A review by livlosiewicz
Mad Honey by Jennifer Finney Boylan, Jodi Picoult

emotional informative mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

 Pros: 
·I really enjoyed this book. It’s engaging and suspenseful, dealing with lots of important themes and likable, compelling characters 
·I liked the way the book ended- with things not really being perfect at all because moving on from hard things takes time 
·The book explores the complicated issue of intimate partner violence and its potential trickle-down effects in a really compelling way 
·I didn’t look up anything about this book or the authors beforehand so I was pleasantly surprised by a couple of the twists, giving me several “!!!” moments while reading 
 
Cons: 
·The backwards timeline for Lily was a cool gimmick, but also a little confusing, especially because they had several fights that became trickier to keep track of. Additionally, Lily’s ending chapters felt a little more gratuitous, while Olivia’s ending chapters advanced the plot, and this imbalance was striking to me. 
·
I liked the reveal at the end but I wish Maya’s main motive hadn’t been that she was in love with Asher. Idk that felt like a bummer to me.
 
Recommendation: I recommend for those looking for an engaging book that also deals with important themes. I love Jodi Picoult books, and this felt similar to some of her older works (less like her most recent three novels). I especially recommend to people who like learning things; there are lots of fun honeybee facts in this one. 
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