GDT Book Club: Mad Honey

[peacemama]

Friday

It didn't pay well, but she always said, I take my paycheck in sunsets. -Lily

Thanks for joining this week's book chat.

Today is open discussion, a Friday free-for-all. Any lingering thoughts? Questions? Favorite quotes? What did you learn/discover reading Mad Honey?

[peacemama]

PS: Get your nominations ready for our next round of GDT Book Club selections.

[Byrd]

peacemama, thanks for doing this. Great quotes.
The more I’ve thought about the book the more I dislike it.
Will be back if I have more thoughts.

[suby]

Goodreads has a lot of 1-2 star reads from people who DNFed the book because of the trans element. I guess they were afraid of learning something or seeing a trans person as human.
I do think it should have been introduced earlier like maybe 30% in rather than 50% because it's such a significant plot point.

[Byrd]

I appreciated there were trans, gay, and interracial people but do you think it was overdone?

[bumblebuzz21]

I was definitely surprised by the trans angle, but I liked that it gave the book a whole new spin (at least in my mind). Got me thinking about things, which is usually a good thing I don't think I'll be picking up any more of these author's books, but enjoyed it as a book club discussion.

[honeybzzzs]

At the back of the book there is additional information about transgender. I did a screenshot but, of course, I can’t find it now.
I do remember it mentioned a high percent (70%?) of trans people attempt suicide. I did not realize that statistics were that high.

A large amount of Jodi’s books have been banned. Do you think this one will join the list?

Was anyone able to tell which chapters Jodi and Jenny switched places on?

And, I have a bee story. Anyone want to hear it?

[Byrd]

If others were banned, I think this would be too. Idiots.
I have no idea who wrote what. I didn’t assume they switched off chapters but what do I know?
Spill the honey.

[corgi]

So I just finished the book, finally. Like sal, I swore off Picoult books after My Sister’s Keeper. I started it for book club and just couldn’t get into it, but luckily pulled it out for a road trip yesterday. I really thought this one was going to be a teen tearjerker and found myself rolling my eyes until the big reveal. Then, reading along and seeing everything Lily went through, it was obvious she was anything but a vapid teenage girl. And, even though, as the one character said, “If you’ve met one trans person you’ve met one trans person,” none of them can possibly have an easy road. I have to admit, by the end I really liked it.

I had two theories for Lilly’s death, either her Dad, randomly showing up to cause trouble, or just a stupid trip over Boris, with no one really being at fault.

And I’m on the “way too much beekeeping info” couch. Carrie Coons, who I think is a great actress, read Olivia’s chapters on the Audible version and she was very flat and dry. I have to think it was an artistic choice, that after years of abuse Olivia was just weary and flat, but it made the bee stuff particularly hard to wade through (and no skimming with an audiobook!).

I agree I really wanted to see more Ava, we didn’t get to hear nearly enough from her. It did make me smile, though, when she said at the end she was going to hike the AT finally.

Think that’s all I’ve got. Oh, but I see someone bought the rights and is turning it into a series. Obviously, for me, Carrie Coons is Olivia in my head, but any thoughts on the others?