Mad Honey: A Novel

I loved the writing style and the use of gourmet honey production as a framework for the plots and characters. (Timely, as today's commercial honey production is under scrutiny for the stress it places on honeybees.) The book looks at themes of abusive marital relationships, gender identity questions, the many faces of family love, the issues involved in beekeeping... so much more. You'll enjoy it.

Reading took longer due to the difficult storyline. There were times I had to set it aside because because the emotional response was heavy and heartbreaking. It is a poignant story that needs to be read.

I really didn't know what to expect when I started reading this book. I have always loved reading Jodi Picoult. I had never read Jennifer Finney Boylan.I could hardly put this book down! The back-and-forth reflections between the characters was seamless. I didn't know that certain characters were written by each author... not together. This was amazing because the entire story was quite fluid.I learned a great deal about trans gender people, and I have a much better understanding of the gender now. I have empathy for these people. The negative way others treat them simply because they are trans... rather than treating them well because they are humans.I also learned an amazing amount about bees. I had never had much interest in bees, but learning through Olivia was satisfying.I have sons, so I related to Olivia and Asher's relationship. I can't imagine going through what they had to endure. It's difficult enough to raise sons without having to go through a serious trial with them. Feeling the inner thoughts of Olivia was gut-wrenching at times. I wanted to be able to be there for her during those times.The ending was a surprise. And, then again, it wasn't.I was happy that it ended the way it did... I actually breathed a sigh of relief!I hope you love reading this book as much as I did.Happy reading!

My apologies for this review being as lengthy as it is, but I just couldn’t find anyway to shorten it. 🙃I was immediately captivated by the storyline and the characters as the plot began to unfurl from page 1, and onward. Having said that, I’m not surprised, considering that Picoult was a contributing writer for this book. No disrespect meant toward Boylan, I’m just simply not familiar with her writing.There is a huge amount of intensity, both good and bad, as well as contentment and certainty regarding the mother/son relationship, the other mothers, and Lily (one of the key characters) as well as the strong bad-ass females that are representing for our gender. (Hoo-gah!!)There is an undeniability, together with an apprehensiveness, as to what is eventually expected to unfold as told on the "jacket cover" description provided by the publisher/writer.This begins to build as the reader is submersed further into the narrative, and as the story moves around from the POV’s provided by two main characters of the story. You’ve previously been forewarned, and conscious of what is yet to come.Even if you care to have it delayed a bit longer, it’s one of those novels you irrefutably can not put down. It’s like watching a passenger train on the tracks, knowing it’s about to derail, and it’s evident there’s nothing you can do to stop it, yet you can’t turn away from the horror that’s about to unfold before your eyes.There is one major key genre that is curiously left out of any of the previews, but to have it included, would destroy what is to develop at a later stage. It would’ve been a HUGE spoiler. For that reason, it makes it even more difficult in writing this review. I honor the writers, and will not mention it here either.All I can say is to continue reading through, until the end to see why my mind was so completely blown!The ending alone regarding the responsibility of Lily’s death, is another mind stunner.I also want to mention, that while reading, I was very curious and hoped to be enlightened as to who wrote which sections of the book. Thank goodness I always read what the authors write in the the "Dear readers:" section, as will as anything else that follows.I unequivocally feel the need to include something Jennifer Finney Boylan states in her ending message/notes:"All of us have something in our hearts like a flower that cannot bloom because it is held in secret. The adventure of life can be to get that thing out of the darkness where it lies and let the sun shine on it. So it can go back inside your heart facing the right direction." WOW!Doesn’t it appear we all have that abysmal, cavernous secret buried so far down, it’ll never see the light of day again, if it were up to us? Imagine considering her outlook toward it instead? Just something to ponder at a later date, possibly…And I also feel the need to share something that Picoult wrote in her ending message/notes:"What would I like you to take away from this novel? Absolutely nothing. I’d like you to give—a chance, a thought, a damn. Like gender, difference is a construct. We are all flawed, complicated, wounded dreamers; we have more in common with one another than we don’t. Sometimes making the world a better place just involves creating space for the people who are already in it. —Jodi Picoult" Another WOW moment!I rarely give out 5 star ratings and have a system of 3 key qualifiers, one of which is:"Those that profoundly affected my whole being while reading, and left an intense deeply-rooted impression as well."This one is a 5 star rating for sure, and I significantly advocate, encourage, and recommend this as a Must Read Novel.

I felt like this book could have been over half way through and that it just kept dragging on. Ending seemed very trite.

It was a good read. I actually learned a lot about bees and a lot about transgender people that I didn't know. I have a lot of empathy for what they have to go through. The authors obviously did a lot of research and they wrote and educated we readers well. I have a couple of friends that I will recommend this book to, and hopefully they will come to understand that these people are not abominations. My only complaint is that the book is too long and it dragged at certain times, especially in some of Lily's chapters. But all in all, I enjoyed it.

Skillfully written and perfectly woven by two exceptional writers. Made me feel, think and learn, effortlessly. From the moment I read the first page, I was hooked!