Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

Mad Honey by Jennifer Finney Boylan, Jodi Picoult

67 reviews

bookedbyclare's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

4.0

a whole lesson in beekeeping 🐝🐝 maybe slightly too long but I couldn't put it down. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Abortion, Bullying, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Medical content, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Suicide attempt, and Transphobia

lidia7's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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

read it in one sitting, cried a couple of times.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Transphobia, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Child abuse, Grief, and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Abortion, Cancer, Murder, Medical content, Death of parent, Blood, Alcohol, Animal death, Outing, Violence, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, and Cursing

sophieamreacher's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad slow-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

Check TWs. 

Amazing, powerful, thought provoking. I didn’t know where this was going until it was revealed, loved the characters and their development, and discussed important topics. I loved all the bee and honey facts. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Alcoholism, Gore, Grief, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Cursing, Gaslighting, Suicide attempt, Transphobia, Violence, Child abuse, Murder, Outing, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Hate crime, and Injury/Injury detail

msnikkiwilks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

I'm not sure what I expected when I started this book, but I can say I'm glad I didn't rush it and that I took the time to soak it up. 

This book was simultaneously heavy and light and beautifully done, bittersweet. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Medical content, Domestic abuse, Outing, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Bullying, Grief, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Deadnaming, Self harm, and Transphobia

jada_ann_12's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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? Yes

4.25

I really enjoyed this book. As most of Jodi Picoult’s stories, I felt that it was very well thought out and told. Whenever a character would speak about a passion they had, they had all the facts. I felt like these characters were real and had real passions and traits. I kept thinking that there was no way Olivia isn’t real because of how thought out her passion for Bee’s was. Or Lily with how well versed she was in every fact she would bring to the table. Her character was so well rounded. I enjoyed the point of views, the intensity, the romance, the sorrow, and the characters themselves. I liked seeing Jordan again and being able to see him take on a personal matter. Olivia’s character was so deep and struggled with her battle between her heart and mind. Lily and Asher had my heart and I was absolutely heartbroken at the tragedy that happened. I wish I had his point of view too. I read this book whenever I could and was never bored. I really enjoyed it and can’t wait for another installment. 

Now here’s why the story is not a 5 star. 

starting off, i wanted to see more of an aftermath from Braden. I feel like we were left on a cliffhanger there with how he reacted and made Olivia pay for the court situation. Second, I sort of struggled with the way Lily’s POV’s were structured. Because they went from present to past, I had a hard time remembering a timeline. Maybe it’s because I’m not used to it and i still enjoyed the story itself, but I found myself forgetting small details or forgetting how small things played out. I think I would’ve been more immersed if the scene of Lily hearing the knocking happened and then it flew back to the past and proceeded forward. However, I do appreciate how the chapters would hint to something haunting of the past then the next time we’d get her POV we would learn about it like her haunting memories of the fencing match with Asher’s jealous side. The last reason why this book didn’t get a 5 star is because I felt a lacking with the plot twist at the end. Though it was crazy and I was stunned and freaking out, I felt like the tying it up part was loose. I didn’t like how Maya didn’t get in trouble, how we didn’t get to see more of a reaction from the characters because of all they went through. It felt clipped and unrealistic sort of which was out of place for a story that was so real and deep. I sort of saw it coming the whole time but that didn’t take away from my experience. I just wanted her to get some consequences. And I sort of wish we got that truth part from Lily, not Maya. I felt sort of robbed. <Spoiler>

Wither way, I really enjoyed this book and I’m excited for future novels!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Blood, Bullying, Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Self harm, Violence, Death, Gore, Outing, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Grief, and Hate crime

saraperdue01's review against another edition

dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Blood, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Grief, Outing, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Murder, Suicide attempt, Transphobia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Abortion

jerica's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

CAUTION: MY REVIEW HAS SPOILERS.

It seems like most people either love or hate this book. I'm on the fence. I liked it; it held my interest more than most other books I've read this year. Sadly I think there was just too much that the authors tried to cram in... it's overstimulating at times and drags at others. 

A lot of reviewers complain about the "biology lessons," "lectures," and "changed focus" of this novel, but for me this was the most interesting part of the story. As a cisgender person (who finally knows what that means), I appreciated the details that the authors included about a) what it means to be transgender, b) the many challenges that transgendered people face every day, big and small, and c) the process of transitioning from one sex to another and the emotions that come with it.
Before reading "Mad Honey," I didn't understand any of the above. For example, I tried and failed to understand they/them pronouns. I still respected those who used them, but I didn't *get* it. Now I do, and I am forever grateful for that. I always want people to feel comfortable expressing their authentic selves around me and know that they are safe with me. Now that I have read Lily's story and become more educated on what it's like to be transgender, I feel confident that I can provide a welcoming and safe space for any transgendered person I meet. 

