But I'm wide awake and afraid to fight: MAD HONEY.

Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Olivia McAfee never expected to return to her New Hampshire hometown with her son Asher, to live in her parents' farmhouse, and to take up beekeeping after the death of her father. But after a dark turn in her marriage, here she is. And she and Asher have made a nice, quiet life with one another. Asher is happy, playing hockey on the high school team and dating Lily Campanello, who is new to town. Then one day Olivia receives a call that Lily is dead and Asher is being questioned by the police, and suddenly their idyllic existence is threatened.

This was an excellent and thought-provoking read by Picoult and her co-author, Jennifer Finney Boylan. I don't want to give much away, so I'll keep my review short. The story alternates between Lily and Olivia's point of views, with Lily's going backward in time, chronicling her relationship with Asher. It's a neat plot device, but a little confusing sometimes. MAD HONEY focuses on the fierce and tumultuous relationships between teens and between mothers and sons. It delves into domestic violence and gender identity in deep and explorative ways. It also features a very Picoult-like trial (featuring a reoccurring character you may recognize from a few of her other books). It was sad, but lovely and mesmerizing. 4+ stars.

I received a copy of this book from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review. Look for MAD HONEY on October 4th!

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