Rating: 9.5
General Rating: Mad Honey is a book for the soul. It coaxes compassion and empathy from its readers. While fiction, its storyline is pertinent in today’s world and a widely important theme. I wish everyone would take the time to read.
Skip factor: 0%. That’s how you know it’s a good one. I nearly always skip.
Who should read: If you know someone who lacks empathy for domestic violence victims or transgender individuals, you need to introduce them to this book. If you are or know someone in one of those two groups, you’ll love this novel.
Favorite Lines: “People always talk about how their love for you is unconditional. Then you reveal your most private self to them, and you find out how many conditions there are in unconditional love.”
Summary: Asher and Lily are in love. Is there such a thing as unconditional love? Lily and her mom, Ava have a secret. Asher and his mother, Olivia, do, too.
This novel alternates between the POV of Lily and Olivia. These two mother-and-child families have traveled difficult, if not controversial journeys. This love story of Asher and Lily unfolds into a riveting life lesson, exposing the silent courage some people conceal.
Without spoiling the story, I’ll say both Lily and her mother and Asher and his mom have moved to a small town in New Hampshire to start their lives over, but it’s not always possible to forget the secrets of our past. They often lend, good or bad, to our emotions.
Writing: The merging of Jodi Picoult’s and Jennifer Finney Boylan’s writing appears seamless. The writing flows easily and the alternating of POVS through chapters is flawless. Mad Honey isn’t simply a fabulous storyline, the writing is so good that the characters draw you in, capturing your heart before you realize it. Once you put this one down, you can’t wait to pick up it up again. A great read.
Read this author again? Yes, some of my favorite books are Jodi Picoult’s, this one included, and I just reserved one by Jennifer Finney Boylan.
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Read on!
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CJ Zahner is the author of The Suicide Gene, a psychological thriller; psychic thrillers Dream Wide Awake, Project Dream, and The Dream Diaries; and Chick Lit novels Friends Who Move Couches and Don’t Mind Me, I Came with the House. Zahner’s dream series novels were inspired by first-hand experiences. See the video of her 9/11 premonition here. Download her Beyond Reality Radio podcast here. Follow her on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, BookBub, or LinkedIn. Purchase her books on Amazon.