Mad Honey
Mad Honey - Jennifer Finney Boylan and Jodi Picoult
my review : ✮✮✮✮
This is not your average beach read; there is nothing light & fluffy about this story. It’s as heavy as a waterlogged towel and incredibly moving.
Reviewing this book is tricky because, in common Picoult fashion, there’s a huge twist that is paramount to the whole story. That twist makes it hard for me to give too many details on why I loved this book and what I learned, as I don’t want to spoil anything for you. I will say that this book made me a more compassionate person. If you’ve read the book, I was about as educated as Olivia when I went into this story. I feel lucky to have been able to read Lilly’s story.
At its core, this is a story of a mother’s love. Our book follows two points of view. One is Lilly, a senior in high school who has just moved to town. She and her mom are looking for a fresh start, and they seem to have found it in this small town in New Hampshire. Lilly’s fallen for the star hockey player, Asher, and he has fallen right back. Asher’s mom, Olivia, is our other POV. She moved back to her hometown when Asher was a young boy to escape her abusive husband. She is a beekeeper, and her son is the light of her life. Lilly and Olivia’s life are loosely entangled, and Olivia can tell Asher is smitten with the new girl in town. All that comes crumbling down when Lilly dies and Asher is questioned by police.
This story is a part courtroom drama, part high school love story, and part coming of age. It’s a story of trauma, loss, and redemption… I could go on. It is heartbreaking and moving, and it will stick with me far after I’ve finished it. I love the way Picoult writes and the addition of the better.
I was totally delighted by the beekeeping tidbits woven throughout this book. I learned so much about bees and honey that, at one point, my jaw literally dropped at the intelligence and sophistication of bees.
If you do pick up this book, I would highly recommend reading the author’s note at the end.
Best paired with the Queen Bee Cocktail (page 434 in the book) 🐝
You may want to look up trigger warnings.
you’ll love this book if you love:
A poignant, heartbreaking story
my favorite quote:
“I want to be alive and I want to be joyful and I want to be on fire. I want to be so human it makes the ice in my water glass melt.”
