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Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult

Stacey Irving • December 30, 2022

Interesting take on some difficult topics

I just finished Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult; Jennifer Finney Boylan

Olivia is no stranger to the dark. Having to start over with her son back in the town she grew up in and watching her son, Asher grow up…. A son who has some of his fathers tendencies. 

Lily moves to Adams with her mother, for the last year of high school. Hoping this is the new start both of them need. 

Asher and Lily fall in love and they seem to share a lot of the same pains…. Then one day Lily is found dead at the bottom of her home stairs… Asher is found cradling her body. It was no secret that they had been fighting. 

Is Asher as innocent as he is leading everyone to believe? Or is there more to this than anyone knows.

I am a huge fan of Jodi’s. Always have been but this one didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The writing was on point but the storyline had so much crammed into it, it felt like every hot topic button from the last 10 years had to be hit. I felt that by doing that, it took away from the book. Quality over quantity would have been nice here. The premise of the book was clever and I, for the most, was kept entertained but I also felt like the book was trying too hard. 

I didn’t enjoy the jumping back and forth in the timeline or the multiple POV. I felt a little lost a few times and that is not a fun feeling when you are reading. 

If you love her books normally, you will likely still love this one but be warned, it is a little overstuffed even for Jodi! 

Thank you #netgalley and #penguinrandomhouseca for my review copy

4 stars! If you like a lot of meat to your reads, then this one will exceed your expectations! 



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