Anytime you read a Jodi Picoult book you can plan on 2 things. #1 – You will learn something. #2 – She tackles topics that other authors avoid. In Mad Honey, you will learn about the intricacies of beekeeping with one of the main characters – Olivia. Her life has been anything but simple. She put her ex-husband through medical school and as his career took off so did the amount of abuse she received. Her son was growing and soon would start remembering events. She did not want her young son influenced by his father’s behavior so she left. Olivia returned to her childhood home and began helping her father with his bees. After her father’s death, Olivia became responsible for maintaining the hives. She gradually gains confidence and even expands her product line. Her son, Asher, grew up in a peaceful and happy place. Did Asher ever wonder about his father? What type of relationship would Asher and his father have had if Olivia had allowed it?

Lily is a senior in high school. New to town, she is faced with the prospect of starting over again. Lily has had a rough time of it lately. Her parents have separated. She was bullied at her last school and is now facing her senior year at a new school. After being bullied, Lily wants to fade into the background at this school. Lily will keep her head down and try her hardest to blend in. Her new friend Maya introduces her to Asher and everything changes. Lily and Asher get to know each other and romance begins. Lily’s last relationship ended badly and she is hesitant to start over. There are ups and downs to this new, developing relationship. After a disagreement, Asher hasn’t been able to communicate with Lily all day. Fed up, he drives over to her house. What happens next will change all their lives forever.

At first glance, this would seem to be a gentle coming-of-age story. No. Picoult and Boylan have other things in mind. Murder, dysfunctional families, and gender identity are the topics here. For people who have endured bullying, there are some scenes in the book that could be triggers. Gender transition is a heavily debated topic. Telling the story through the eyes of someone going through gender transition gives the reader a more personal and thought-provoking viewpoint. Will this change your view on gender transition? Olivia faces a test of faith. Is Asher telling her the truth? The story is seamless and superb.

Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Boylan combined their skills to deliver a book that can and will engender healthy discussion and debate. This is a book that is perfect for group discussion and analysis. By the way, there really is something called “mad honey” and you can buy it on the internet (of course).

My Rating: 🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻/5

This book holds several surprises. After the first couple of pages I was lost in the story and at one point put my tablet down and yelled “WHAT?” I did not see one of the surprise elements coming. Then I couldn’t put the book down because I needed to know how this would end. I was not disappointed in the conclusion and appreciate the reality that these two talented authors injected into this story. The topics of the book may not be for everyone but I certainly enjoyed this collaboration.

Woo HOO! My blog is almost caught up with my reading. It’s been a crazy month and it’s only half over! Stay cool – read a book.