a child. Of course, that is not all that is going on. Great Read!

In the beginning of Mad Honey, I wondered if it was going to focus too heavily on bees similar to the Book of Two Ways with Egyptology. Thankfully, it took a quick turn and gave the reader the background knowledge we need to make the connections, but did non inundate us with heavy facts that could eventually drowned out the plot.

I ended up loving Mad Honey. It is the story of a boy on trial for his girlfriend's murder. There are some twists and turns that keep you guessing over the course of the book, and it makes you consider a perspective that you may not be extremely familiar with. For most, it will be a book you will either love or hate. I loved it!

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this insightful book.

I have been devouring Jodi Picoult’s amazing books for years and honestly I missed the taste of her old books: thought provoking, earth shattering, twisty ones that shakes you to the core, testing your moral compass with unconventional plot lines! It seems like this book brings all of that precious taste of her old works back! Just like her old works Nineteen Minutes questioning school shooting, bullying, violence and Picture Perfect has a realistic approach to domestic violence, finally the Pact questions young teenage couple’s unconventional bound, Mad Honey is combination of all those amazing works with perfectly developed stories and unforgettable characters ! It rocks your world and makes you questions your own beliefs!

When I reached the first half of the book I truly slapped against my face, after reading the big twist that I didn’t see it coming, I just shivered for a long time. I barely gathered my word after that jaw dropping moment!

After that twist, the main focus of the book changes and story turns into really different direction. I’m not gonna give much away and keep one of the important subjects out in my review not to spoil the surprise.

I decided to give a quick summary what I like this book at first besides amazing storytelling skills of Jodi Picoult and her brilliant co-authors who are brave enough to write about so many sensitive subjects and give a fresh, unique, bold approach to them.

-the character development is perfect. It represent two survivor women who survived after being life changing tragedies.

Olivia McAfee , single mother, survivor of domestic abuse, raising her son Asher by herself, inheriting her father’s beekeeping business, living peacefully and secluded life by leaving her old life behind.

Lily Campanello: 18 years old, living her old life behind by moving in New Hampshire with her mother Ava who is always at her side, doing everything she can to give her daughter a life she dreams.

I loved hear Lily’s voice and read about her fight against insecurities, her tough decisions. She’s so brave! She’s truly miracle!

-I enjoyed to read the long depictions and elaborated information about beekeeping and nature of bees, the magical healing power of honey. It’s truly educational experience.

-the murder mystery of Lily, thought provoking arguments about violence, toxic relationships, secrets we keep, how far a mother can go to protect her child were realistically discussed.

Olivia did the right choice to leave behind her abusive husband, raising her son Asher alone. But what if she couldn’t prevent her son to become a version of his father. What if he’s inherited his violence tendencies.

That “what if” part keeps you in your toes and wonder what actually happened to Lily. When you read her story moving backwards, you slowly gather the pieces of her life puzzle and you feel like tiny pieces of glasses keep stabbing you in the heart. You feel for her. You resonate with her strongly.

This book is more than abuse, violence, murder mystery, depression. It’s about a person’s free right to CHOOSE! You can choose what’s best for you even though it means you’ll act against the wishes of close circle.

-I’m so happy to see Jordan McAfee back. He was the lawyer of Peter Noughton at “19 minutes” book and I definitely recommend you to read because in my opinion it’s still my favorite book of the author. Now Jordan defends his own nephew and he’s doing his best to keep him out of the prison.

My only hesitation about Lily’s POV was backwards storytelling style. It was confusing and it affected me to feel the true depth of Asher and her relationship’s evolvement.

And I found the evidences against Asher at the murder trial a little circumstantial. It seems like they want to pin the murder on him because it’s always boyfriend!

The mystery unresolved as I expected and guessed from the beginning but I had some second thoughts about the execution.

I only cut half point for those two factors but I still round up 4.5 stars to 5 because this book and the characters are so powerful. My emotions are everywhere. I couldn’t give this amazing work less than five stars.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/ Ballantine for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

Another immersive abd creative read by Picoult. She just gets better and better with each novel. Lily and Asher are in love and high school students. Lily teens up dead and there are soany amazing jawdropping moments that I stayed up way too late to finish. Stellar!

