Reviews tagging 'Body shaming'

Mad Honey by Jennifer Finney Boylan, Jodi Picoult

39 reviews

ariel_marie's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I had such a soft spot for all of these characters.

Mad Honey was so well written & covered important topics.

There were definitely some triggering moments as a large focus of this book covers DV. Sometimes it felt like things were being over explained & facts were given on end, but it was done in a way that was compelling.

The different POV's & past & present storytelling provided character depth that was much needed. Liv & Lily were so different yet so similar. I love that this was co-written with an author was has experience & can provide an authentic outlook to the topic covered in this book.

The ending though - it felt rushed & for a story that was so focused on justice, I did not appreciate the outcome.

I did absolutely love all the information I learned about bees & honey in this story. It was such a fun & lighthearted aspect to this heavy story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Deadnaming, Outing, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Transphobia, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Body shaming, Bullying, Sexism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Physical abuse, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Alcoholism, Hate crime, Misogyny, and Sexual content

Minor: Abortion

cryfest's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

Reading this as a trans queer non-binary person who has loved Jodi Picoult (one of the authors of this book) since high school -  I was a little apprehensive because I wasn’t sure if I trusted Jodi with my trans siblings, and while heart breaking, a lot of nuance to trans identities was explored compassionately, with the genius and lived experience of Finney Boylan of course. I definitely would encourage non-trans folks to read this as a small slice of insight to one fictional trans person’s experience/journey.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Suicide attempt, Violence, Domestic abuse, Murder, Abandonment, Hate crime, Mental illness, Outing, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual violence, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Medical content, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Confinement

Minor: Pedophilia, Abortion, Alcoholism, Gun violence, Infidelity, and Mass/school shootings

kebbe7's review against another edition

emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Self harm, Gaslighting, Medical content, Pregnancy, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Violence, Body shaming, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Alcoholism, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Transphobia

aishwaryaj's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Suicide attempt, Abortion, Transphobia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Body shaming, and Self harm

emmagalt's review against another edition

challenging dark informative sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

< spoiler > 

This book tries to do far too much and it suffers because of that. The authors needed to pick one hobby, but there are so many tangents about Lily fencing, playing cello, absorbing facts, as well as Olivia keeping bees that it becomes boring and skimmable.

More than that they needed to pick one trauma. If you try to have a book about murder, domestic abuse, transphobia, suicide, self-harm, abortion, racism in the justic system, etc, then none of the topics are covered with the grace and nuance they deserve. The marginalised characters in the book like Selena and Elizabeth felt like educational tropes pulled from inspirational quotes than 3D people with lived experience.

I felt that the parts about Lily's transition was beautifully written and informative. This book could have been such a positive platform to talk about the love and support she was given to transform as a teenager, and the benefits of being able to act on this choice so young so that she could live as her authentic self for the majority of her life. Unfortunately, this was used as a plot twist to offer motive for Lily's death, instead of a full story about Lily's life.

Finally, the main plot of the book was the trial, but the case and arguments were so weak because too much focus was put on trying (and I think failing) to make the characters seem murky and mysterious.

Such a shame because I always love Jodi Picoult books, but this just didn't do it for me.

</ spoiler >

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Bullying, Violence, Dysphoria, Suicidal thoughts, Gaslighting, Death, Deadnaming, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Outing, Medical content, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Murder, Hate crime, Transphobia, Body shaming, Suicide, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Car accident and Abortion

a_d_maillet's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Suicide attempt, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Death, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Cursing, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Self harm, and Body shaming

bnelson13's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Well I don't know what I was expecting from this book, but it wasn't THAT. Absolutely amazing read, several plot twists that I DID NOT see coming, although the ending I kind of did. Definitely an engaging read, and I'm super excited that there are actual recipes at the end of the story for the ones that were mentioned IN the story itself. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Deadnaming, Grief, Homophobia, Murder, Outing, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Physical abuse, Self harm, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Abortion, Alcohol, Child abuse, and Violence

meganwebber's review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Transphobia, Body shaming, Murder, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Homophobia, Addiction, Physical abuse, and Suicidal thoughts

norwegianforestreader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Abortion, Alcohol, Bullying, Car accident, Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Cursing, Child abuse, Self harm, Domestic abuse, Transphobia, Murder, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Deadnaming, Body shaming, Suicide attempt, Grief, Forced institutionalization, and Death

rachelmerrie's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

So so so so so necessary.

Hated part of the ending: (VAGUE SPOILER)
Why did she get a slap on the wrist when he would’ve had his whole life taken from him? 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Transphobia, Sexual content, Stalking, Sexual assault, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Medical content, Domestic abuse, Bullying, Alcohol, Murder, Toxic friendship, Self harm, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Gaslighting, Child death, Child abuse, Body shaming, Homophobia, Blood, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Death, Cursing, Confinement, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Outing, and Hate crime