Now for something I didn't like as much. Well, I did like it, I just felt like it was forced to "fit" with everything else: the bees/beekeeping. The details and facts about them were great, and I understand how it relates to the title, but it seemed like filler to me. What does beekeeping have to do with anything else? Sure, it provided some bonding moments for the characters, but I think the authors should have written something else with all of this wonderful bee content; they squeezed plenty of other things into "Mad Honey," after all. 

Many of the characters in this novel were straight-up unlikeable. That's appealing to me, because a lot of people in real life are unlikeable, too. While I do believe that every person has value, I do not believe that every person has redeeming qualities. The authors did a good job of showing many different personality types, and I thought that the character development was above average. 

I've mentioned it before, but the authors had too many things crammed in to this text. In agreement with other reviewers, it did feel like the writers threw in as many hot-button topics as possible without developing many of them or giving well-deserved attention to each topic. Why mention details that you aren't going to expand on? This felt half-assed to me. I hate the term "woke," but would say the writing verged on that more often than not. 

The "plot twist" at the end, which revealed the murderer, was unsurprising and anticlimactic in my opinion. Although I suspected nearly everyone as the murderer at one point or another, I had the correct person pegged nearly the entire time. 

Based on my review so far, I'm starting to think I liked this book less than I thought! Nevertheless, I do want to briefly discuss some minor characters and the legal aspects of the story. I really liked Asher's uncle/lawyer and his aunt (especially his aunt!). I appreciate that the attorney-client privilege was taken completely seriously and how straightforward Asher's uncle was about what the boy was facing, how to handle it, and how to pursue acquittal. I enjoyed the judge's personality, too, and thought that court procedures were described very accurately. The authors did their homework!

Overall, despite my criticisms, I do recommend this book; every person can benefit in some way or another from reading it.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Medical content, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Outing

annabelreadsandwrites's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Transphobia, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Death, Deadnaming, Violence, Toxic relationship, Outing, Hate crime, Dysphoria, Murder, Misogyny, Medical content, Gaslighting, and Child abuse

Moderate: Bullying, Hate crime, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Deadnaming, Dysphoria, Sexual content, Cursing, Torture, Blood, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Mass/school shootings, Stalking, and Car accident

rronnniii's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Transphobia, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, Blood, Medical content, Self harm, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Deadnaming, Violence, and Grief

meeklovestoread's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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? It's complicated

4.5

 I would like to preface this by saying that I kind of went into this book blind. The only thing I knew was what the synopsis told me (which I think was purposefully done by the authors) and I think depending on how open-minded you are, I think you should do the same. However, I would like to state that as an avid thriller reader, I don't think this should be marketed as a “thriller”, it's a light mystery at best. So if you’re expecting anything thriller-crazy, don’t. 

But anyway, I LOVED this book! It did take me a while to love it though. As I was reading in the beginning, I liked it but I didn’t love it, but it all came together soon enough. There are so many layers here and stories told that this book provides lots of depth. I don’t know about anyone else, but I was getting really attached to the characters and even teared up a couple of times hearing what they had to go through (especially one character in particular). And I love how multifaceted and flawed our main characters were; I feel like it humanized them in a way because with stories like this sometimes authors make the characters a little too perfect that it takes the authenticity of the story and the character.

The writing is sooooo good! I could literally feel the characters' emotions through the page. I LOVED this book so much and I personally was a big fan of how educational it was considering I knew nothing of what it would've been like to be in Lily's situation. 

The only qualms I have with this book is that I wasn't really into the "bee talk", but some metaphors did stick (no pun intended). Also, in regards to Lily and Asher's relationship (loved them, they were the type of toxic that you actually want to root for) and them "knowing each other so well"; I feel like we were TOLD that rather than shown. I would've loved a few scenes dedicated to them having innocent fun and listing things they had in common rather than just being told that they have this phenomenal connection.

Also, that scene that we get about Asher being okay with Lily being trans. I wish we could've gotten that reveal through Lily's flashback instead of Olivia's present perspective. Because in Lily's POV it shows him freaking out and storming out of her bedroom when he found out. I feel like it would've been more impactful if we got a dedicated scene in her perspective of him being okay with her being trans and loving for "who she was, not what she was".

  Also, another thing, I feel like the ending "twists" was so underwhelming. 

It being Maya to be the one that pushed her was so cliche and felt like a cop-out to me (I was hoping it would've been Dirk). And her not facing any repercussions for what she did piss me off because she literally killed someone and got away with it. The writing was so good in this book that I think I'm gonna cock it up them being in a rush and unsure how to end the book. It's a great book regardless,  but the ending twist was not it. The overall ending was good though.

 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Suicide, Emotional abuse, Grief, Homophobia, Outing, Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, Bullying, Child death, Death, Gaslighting, Suicide attempt, Transphobia, Child abuse, and Hate crime

Moderate: Murder, Physical abuse, Cursing, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, and Medical content

Minor: Sexism, Blood, Body horror, Abortion, Alcoholism, and Animal death