Another page turner from Jodie Picoult. It's been a long time since I've read a book that made me want to find out more asap. Once again Picoult has taken a topical subject or as in this case a couple of topical subjects, marital abuse and transgender and crafted them into a well written novel with twists along the way.
I had not realised that the book was co-written until the very end, the writing was seamless. Her research is always so through and as well as enjoying the fiction I also learnt a good deal along the way of the world of bees.
Picoult is a true story teller and I particularly liked the drama of the court room scene. All the characters were very well portrayed. The story unravels little by little as different characters continue the narrative and this made me want to keep reading on and on. I finished the book in a few days which is not my usual reading regime. I thoroughly recommend reading it.

Olivia and her son, Asher, move from Boston to New Hampshire to start their lives over. Asher falls for Lily and within months she is found dead. He is subsequently questioned by the police and without warning their newly-constructed lives begin to fall apart. Asher protests his innocence but he has secrets and Olivia, although fiercely protective of him, has doubts.

Wow! What a powerful read but not an easy one to review without giving too much of the plot away. I welcome it when a book makes me challenge or review my perspective on certain situations and ‘Mad Honey’ does just this because, about half-way through, there is an bombshell turn of events which changes the whole dynamic of the story and stops you in your tracks. Jodi Picoult’s novels are not afraid of dealing with topical, emotive subjects and this book is no exception.

Analogies were cleverly drawn between bee-keeping and certain elements of the book so as a plus I also learnt a lot about the fascinating rituals of bees. Certain events in the book mirrored the life of bees so seamlessly that I can only imagine the amount of research that went into making this happen.

Jodi Picoult’s characters come alive on the page and I was completely invested in what happened to them. Lily’s character in particular was beautifully crafted. Superb writing played with my emotions and I found myself in the strange position of empathising with all of the characters at one time or another. My opinions and views were in a constant state of flux.

If I had to have one criticism, it would be that one particular aspect of the book’s conclusion, although very satisfying, was a little rushed. This is a tiny negative about what is a really great read.

The authors’ notes at the end are not to be missed. Their collaboration worked brilliantly and created a fabulous novel. Highly recommended!

One of my books of the year 10 * if I could. A book quite unlike anything else- in such a good way.
Olivia has inherited her mothers house and her fathers bees. Bees, for anyone who knows them, can tell us so much about life- they are truly fascinating creatures. In this story, Olivia tells part of it through them. Her eighteen year old son Asher, has been seeing Lily for a few months. When a surprise goes wrong and they don’t speak for a few days everyone thinks it's teenage angst. Olivia has had her own issues with Asher's father from whom she is now divorced. When Olivia gets a call from the police station, things have drastically changed and maybe even their whole lives.
In the blurb this book is described as compelling and wow! It most certainly is. There’s something not only about the plot but the style of writing that keeps the pages turning so very easily. I quickly took to Olivia and her predicament and that fear of what to do, who to all, what is happening etc. Halfway through there’s a twist and wow! This took my breath away as it was so unexpected. A book about life and what it may throw at us and of being who we truly are, not restrained by others or popular thought. Of learning from those little winged creatures who are always one step ahead of us humans and of life that can give us a real buzz both good and bad. A brave, beautiful, powerful stunner of a read.

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What a special book

This was a good read.

Thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish and could not get enough of.

This is a must read for anyone who enjoys a good story!!
Absolutely loved the characters, the plot, the tension - impossible to put it down.
Certainly recommended!

A breath taking story of young love but with unexpected twists and turns throughout.
Asher and Lily fall in love, but to background of domestic abuse and prejudice. The story is told from the point of view of Lily and Asher's mum.
This is a long read, but with so many unforeseen twists that I was completely engrossed.
Brilliantly written storyline. Thoroughly recommend.

Jodi Picoult always manages to write a thought provoking story. This was a good book, not as good as her earlier books - too much information on bee keeping for my liking, but that’s just a personal preference when reading; I like to read the story not detailed descriptions of the environment or activities.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the authors for the opportunity of reading Mad Honey.

