Mad Honey is a collaborative novel written by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan. It follows Olivia, mother of Asher, after his girlfriend Lily dies in mysterious circumstances. Asher is arrested for her murder, and as the trial unfolds, we get to see both Olivia’s perspective as she fights for her son, and Lily’s perspective in the run-up to her death.
Like many of Picoult’s books, this novel brings up a lot of questions, and it makes for an excellent book club pick. If you’re getting ready for your next meetup, here are some interesting Mad Honey book club questions to use as a jumping-off point.
18 Book Club Questions for Mad Honey
The book opens with Olivia remembering her pregnancy with her son, Asher. She wanted him to be a girl, but then is relieved when he is born: ‘Better to have a boy, who would never be someone’s victim.’
What do you think about this opening? Did it give you a hint about what was to come? Do you think Olivia still felt the same way at the end of the story?
While Olivia’s chapter opens with her longing to have a baby girl, Lily’s chapter opens with her parents longing for a baby boy. Gender – and all the stereotypes and meanings we attach to it – is a huge factor in the unfolding story.
How do you think the writers handled each character’s perspective on gender? Did any of it ring true to your own experiences?
Olivia and Lily get on very well, with both of them enjoying random facts, and of course, both of them caring deeply for Asher.
How do you think Olivia’s feelings for Lily changed after her death?
The book runs in opposite directions: Olivia’s chapters move forward in time, while Lily’s move backward.
Do you think these opposite timelines built tension?
Olivia was in an abusive relationship with her husband when Asher was small. They had to flee, and Olivia never explained what happened to Asher. When Asher gets older, he seeks out his father of his own accord, thus keeping his own secret from Olivia.
Do you think Asher would have been honest with Olivia if she had been honest with him? Do you agree with her decision to hide the truth from him?
Lily’s mother, Ava, is devastated and grieving. We only see her occasionally, but she is obviously at odds with Olivia, believing Asher to be guilty.
Would you have liked to learn more about Ava? What did you think about her last moments in the book?
During the trial, we find out that Lily was trans.
How did you think this information would impact the trial? Did you think it would have a positive or negative outcome for Asher and Olivia?
Asher and Lily’s relationship is not straightforward. There are small moments that give Olivia cause to doubt, like Asher grabbing Lily after he sees her talking to another boy, for example. These small moments cause their friend, Maya, to start worrying about her well-being.
Did you think that Asher killed Lily?
There are other ways that Lily could have died: it could have been an accident, of course, or someone else could have pushed her down the stairs. There is no definitive proof that Asher pushed her.
If you didn’t believe it was Asher, who did you think killed Lily, and did this suspicion change over the course of the novel?
Olivia has a close relationship with her bees, and she often talks at length about the nature of the hives she looks after. She cares deeply for them and goes out of her way to try to rescue the bees when they are attacked, for example.
What do you think the bees symbolize in the story?
Mike and Olivia strike up a relationship, tentatively bonding over time. He becomes a trusted figure for Olivia, and gives her hope for a happier future.
What did you think of their relationship? Did it make sense in the context of the wider story?
Olivia and Asher are treated badly by the locals after the news of Asher’s arrest breaks, and it becomes more difficult for them to live comfortably.
What do you think about the locals and their instinctive reactions to turn against Olivia? How do you think you would feel in her position?
We learn that Asher tracked down Lily’s father against her will. He presumes that Lily wants to see him, which of course she doesn’t, thanks to Lily’s father’s treatment of her when he found out she was trans.
What did you think of Asher’s decision to do this without consulting Lily first?
Olivia tries to understand what it might be like for Lily as a trans girl, confronting some of her own prejudices. She talks to Elizabeth to get her perspective, but she comes at it with her own opinions: ‘Why not just make peace with the body you have?’
What did you think of Elizabeth’s reaction to Olivia’s questions? Do you think it was okay for Olivia to approach Elizabeth in this way?
After Asher is found not guilty, the family struggle to get back to normal: ‘You cannot ever really go back to normal. You are blameless, but stained.’
Do you think that Asher and Olivia will find peace in their future? Did you feel satisfied that they would be able to heal together?
At the very end of the novel, we discover the truth of how Lily died, in a shocking moment that confounds both Asher and Olivia.
What did you think of this moment, did you see it coming? What did you think of the consequences for the person involved?
This story has two authors. Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan. They worked closely together to create the story. While Picoult wrote Olivia’s chapters and Boylan wrote Lily’s, they each edited each other’s chapters to make the story a cohesive whole.
Could you tell the story was written by two different authors?
Picoult, in a note at the end of the story, says this: ‘Sometimes making the world a better place just involves creating space for the people who are already in it.’
Do you agree with this statement? How do you think the story would have been different for Lily if space had been made for her?
Hopefully, this will help you to have an interesting discussion: Mad Honey is a brilliant book club pick, with plenty of twists and turns to keep you talking!
If you liked this post, check out these:
Remarkably Bright Creatures Book Club Questions
Little Fires Everywhere Book Club Questions
Where the Crawdads Sing Book Club Questions
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine Book Club Questions
A Man Called Ove Book Club Questions
Educated Book Club Questions
The Midnight Library Book Club Questions
Girl, Woman, Other Book Club Questions
The Great Alone Book Club Questions
Tom Lake Book Club Questions
Megan Bidmead
Guest writer
Megan is a freelance writer based in Somerset, England. When she’s not writing about books, video games, and pop culture, she’s running around after her two kids and trying to squeeze in the occasional walk in the countryside.