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boba_nbooks's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Mad Honey is one of those books that sucks you in and just doesn't let go. I went into it not knowing much, and there were multiple times where I audibly gasped at this story.
Olivia and her son, Asher, have been through hell and back. To escape Olivia's abusive ex-husband, the pair moved back to Olivia's childhood home in New Hampshire to take over her father's beekeeping business. Lily is a high school student who also needed a new start. She and her mother moved to New Hampshire to start over. Asher and Lily eventually cross paths at their school, and the two teenagers can't help but fall in love with each other. Olivia is so happy for her son, but one day, she gets a call from Asher: "Lily is dead." Of course, as Lily's boyfriend and the one who found her body, Asher is the number one suspect. Through a dual timeline and dual POV, we follow Lily through the past leading up to her death and Olivia as we watch Asher's trial.
This novel surprised me in so many ways, and it really was such an amazing collaboration between the two authors. I listened to the author's note at the end and found out that Jodi Picoult wrote Olivia's POV while Jennifer Finney Boylan wrote Lily's POV, but I would have never known that from the way their writing styles complemented each other and blended together. It was such a unique story that centers around secrets. What secrets are that, secrets? And what secrets are ones that are private information that should only be shared by their owner?
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Transphobia, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Abortion
ktdakotareads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
rgs's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Transphobia, and Grief
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Deadnaming, Death, Hate crime, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
torturedreadersdept's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Murder, Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
karlymarcy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Transphobia, Violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, Outing, and Gaslighting
cannaebehorsed's review against another edition
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Transphobia, and Murder
jenijenocide's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Physical abuse, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Grief, and Suicide attempt
emmiemerereads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Death and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicide, Transphobia, Violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Outing
bookwormcat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Bullying, Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Outing
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Violence, Grief, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
kelseyreads94's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Outing, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Hate crime
Minor: Abortion and Sexual harassment