If you’re like me, you’ve probably seen Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan popping up everywhere. When I first read the synopsis, I wasn’t jumping to read it; however, after repeatedly seeing rave reviews, I added it to my library queue. After moving my way up from a 100+ person wait, I finally got my hands on this one! Read on for my synopsis and review.
Synopsis
After leaving her abusive husband, Olivia has built a new life with her son Asher. Olivia tends to her bees, and Asher is about to finish high school and has a new girlfriend, Lily. Lily is the new girl in town with a difficult past, and she is hoping to start fresh in a new town. Things are going well until Asher goes to see Lily at her house and finds her dead at the bottom of the staircase. Soon, Asher becomes the lead suspect in Lily’s death. As the trial unfolds, secrets about Lily and Asher come to light, and Olivia wonders if he actually could have been capable of killing Lily.
Details/Review
- I enjoyed the unique structure of the book. It starts on the day of Lily’s death, alternating perspectives between Lily and Olivia. As the chapters progress, Olivia’s chapters all take place after the death, and Lily’s begin to go in reverse. This allows the reader insight into the complexities of the situation and the tension that already existed prior to Lily’s death.
- This book was far too long, and I got bored of Lily’s chapters and the lengthy descriptions of the bees. I very much wanted to know the outcome of the trial but felt that some of the flashbacks to the past were a bit redundant. I started to skim Lily’s chapters around page 300 so that I could get to the present-day chapters.
- This book focuses a lot on gender which surprised me given the synopsis of the book. It seems like no one mentioned this in any of the reviews that I saw. It almost felt as if the authors were trying to hide this from readers which didn’t sit well with me. If this topic doesn’t interest you, then I would skip this book.
- Overall, this book was just not my favorite, and that’s OK!
Rating: ★★
You can buy Mad Honey by clicking here or by visiting your local bookstore. ☻