Mad Honey

1. General Impressions

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• The narrative has a dual narrative structure, alternating between Olivia and Lily’s perspectives. How does this narrative choice affect your engagement with the story and your understanding of the characters?
• What is the emotional impact of the novel’s exploration of complex themes such as violence, abuse, and gender identity? How do these themes resonate with you, and what feelings do they evoke?
• Compare this text to other novels that tackle similar sensitive topics. How does Mad Honey stand out in its portrayal of these issues, particularly in the way it intertwines mystery with social commentary?
• Mad Honey grapples with complex and sensitive topics like violence, abuse, and gender identity. Did your perspective on any of these topics change as a result of reading the novel? How and why?
• What emotions did you feel at the conclusion of the novel? Do you think that these are the feelings that Picoult and Boylan were trying to evoke? How do these reactions reflect the possible meaning and message of the novel?

2. Personal Reflection and Connection

Connect the book’s themes and characters to personal experiences.

• How do you relate to the struggles of defining and asserting one’s identity in a world that may not always be accepting?
• Consider the concept of parental fear and protection, as seen through Olivia’s perspective. How do you connect with her concerns for Asher, particularly in the context of her past experiences with abuse?
• Consider the various ethical dilemmas that the characters faced in the novel. Did the ways in which the characters chose to address or solve their predicaments feel authentic to you? How would you deal with things differently?

3. Societal and Cultural Context

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

• Examine the novel’s portrayal of transgender issues and the violence faced by transgender individuals. How does Mad Honey contribute to the conversation about transgender rights and the challenges of acceptance in society?
• Discuss the novel’s commentary on the justice system, particularly regarding how it handles cases involving marginalized communities. How does the trial of Asher reflect broader societal issues related to prejudice and justice?
• This novel grapples with the issue of private and public lives, an increasingly important conversation in contemporary society. How does the novel explore this issue, and how does it apply to the real lives of readers? Does the novel draw any conclusions on this topic, or offer a fresh perspective on it to readers?

4. Literary Analysis

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

• Analyze the alternating timelines. How does the structure of moving forward in Olivia’s timeline and backward in Lily’s timeline enhance the suspense and deepen the reader’s understanding of the events leading to Lily’s death?
• Consider the symbolism of beekeeping and honey in Olivia’s life. How does this motif relate to the themes of protection, danger, and the duality of sweetness and pain in the novel?
• Through Lily’s story, Picoult and Boylan raise the theme of identity. How does the novel explore the theme of identity through Lily’s journey as a transgender girl?
• Both Lily and Maya play musical instruments—in fact, this is one of the first ways that the girls connect in the novel. What role does their musical instruments, and music more generally, play in the narrative?
• Discuss the ways that Picoult and Boylan explore the theme of secrets throughout the novel. How do the secrets that the characters keep affect the outcome of the novel? Does the novel seem to draw any conclusions about this theme?

5. Creative Engagement

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

• How might the story have unfolded differently if it were told from another character’s perspective, such as Maya or Ava? What insights could be added through this alternative lens?
• Imagine you are Olivia or Asher, writing a letter to Lily after the events of the novel. What would you want to say to her, and how would you express your feelings about what happened?
• Consider how the story might have changed if certain key events had turned out differently, such as the discovery of Lily’s transgender identity earlier in the story or a different outcome in the trial. How would these changes impact the characters and the overall message of the novel?
• Mad Honey was published in 2022, and is set during that time. How might it be different if it was published 10 or 20 years earlier, or was set in an earlier time period?

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