Mad Honey
by Jodi Picoult
Pub Date: October 4, 2022
Ballentine
Jodi Picoult books always run high on my TBR list. I find myself sharing them with others and really thinking about what I am reading! This one is no different! Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity for an early read in this ARC. I loved this book and will be purchasing it for our library.
A soul-stirring novel about what we choose to keep from our past and what we choose to leave behind, from the New York Times bestselling author of Wish You Were Here and the bestselling author of She's Not There.
* Contemporary * Adult *Fiction
You will not want to miss this book! The courtroom scenes are perfection.
Mad Honey is a riveting novel of suspense, an unforgettable love story, and a moving and powerful exploration of the secrets we keep and the risks we take in order to become ourselves.
5 stars

Five well deserved stars. <i>Mad Honey</i> <b>finally</b> brings readers back to the Jodi Picoult novels they know and love - similar to <i>Nineteen Minutes</i> and <i>The Pact</i>. Filled with courtroom drama, teen love and a murder, <i>Mad Honey</i> even includes defense attorney, Jordan, from making his second appearance as the main character’s uncle.

This novel was co-written by Jennifer Finney Boylen - the idea for the novel came to her in a dream and she tweeted Jodi Picoult about it, which is how <i>Mad Honey</i> came to fruition. Without getting into spoiler territory, this novel is about love - between mothers and their children, about loss, about domestic violence and it’s effects on both the victims (long and short term).

Longtime fans of Picoult will absolutely love this novel and I believe if you weren’t a fan of Boylen’s before, you will be after this.

I had been having a rough day when I received an email from the publisher saying I’d been pre-approved to read “Mad Honey” by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan. While I may not like all of Ms. Picoult’s books, as a fan of hers once commented “her books make you think.” That they do … and “Mad Honey” is no different.

What I found interesting was the court room scenes. One of Ms. Picoult’s strengths has always been her court room scenes - and this one was no exception. Since I literally just got dismissed from having to serve on a jury, I kept flashing back to that court room and having this trial happen there.

There is always a twist with Ms. Picoult’s books (not sure about with Ms. Boylan’s books having never read one by her before) and this book wasn’t an exception. I’m really not one for angsty teenage books - and for the most part this one wasn’t, but it was a tale about two teenagers trying to figure out life and all the craziness it entails. Living in one of the areas mentioned in this book, I enjoyed the descriptions of the area - a nice little bonus. I also liked the inclusion of the bee facts. I’m not really a fan of bees, but liked reading more about honey and bee facts (and that I knew a few of those facts I found rather amusing).

Let’s be honest - one cannot always tell what’s going on with another person just from the outside. I loved Lizzie’s description of her life … I enjoyed how the doctor explained what she did and why she did it … I enjoyed how the authors made the main characters have depth and character … and in very many ways I really liked how this book made me think. Do read the authors’ note in the back - it’s not only about how this book came to be, but also provides some information about the subject of this book. I feel compelled to note however, that I did not really like the second twist near the end … it was there for completeness, but it just bothered me.

This book was a fun treat! I loved it! It was a good reset after I read a heavier book. It kept me flipping pages well past my bedtime!!

I have no words so writing a review is hard. I was not expecting that plot twist at all. I literally had to set my phone that I was reading this on and take a minute to myself to really grasp what I had just read. This was incredibly powerful and I learned a lot.

Always interesting read from Picoult. She does a great job in researching her topic. A timely read about gender and how to navigate a world when gender identification is a challenge.

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

Ok, you see a book by Jodi P. and you know it’s going to be a sobfest (in a good way). I didn’t know what to expect with the T angle, but I was not prepared. I did not have the tissues ready. I did not have enough chocolate in the house. I did not have my comfort show queued. I. Was. Not. Ready.

Now, if you are the target audience for this book you will get this is a five star recommendation. If you are confused, this may not be your genre. But if you are a Friend of Jodi, pick this up yesterday.

