Book Synopsis:
Olivia fled her abusive marriage to return to her hometown and take over the family beekeeping business when her son Asher was six. Now, impossibly, her baby is six feet tall and in his last year of high school, a kind, good-looking, popular ice hockey star with a tiny sprite of a new girlfriend.
Lily also knows what it feels like to start over – when she and her mother relocated to New Hampshire it was all about a fresh start. She and Asher couldn’t help falling for each other, and Lily feels happy for the first time. But can she trust him completely?
Then Olivia gets a phone call – Lily is dead, and Asher is arrested on a charge of murder. As the case against him unfolds, she realises he has hidden more than he’s shared with her. And Olivia knows firsthand that the secrets we keep reflect the past we want to leave behind - and that we rarely know the people we love well as we think we do.
My Review:
Mad Honey is a gripping, compelling and thought provoking read that I really enjoyed.
The book starts off slowly but soon picks up pace and becomes incredibly gripping. The story is told from the point of view of Olivia, Asher’s mum, which covers events after the murder and Lily, the victim, which takes the reader through events before the murder. I found this very interesting as it was intriguing to see the history behind Lily and Asher’s relationship. Jodi is known for her great court room dramas and the scenes in court were some of the best in the book in my opinion as they were very gripping indeed. My heart was in my mouth as I watched everything unfold and waited to see what would happen.
All of the characters were fantastic creations that I enjoyed following throughout the book. I loved that there were two strong female characters in this book in the form of the two mum’s. Both of them were very strong ladies who had escaped from bad marriages and were determined to do what’s best for their children. As a mum myself I found myself torn as I felt a lot of sympathy for both of them. I’ve no idea how I’d act in a similar situation but I know I’d do everything I could for my kids.
There are lots of important subjects discussed in this book , some of which might not be to everyone’s taste. I have seen some discussed in other reviews for this book and I would suggest going in cold as I found myself wondering where they would fit into the story. I think this book would make a great book club read as I think there would be lots to discuss.
Overall I enjoyed this book and will be be recommending to others. There were lots of twists that kept me guessing and lots of drama to keep me reading far too late into the night. It was one of those books that at times I found I just couldn’t put it down as I was desperate to find out what happens next.
Huge thanks to Eleni, Katie and Hodder Books for my copy of this book.
About The Author:
Jodi Picoult
Jodi Picoult is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twenty-eight novels, including Wish You Were Here, The Book of Two Ways, A Spark of Light, Small Great Things, Leaving Time, and My Sister’s Keeper, and, with daughter Samantha van Leer, two young adult novels, Between the Lines and Off the Page. Picoult lives in New Hampshire.
Her next novel, Mad Honey, co-written with Jennifer Finney Boylan, is available on October 11th.
Follow Jodi Picoult on Intagram, Twitter, and Facebook: @jodipicoult
Jennifer
Jennifer Finney Boylan is the author of sixteen books, including GOOD BOY: My Life in Seven Dogs. Since 2008 she has been a contributing opinion writer for op/ed page of the New York Times; her column appears on alternate Wednesdays. A member of the board of trustees of PEN America, Jenny was also the chair of the board of GLAAD for many years. She is currently the Anna Quindlen Writer in Residence and Professor of English at Barnard College of Columbia University.
Jenny is a well known advocate for human rights. She has appeared five times on the Oprah Winfrey Show and has also been a guest or a commentator on Larry King Live, Good Morning America, and The Today Show. She is also a member of the faculty of the Breadloaf Writers’ Conference of Middlebury College as well as Sirenland, in Positano, Italy.
She lives in Maine with her wife Deirdre. They have two children.
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