#IMWAYR: Mad Honey!
Hi everyone! Following up on last week, I've got a review of an adult novel to share with you all, so let's get to it!
Adult Books:
Mad Honey
I read this for a book club IRL (we had a really excellent discussion!), which is why it's not my usual kidlit graphic novel fair—it's an adult novel, one part realistic fiction, one part mystery. And overall, I really, really liked it.
This book is told in dual POV, giving two amazing human beings, Olivia and Lily, space to tell their own stories to the reader. I appreciate that both of them take time to open up and share what they've been through, and where they're headed—it really feels like they are trusting you, the reader, to understand them. In general, Mad Honey is full of strong, resilient women to look up to—not just Olivia and Lily, but more minor characters like Ava and Elizabeth too.
One of the really difficult questions this book asks is, how far are we willing to go for the people we love? Sometimes we go too far, even when the signs tell us not to give so much. Sometimes we don't go far enough, and we may not even realize it. And sometimes there is no such thing as going "too far," because love is about more than reason. Mad Honey approaches love from multiple angles—romantic, familial—and it has a lot to say.
If you sat me down and forced me to pick a character who this book is about, during the first half, I would have said Asher, Olivia's son and Lily's boyfriend. But after the second half, when the entire book shifts and reveals itself in a big way, I would pick an entirely different character, whose story deserves to be told the way it has been in this novel.
I'll tell you now, this is not a book for the faint of heart. Content warnings include suicide attempts, discrimination, and domestic violence (not to mention the murder trial). I appreciate a lot that Mad Honey isn't trying to sugarcoat the difficult parts of human life—it often looks them straight in the eye in a way few books are willing to. But considering that two weeks ago, I was emotionally fragile and writing up a list of comforting reads...this maybe wasn't the most logical choice to mark my return to reading. If not for the book club, I suspect I would have quit in the middle of the book just because it was too painful at times—but when that big shift occurs in the second half, the book became so emotional I had to keep going, as opposed to so emotional I had to stop.
I do have quibbles with the ending, as is so often the case for books. There's something really painful and, frankly, enraging that occurs, but doesn't really get the space to be examined before the book ends. There's also another plot element that is kind of uplifting and sweet, but also just felt ill-timed considering all the pain the characters had just been through. And I think the story could have dug a little further into those difficult questions I mentioned above, about how far we're willing to go for our loved ones.
That said, though, this book is an amazing feat. To think Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan wanted to tackle so many difficult and meaningful topics—and tackled every single one with grace and thoughtfulness, in a book filled with rich characters and plenty of momentum. This is my first Big Book of the summer, hence me sharing it for Sue Jackson's wonderful challenge—but there's a reason I raced through its 432 pages in just 4 days. (I mean, besides the fact that the book club meeting was coming up fast and I had to.) Mad Honey is a difficult read, but I also know it is going to change so many people's hearts and minds, and open them up to ways of thinking they hadn't encountered before. This book has a spark at its center, and I continue to feel that spark even now, just thinking about how Olivia and Lily fight for the people they care about—and fight for themselves too.
This sounds like a book I'd really like. My book club might like it too. I just reserved it at the library. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThe book sounds very serious and you've given a lot to ponder about it already, Max. Jody Picoult books are very popular at the bookstore where I work & it's interesting to see that she has collaborated this time. It sounds good but very serious! Have fun with the graphic novels.
ReplyDeleteI've heard great things about Mad Honey - I don't read many adult books these days, but this is one I could see myself picking up.
ReplyDeleteI'll most likely have to work on the evening of the 24th because I asked for the 25th and 26th off for a kidlit event in my area, but if I happen to get it off, I'll RSVP!
Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction
I really enjoyed reading your review of this book. I know it's not one that I will likely ever read (far too riveting and suspenseful for me!), but I am glad to know more about it and might recommend it to a couple of friends who do love books that engage with these kinds of themes. It sounds like a great choice for a book club discussion as well. Your graphic novel reading plan had me cracking up. Now you have to read one!
ReplyDeleteI thought Mad Honey was a really good novel. As you say, there is so much to it (and those plot reveals!). I also loved the description of how the two authors got together to write the book in the first place. I heard Jennifer Finney Boylan speak at my nieces graduation last year and she was good.
ReplyDelete