Literally dropped everything and savored every word. This book is pure Picoult perfection - this reads like The Pact or Nineteen Minutes, back to Picoult’s books based in the legal world with a moral issue at the forefront of the case. There are some familiar names from those books you might recognize as well. What differs here is that Picoult has a co-author this time in Jennifer Finney Boylan (for reasons that are well articulated in the authors note - don’t read this until you are done), but the two of them wrote such a seamless story, you would be hard pressed to figure out who wrote what.

While I always love Picoult’s books (I’ve yet to read anything from Finney Boylan but certainly plan to now), I have to say, a return to her the “courtroom drama” for her definitely marked this as my favorite from her in quite some time, it doesn’t release until October, so I’m aware this is quite a tease, but get ready for a good one!

Thank you to Random House Ballantine & NetGalley for an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Glad to see Picoult returning to the courtroom---her research on bees here is fascinating. The teen POV being backwards was interesting, but ultimately this book got EXTREMELY pedantic at times.

I was all in from the very first page! Some great twists and turns along the way. Well researched and extremely relevant!
Thank you Net Galley and Ballantine/Random House Publishing for this arc. I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

Big fan of Jodi Picoult's - so very happy to be given an early read of her latest, "Mad Honey", which was co-authored with Jennifer Boylan. This book is exactly what got me into Ms Picoult's work in the first place - good fiction & family/social issues, but always with a "twist", and I am very happy to say this book achieves all that! Many of her novels have also been controversial, and this one will sure to be as well. The character Lily, in particular, will stick with me for a long time - and there are some trigger warnings here to be aware of : abuse, bullying, violence. But it is an emotional roller-coaster than brought on both tears and other emotions, it may be one of the year's best. Be sure to catch the author's note! Recommend & sure it will do well. My sincere thanks to Net Galley, the publisher & authors for the complimentary DRC, the exchange of which did not affect my opinions.

Perfect blend of complex characters and plot twists. Grips the reader from the very first chapter and never lets go. It brings so many problems of children to the forefront and makes you realize how other people cope with their problems.

A relevant novel full of young love, consequences and revelation of releasing secrets. The collaboration of two amazing authors bring to life and assists in the understanding of gender identity and the impact on so many lives. This move deletes into the life of Lily and Asher as well as Olivia Ashes mother. The story weaves together many important messages as well as shows amazing acceptance but the ultimate cost associated with the societal errors of judgement. Lily and Asher are in high school and find an amazing love and respect of each other. The story reflects different point of views as well as timelines. Many characters flow in and out of their lives and the storyline is revealed in a slow but steady thread that adds to the story and enhances the plot. I think many people need to read this to learn how accept something that maybe viewed against the societal norm. The way to accept, embrace and love. Oiivia Ashes mom has a secret of her own which she hides because it is her business. We'll laid out, characters were great and the learning that can happen from this book is inspiring.

Thank you to the authors, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity.

This is an engrossing read with relevant topics and plot twists. It is a solid five stars!

I was provided a copy of the book from NetGalley and the publisher.

Jodi Picoult has done it again; I am confident when I say that Mad Honey will blow every reader away! Picoult shares the story of Olivia Fields and her son Asher who live in a small town in New Hampshire. Olivia makes a living beekeeping, while Asher is a senior in high school, all A’s student, who is a superstar hockey player and who happens to be experiencing his first true love, with his girlfriend, Lily. The book opens by giving readers some background on Olivia and Asher, who fled Olivia’s abusive ex-husband when Asher was six years old; however, both Olivia, Asher’s lives seem to be much improved, and they seem happy. That is, until tragedy strikes and Lily is found dead at the bottom of her staircase. To make matters worse, Asher finds her body and is arrested as the primary suspect in the case. Lily quickly becomes one of the main characters of the book—and the character whom I think readers will love the most—and we get a glimpse into her turbulent past and her feelings for Asher. The rest of the novel jumps back and forth between Olivia and Lily’s perspective, as well as between present time and life before the murder trial. Typical of all of Picoult’s best novels, there is a huge twist in the middle of the book; one that will leave readers’ heads spinning. Mad Honey was a rare read for me. Even though I couldn’t wait to find out the outcome of the murder trial and the end of the book, I found myself reading slowly because I didn’t want the book to end. On a 5 star scale, Mad Honey is easily an 8!

Interesting and well written. I learned a lot. Best Picoult book in a while. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.