Mad Honey in On The Same Page

Aug 25, 2022 Judy rated it it was amazing

Honestly, I couldn't tell there were two authors writing different voices in this book. I found from the authors notes at the end of the book that Jodi Picoult had written Olivia's story, and Jennifer Finney Boylan, wrote Lily Campanello's story (all but one chapter each where Picoult wrote one chapter for Lily and Boylan wrote one chapter for Olivia - I couldn't tell at all!) The story was seamless and flowed well. The writing draws you in and makes you want to keep turning the pages. The conte ...more

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Nov 22, 2022 Glenda rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-in-2022

"The secret weapon of mad honey, of course, is that you expect it to be sweet, not deadly. You're deliberately attracted to it. By the time it messes with your head, with your heart, it's too late."

Olivia McAfee knows what it feels like to start over. Her picture-perfect life—living in Boston, married to a brilliant cardiothoracic surgeon, raising a beautiful son, Asher—was upended when her husband revealed a darker side. She never imagined she would end up back in her sleepy New Hampshire home "The secret weapon of mad honey, of course, is that you expect it to be sweet, not deadly. You're deliberately attracted to it. By the time it messes with your head, with your heart, it's too late."

Olivia McAfee knows what it feels like to start over. Her picture-perfect life—living in Boston, married to a brilliant cardiothoracic surgeon, raising a beautiful son, Asher—was upended when her husband revealed a darker side. She never imagined she would end up back in her sleepy New Hampshire hometown, living in the house she grew up in, and taking over her father's beekeeping business.
Lily Campanello is familiar with do-overs, too. When she and her mom relocate to Adams, New Hampshire, for her final year of high school, they both hope it will be a fresh start.
And for just a short while, these new beginnings are exactly what Olivia and Lily need. Their paths cross when Asher falls for the new girl in school, and Lily can’t help but fall for him, too. With Ash, she feels happy for the first time. Yet at times, she wonders if she can she trust him completely . . .
Then one day, Olivia receives a phone call: Lily is dead, and Asher is being questioned by the police. Olivia is adamant that her son is innocent. But she would be lying if she didn’t acknowledge the flashes of his father’s temper in him, and as the case against him unfolds, she realizes he’s hidden more than he’s shared with her.

Ahhhh! I feel like the Jodi Picoult I knew and loved in the early 90’s is back. Complex characters, a legal battle, a timely controversial issue, and a twist ( or two) that I did not see coming and completely threw me for a loop. I learned a lot about bees, and a lot of other things too. It made me question how I thought I felt about this topic— a trademark in Picoult’s writing. And as always, she does her research.

Picoult and Boylan have written a thought provoking, moving and captivating tale about secrets, the past, starting over, love and being yourself. The authors’ notes explain how this book came to be and the way the collaborating was done. It worked perfectly for me, and I am still thinking about this book days later. ...more

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Dec 15, 2022 Eileen rated it it was amazing

This book is a great book for our time. Its a great discussion book with a topic that is very popular today..

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Feb 09, 2023 Jan rated it it was amazing

This is the first book that made me feel the need to email the authors. This book is written by two people but is seamless. The subject is one that needs to be discussed and understood. I'm not going to go into detail here because it would be a huge spoiler alert..... but there is a twist that will really make you think and, hopefully, it will challenge any misconceptions you might have. I loved this book. ...more

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Nov 28, 2022 Sarah rated it liked it

First off, this is a wonderfully well written collaboration. I would never have known this was written by two authors. They did a fabulous job of melding their writing together. So why the 3 stars? It’s hard to review this one without spoiling it. My first complaint was that it was wayyyy too long. The story would have been just as powerful with about 100 less pages. I didn’t love the backwards telling of Lily’s story. I found those parts boring since I already knew most of what had happened. An ...more

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