Mad Honey cover art

Mad Honey

an absolutely heart-pounding and heart-breaking book club novel

 Preview

Get 30 days of Standard free

£5.99/mo after trial. Cancel monthly.
Try for £0.00
More purchase options
Buy Now for £18.89

Buy Now for £18.89

About this listen

 Finalist for the 2023 AUDIE AWARDS® for Fiction

Jodi Picoult is the author of 17 number 1 UK bestsellers. Now with Mad Honey she has joined up with co-author Jennifer Finney Boylan to give us the most compelling, challenging and contemporary novel you will read this year - and which will start conversations we need to have.

Olivia fled her abusive marriage to return to her hometown and take over the family beekeeping business when her son was six. Now Asher is over 6 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 who Olivia loves. Then Lily is found with a catastrophic head injury at the bottom of the stairs - and Asher is arrested on a charge of murder. . . What was the truth of their relationship?

(P)2022 Penguin Random House Audio©2022 Jodi Picoult & Finney Boylan Family Life Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Women's Fiction Hockey

Critic reviews

An important read told with compassion and knowledge, a perfect choice for your book clubs
This riveting tale reminded me of Picoult's earlier books in the way it tackles some big issues. The twist halfway through is a jaw-to-the-floor moment
The celebrated authors have collaborated to pen this unique novel together... An emotional and enlightening read that won't fail to surprise right to the end
From the author of The Book of Two Ways comes a characteristically powerful and engaging story of parent-child relationships as the owner of a beekeeping business confronts the brutal murder of her child's lover
Suspense-filled Mad Honey is a thrilling book that you won't be able to put down
This incredibly moving and thought-provoking novel, which looks at identity, authenticity and the bond between a mother and son, is brilliantly written and is a must-read - definitely one of my favourites from 2022
I won't give anything away, but will say this is one massive plot twist I did not see coming. It's wonderful on identity, change, secrets, shame and starting over. I'm still thinking about it long after the final page. Fabulous.
What begins as a family crime novel with themes of trust, betrayal, abuse and fear becomes a poignant note on what it is to love someone, and the ways we choose to live authentically... Commentary about identity and motherhood is cleverly woven throughout, making for an honest tale about gender and violence... The book is flawlessly written, incredibly engaging and a source of vital dialogue
An emotional, enlightening and contemporary read that won't fail to surprise, right up to its final pages
Magnificent . . . Undoubtedly deserves its place among the most impressive novels of 2022... [Lily and Asher's] relationship is a beautiful thing, described with a weight of understanding that never threatens to trivialise teenage feelings but is alive to all the fumbles of early romance. Asher and Lily are people first, adolescents second... Olivia's chapters [are] beautifully and meticulously written. She, again, is a person first and a mother second, with a complex inner life that extends beyond her child... Wonderfully drawn and heart-breaking... Empathetic and nuanced during a time of viscous division in our culture... It's impossible to look away. The writing is beautiful and seamless, with hardly any evidence that it was written by two separate authors... Lily, Asher, Olivia and their supporting cast shine with all the complications and nuances of real people whom we have the privilege to know. Mad Honey is a fascinating and gripping page turner that asks important questions about who we are and how we treat others.
A challenging, intriguing story
A thought-provoking book highlighting the difference between secrecy and privacy, and between what people want to be and who they truly are
All stars
Most relevant
I totally loved this book.
I was a little dubious with it being co written ( but I loved hearing how this came about, there is a short author's note at the end from both authors)
As with all Jodi’s books there are social issues that some people might not like reading about… but personally I am fairly open minded, so actually learned a few things and found several points very interesting.
I enjoyed hearing all about the bees too.
I enjoyed the mystery / whodunnit and approved of the ending..that’s no guarantee with Jodi’s books :-)
Lovely duel narration.

Jodi does it again

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I loved the first part of the book, quickly fell in love with characters, their distinct voices, and was curious where it was going, but once the trial started I grew increasingly annoyed- my beloved characters were not acting in a way that would make sense. The way the trial was depicted felt flimsy, the characters thoughts and actions seemed to be subjected to the topics the authors wanted to address rather than addressing the situation where the characters found themselves to be in. Nevertheless it was an interesting listen, learned something as well.

Yes and no

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Mad Honey. This book needs to be on a reading suggestion list for all schools.
IMO a lot of heart ache & misunderstandings would be avoided by young adults & their parents.
Thank You Jodi & Jenny.

I wish this book had been written 20 years ago.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Very absorbing and moving story about the budding romance between two teenagers, which ends in tragedy (no spoilers - read it yourself). I found the anecdotes about honey bees fascinating. Also, it highlighted the prejudices and discrimination displayed by mainstream society, which was portrayed harshly but accurately.
Just as well no-one was boxing in the Olympics women's category.

Sympathetic approach

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.