There’s being gripped by a book and then there’s wanting to hurry up and finish every activity that you are doing so that you can pick your book back up. I was thinking about this book so much throughout the day and was so excited to get my hands back on it!

Mad Honey switches between Lily, a high schooler who has recently relocated to Adams for a fresh start, and Olivia, a beekeeper living back in her childhood home. When Lily falls in love with Olivia’s son Asher, things should be perfect, but when Olivia gets the call that Lily is dead and Asher has been taken in by the police for questioning, everything unravels.

It was such a special and powerful book to read. I loved how small fragments of the characters are gradually revealed until we build a complete picture of each. We jump between the past and current day which means we get lots of insights into the back stories of the characters and can understand and connect with them more.

This book was just beautifully written and I enjoyed the way the beekeeping journey was interwoven into the story too. You would not know this book was written by 2 authors, it just flowed seamlessly. Congratulations to Jodi and Jennifer for collaborating on such a spectacular book.

What a fabulous and thought provoking book. Realistic and likeable characters and a major plot twist kept me hooked. Told from multiple view points the story flicks back and forwards between past and present building a layered and engaging story. I can’t say too much without giving away the twist but boy did it come out of the blue. Complex and difficult issues are handled with sensitivity and may just lead to some people becoming less prejudiced - one can hope. Thoroughly recommend.

This was a satisfying read with lots of twists and turns and, in typical Jodi Picoult style, moral questions. I loved all of the background information about bees and beekeeping, and how that complimented the themes of the book so well. The issues covered seemed to have been well-researched and sensitively handled, and the characters were well-drawn and individual.

This book would make a good holiday read or book club choice.

I have to say that I've been avoiding reading Jodi Picoult books recently as I found quite a few of them (although enjoyable) very formulaic. However, after a break from reading her, I was happy to "Mad Honey" co-authored by Jennifer Finney Boylan. Like all Picoult books, the subjects are thoroughly researched and this comes across in the writing. Add Jennifer Finney Boylan into the mix and then you have some fantastic insights into the subjects explored within. I shan't give much away but it is a fascinating book and would make great discussion at a bookclub. For me, the most interesting part was how the two authors divided up the writing tasks: two voices written by two authors, and one chapter of each written by the other.

After a strong start, this novel struggled a bit. The problem is that Picoult, it seems to me, in an effort to keep this rather too long novel going, leapt onto a pile of 'now' themes, and not desperately well, either. To be honest, it felt like several novels jammed into one storyline. Shame, really, because it started well, and should have been really good, but I just felt there was a loss of steam in terms of narrative style that Picoult was trying to beef up by loading on contemporary and sometimes shocking themes. The effect, rather than creating tension and readability, was to make the storyline feel like a slog. It's a novel that - sorry about this - needs a good edit. Less would have been more.

My grateful thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

Mad honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan

Olivia takes over the family beekeeping business after fleeing a violent relationship. Her son Asher is a popular high school student in a relationship with Lily. The book follows the fall out of Asher being arrested for Lily's murder and the truth about their relationship.

This is a hard book to review without giving any spoilers. I hadn't read a Jodi Picoult in a few years and I really enjoyed this book which she co authored with Jennifer Finney Boylan. The book does what she does best. A gripping story with enough twists to keep you guessing and some very important topical issues at the heart of the book.

The time line moves between past and present with different characters viewpoints which gives the story more depth. The beekeeping details were interesting and cleverly used.

I hadn't read anything by Jennifer before but will be looking her other work up now.

Thanks you to Netgalleyuk, Hodder & Stoughton and the authors for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Mad honey will be released on the 15th November.

This is a powerful and moving read with characters that you take into your heart as their lives are blown apart by a tragic event and you begin to see the fractures that they had carried with them in life revealed. A teenage boy is charged with the murder of the girl that he had appeared to love the most and the families of both the victim and the defendant are laid bare. The timeline moves between past and present and we hear different viewpoints as we piece together the events of the book and question what we know and believe.
The two authors have blended styles well and there is no break in the fluidity of the narrative and I will certainly be sure to read more by both authors. The theme of bees and honey weave through the book and run parallel with events - I found it surprisingly interesting!
This book raises emotional and hard-hitting issues and makes you look at the impact of family, relationships, trust, betrayal, love, respect, friendship and acceptance, strength and adversity. It is about all that is good as well as all that is toxic and leaves much to consider about mankind and how we treat one another. As a parent, it made me think about my role and my children and vow to try and make the world a better place for their future. I loved it!

