Mad Honey: A Novel

A GREAT READ. A LOOK INSIDE THE WORLD OF GENDER CHANGES. I LEARNED A LOT ABOUT THE SUBJECT. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A GREAT BOOK EVEN WITHOUT THE CURSING. GREAT DISSERTATION FROM THE MD AT THE TRIAL WHO PERFORMED THE SURGERY AND WHAT IT MEANT.

This book came highly recommended by book club friends, and it is definitely a compelling story. I will be discussing spoilers so if you do not want to know, please do not read beyond this point. It was a very compelling story which dealt in a sensitive issue both with the question of domestic violence, its unknown and known effects on children, and transgender youth. I thought that all of these issues were dealt with in a realistic, emotional, and real way. As author Boylan is transgender, I felt like it was her chance to give transgender individuals a much-needed voice. Lily personified what so many transgender individuals who are not able to provide a mirror to their inner lives and struggles. I also appreciated how Boylan educated us that being transgender is much like anything else in life-each transgender individual is unique, do not all think the same way, and especially do not have the same journey. Another strength in this story is the real and raw exploration of domestic violence. Yes, it was difficult to read. However, I think that Picoult and Boylan did an excellent job of exploring the large questions about abuse, what makes and abuser, and most importantly, what happens to the children of abusers? I admire how Picoult and Boylan were able to bring to life all the complex emotions of a mother whose son has turned into what seems her worst nightmare. She wanted to protect her son, she doubted him, and she loved him so much that she would do anything to protect him. She had to ask herself very difficult questions and face the reality of bearing her abuser's son. I was drawn into the complexities of Olivia's emotions and felt like I completely understood them. The only flaw in the writing is that the story became a bit outrageous and sensationalistic at the end. It felt more like the unlikely end of a TV movie rather than what should have been the end to a story which could have played in any courtroom in the United States. I just felt like it could have finished a bit more realistically, because the rest of the story was so compelling. I highly recommend this story for so many reasons, you will be educated and will experience the full gamut of emotions of a mother with an impossible burden.

MAD HONEY is the second one of Jodi Picoult's books I've read, and it contains all the ingredients I've come to expect from her writing: beautiful prose, a compulsive plot line, relatable characters, and great twists. Picoult and co-author Jennifer Finley Boylan utilized a dual-timeline, multiple point-of-view approach in their writing. The result is a smooth introduction of backstory and an intriguing look at events through the eyes of several key players. The reader learns straightaway that single mom Olivia is a beekeeper and is raising teenage son Asher. Doing her trademark deep dive, Picoult provides lots of details about the lives of bees and beekeeping, and this becomes a powerful metaphor for family life and society at large. Asher is dating the multi-talented Lily, a cellist, champion fencer, and font of knowledge about various topics she's researched. Lily and her mother are newcomers to the small New Hampshire town that provides the story's backdrop, having migrated from Seattle. We learn that the motivating factor behind the move was a need to escape an abusive husband/father. Although both Lily and Asher are distanced from their fathers, we come to understand that there are very different reasons for the fractured parent-child relationships. Very little in this book is what it seems at first glance, and the authors have done a terrific job bringing the reader on a journey that reveals the truth bit by bit. There comes a point when medical information is doled out, and it is given in a sensitive, appropriate manner. I won't give spoilers, except to say that the courtroom drama is as compelling as any other part of the book, and that a murder is involved. It isn't until close to the end of the book that a definition of "mad honey" appears. "THERE IS ONE type of honey you should avoid at all costs. Mad honey comes from bees that forage on rhododendrons and mountain laurel, and it’s full of poisonous grayanotoxins. It causes dizziness, nausea and vomiting, convulsions, cardiac disorders, and more. Symptoms last for twenty-four hours, and although rarely, if left untreated, can be fatal." The definition perfectly fits the final, shocking twist. I highly recommend MAD HONEY to readers who love sensitive treatments of social issues, lovely prose, and lovable but flawed characters. If you've read other books by Picoult, you'll understand exactly what this means. If not, dive in!

Originally purchased for my daughter, definitely not my typical novel but I needed some holiday reading. To my surprise I finished the book, and got educated along the way.

Another wonder from Jodi. Love them all. This was so informative.

Excelente

Echt spannende und dramatische Story

This must have been a challenging book to write considering the scope of topics and combining the work of the two authors. The story is told from the perspective of two of the characters Olivia, a beekeeper and Lily, a high school student. Their paths cross when Olivia's son Asher becomes Lily's first love and the lives of the two students and their families become intricately intertwined. The characters were very well written and provide a lot of insight into the troubled family dynamics. There were endless surprises, a lot of details about bee keeping (more that I ever wanted to know!) and a complex plot that book clubs would have an interesting time discussing.