Mad Honey

I hadn't read a Jodi Picoult novel in quite a while, and I am very happy to have entered the world of her prose again. Her writing style is so engaging and easy to read. Every time I had to put the book down, I found myself upset to be leaving the story and excited for when I could return to it. Though I would have preferred a little less detail about beekeeping, I love this story and consider it a new favorite.

The story is about a mother, a son, and the girl the son loves. Olivia is a beekeeper who has raised her son, Asher, on her own. Asher falls in love with a new girl in town, Lily. When Lily dies and Asher is accused of her murder, Olivia takes action to defend him. However, she starts to question how much she knows about her son and whether he has inherited his father's temper.

The plot of this book is masterfully constructed, providing just enough details in each chapter to maintain suspense about what really happened to Lily. The chapters alternate between the perspectives of Olivia and Lily and provide dual timelines that reveal both the events leading up to the day of Lily's death and the events in the aftermath. There is a twist that is revealed once Lily's trial begins that is a bit shocking and changes how the reader views certain scenes already read. I found myself looking back to previous chapters to find the hints I missed.

Picoult and Boylan do an excellent job of developing the characters of Olivia and Lily. The reader gains insight into the feelings and motivations of each character and can understand the actions they take as result. I love when writers can make me feel connected and sympathetic to both characters even though there is conflict surrounding them.

While I enjoy most aspects of this novel, I do find the many details about beekeeping to be distracting at times. Sometimes, it enhances the main plot, but others it just takes the reader out of the main plotline. It is all interesting, yes, but it is a bit too much. I also find a reveal at the end to be a bit cliche, but not so much that it ruins my overall enjoyment of the book.

This book is going to live in my mind for some time. It explores some important topics in a respectful and thought-provoking manner. I would definitely recommend this book to readers who enjoy good storytelling that explores relationships and socially relevant topics.