Loved it. Another Jodi Picoult novel that makes you think, revaluate what you think you know, all while educating, but not in a patronizing way. I love her talent for this. Just when the book is going to a lull and you know the direction of the narrative the curve ball comes and hits you.
She also brings back characters from previous books, so thanks Jodi, now I have to go and reread "19 Minutes"!
My only criticism would be of the courtroom scenes, some of the questioning does not ring true. Would the interrogation be left the way that it was?
The story of the bees interwoven in the story only really becomes clear at the very end but is very clever. A definite recommendation. That you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the opportunity to read this advance copy.

This book was perfect for a rainy bank holiday weekend - it kept me completely engrossed. I loved the different characters and the background stories of people like Olivia and Ava. Other characters like Selena and Elizabeth really round out the world too. The beekeeping was interesting. A typical device in Jodi Picoult novels but still taught me lots I didn't know - and has me craving honey. What really happened to Lily the day she died is no surprise as it's pretty clear throughout the story but Lily's history did surprise me. It was handled excellently and fit really well into the story. Yes, at time we're info-dumped about it but it was really educational and very moving. Asher's character really stands out; his complexity is very well done. I really enjoyed it and was delighted to get a chance to read it.

What a brilliant book! Quite apart from the thrilling rollercoaster ride as we dip in and out of the complicated lives and relationships of Olivia, Asher and Lily, I learned so much about beekeeping and (without wishing to give away any spoilers) the issues surrounding gender and sexuality which many people face. Written by two very talented authors, the narrative moves seamlessly between the characters and just when we think we are reaching a conclusion we are hit with another twist that leads us down another avenue of tension and discovery. We are shown so many facets of the challenges facing young people finding their place in life; dealing with love, loyalty and friendship against a background of prejudices, jealousies and possessiveness. Clear your diaries, you won't want to put this one down!

I am a huge Jodi Picoult fan and was thrilled to be given an advanced copy of Mad Honey to read months before it's release. Mad Honey, despite being co-written with Jennifer Boylan, feels just like Picoult's early novels that made me fall in love with her writing. The returning characters will thrill any Jodi Picoult fan and I can't wait to discuss this with everyone I know when it's released.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.

I enjoyed this book although I did find it quite long and at times overly detailed. It tackled quite a few tricky issues but I thought it was done sensitively and respectfully.
The characters were well rounded and I liked hearing the story from different points of view and from different time periods.

Jodi Picoult is back to her best writing self sign Mad honey. I will be disappointed I did not really enjoy her last book but this one she is back to her best and the addiction of Jennifer Finney Boylan to give life and heart to Lily made this heartbreaking read feel totally honest and relatable. My heart broke for all of the characters who were all damaged in their own way and I fell in love with Lily and her story. I also loved the interwoven story with the beekeeping and the history around those as I found it fascinating and the recipes at the end were an added bonus. Who knew mad honey was a thing. This book is perfect and everyone should read it.

Contains spoilers

This is a really difficult review to write.

I absolutely loved the first half of the book. The characters were great - well thought out and we had already been introduced to a number of difficult issues such as single parents, domestic violence, lesbian parenting, moving to new towns.

Then the twist came and for a while it seemed to turn into a trans educational book with pages and pages of factual information that didn’t add a whole lot to the storyline. At one point I felt it was rammed a bit down your throat. After that it felt like the writers were playing trigger bingo as they seemed to hit even more issues that would cause upset to others - descriptions of DV, abortion, child abuse, potential stalking. It was all a bit too much to be honest.

I liked that the girl was trans. It was refreshing to see. I just feel that the book focused too much on the physical aspect of this and not who she was as a character. Like the boy - I liked her for who she was and not what she was.