Mad Honey: A GMA Book Club Pick: A Novel Paperback – September 5, 2023

I tend to have a love/hate relationship with Jodi Picoult books. I live her stories, hate her endings. And I really hate that that's the first thing that comes to mind in reviewing this book.It is an amazing book. The absolute best thing I can say about Picoult is that she doesn't write the same book over and over. She tackles new topics in every book of hers that I've read, and I've read most of them. Sometimes I forget who I'm reading because every book is so different. I think even the writing style is unique to each story.But enough about Jodi, Jennifer, I'm sorry. It's your story, literally your dream child, and Jodi gets top billing on everything, even in this review. But one thing she gets absolutely right is that she couldn't have told this story without you because it isn't her story to tell. I think this is my introduction to you and I will be reading much more. I'm also sorry you didn't win the Detective Mike argument. Lol And I am curious who's idea was the ending, the reveal of the culprit, so to speak. I blamed it on your coauthor because whack endings are the one thing that you can count on in a Picoult book but not having read you before, I admit I could be wrong.Regardless it's an amazing book. To get 5* from me a book has to make me laugh and cry. And oh it did just that. I also have to have someone to root for. I loved almost all the characters and realistically every book has to have an antagonist or two, so the characters were perfect. I also should relate to it in some way no matter how small. There was a lot that could be pulled from my own story both as a child and as a mother.For some of my book club friends, to get five stars, they require a book to be something that everyone should read. Something that everyone can get something from. I haven't looked yet to see how they rated it but for me, this is one of those books. I think we live in a time when being trans or enby or anywhere in the LGBTQ+ spectrum has so much more acceptance than ever before and at the same time so much more opposition. The more acceptance anything other than the "traditional male/female sex assignment" gets, the more those that think it's truth need to fight to maintain their status quo. The strongest purpose of fiction is empathy. It's to allow ourselves to walk around in another person's shoes and find out how our preconceived notions are wrong and how they inhibit other people. Obviously if every person in the world read this book, many would identify more with Braden, or Lily's father, or Dirk and completely miss the point. One of the book club questions is, can someone like them change. It's not easy, but I have seen it happen. The reason there is more acceptance of differing genders is because people can change. But there are also people in this world like Olivia who just don't have a cl inue until they have the first conversation, until the first time they walk around in those shoes. So I do think everyone should try all these various shoes on for size.

This book came highly recommended by book club friends, and it is definitely a compelling story. I will be discussing spoilers so if you do not want to know, please do not read beyond this point. It was a very compelling story which dealt in a sensitive issue both with the question of domestic violence, its unknown and known effects on children, and transgender youth. I thought that all of these issues were dealt with in a realistic, emotional, and real way. As author Boylan is transgender, I felt like it was her chance to give transgender individuals a much-needed voice. Lily personified what so many transgender individuals who are not able to provide a mirror to their inner lives and struggles. I also appreciated how Boylan educated us that being transgender is much like anything else in life-each transgender individual is unique, do not all think the same way, and especially do not have the same journey.Another strength in this story is the real and raw exploration of domestic violence. Yes, it was difficult to read. However, I think that Picoult and Boylan did an excellent job of exploring the large questions about abuse, what makes and abuser, and most importantly, what happens to the children of abusers? I admire how Picoult and Boylan were able to bring to life all the complex emotions of a mother whose son has turned into what seems her worst nightmare. She wanted to protect her son, she doubted him, and she loved him so much that she would do anything to protect him. She had to ask herself very difficult questions and face the reality of bearing her abuser's son. I was drawn into the complexities of Olivia's emotions and felt like I completely understood them.The only flaw in the writing is that the story became a bit outrageous and sensationalistic at the end. It felt more like the unlikely end of a TV movie rather than what should have been the end to a story which could have played in any courtroom in the United States. I just felt like it could have finished a bit more realistically, because the rest of the story was so compelling. I highly recommend this story for so many reasons, you will be educated and will experience the full gamut of emotions of a mother with an impossible burden.

Outstanding. This book makes you think and explains incredibly complex issues in a way that is so relatable. Beyond thought provoking. Amazing.