e-Audio, 10:38:11
Narrated by: Pete Cross
Release Date: August 16, 2022
Published by: Scholastic Inc.
Read from: August 29-30, 2022
Stand-alone
Source: Library’s Libby
TW: Death, gore, violence, blood, injury, bullying, homophobia, misogyny, sexism, transphobia, grief, murder, fire, sexual harassment, cancer, child abuse, kidnapping, cannibalism, abandonment, rape (From Storygraph)
For Readers Interested In: Contemporary, Horror, LGBTQ+ (Genderfluid), YAFrom Ryan La Sala, the wildly popular author of Reverie, comes a twisted and tantalizing horror novel set amidst the bucolic splendor of a secluded summer retreat.
Mars has always been the lesser twin, the shadow to his sister Caroline’s radiance. But when Caroline dies under horrific circumstances, Mars is propelled to learn all he can about his once-inseparable sister who’d grown tragically distant.
Mars’s genderfluidity means he’s often excluded from the traditions — and expectations — of his politically connected family. This includes attendance at the prestigious Aspen Conservancy Summer Academy where his sister poured so much of her time. But with his grief still fresh, he insists on attending in her place.
What Mars finds is a bucolic fairytale not meant for him. Folksy charm and sun-drenched festivities camouflage old-fashioned gender roles and a toxic preparatory rigor. Mars seeks out his sister’s old friends: a group of girls dubbed the Honeys, named for the beehives they maintain behind their cabin. They are beautiful and terrifying — and Mars is certain they’re connected to Caroline’s death.
But the longer he stays at Aspen, the more the sweet mountain breezes give way to hints of decay. Mars’s memories begin to falter, bleached beneath the relentless summer sun. Something is hunting him in broad daylight, toying with his mind. If Mars can’t find it soon, it will eat him alive.
*MY THOUGHTS*
Well, well, well, what do we have here? A book review on a Tuesday? I’ve had the same schedule for YEARS, but lately I’m getting so behind because I’m reading so many books since I have been reading all the audios. So, The Honeys gets to be the first review I’ve done on a Tuesday in a long time. And man I can’t think of a better book. Because I really wanted it to be like a book that felt like I couldn’t wait anymore. Because man, that description is accurate.
First I want to talk about the representation. I don’t share any of the representation with the main characters, but I loved the way it was told. I thought it was a good way to explain it and an even better way to show it. I have a cousin who is exploring being genderfluid, and I read a description to them and they asked me to borrow it directly after. So I’d say that was accurate. It really was a great book.
Ok, so the horror part of this book. Can I say wtf was that? lol I remember finishing this and was like wtf did I just read? This was the weirdest, creepiest, thing I’ve read in a long time and I can’t believe I was into it. And being transparent, I HATE bees, so this is very weird of me to actually have read this. And let me just say, if I didn’t like bees before, I definitely don’t like them now. Everything about this book makes me skin crawl. The bees, the honey, the eating each other, the honey comb, EVERYTHING about The Honeys are super crazy. And then they were so smart. The b***?! Like whattttt!? How did they think to make them so realistic? I had no idea! And of course, you know I was trying to figure out the plot twist, but let me tell you I couldn’t be more wrong. I don’t remember the last time I was this wrong lol I’m talking wrong from the motive to the person. It was like just when I thought it was over, something else happened, and it was another layer of me being wrong. If this is your jam, READ THIS.
And of course I had to talk about the audio performance! It was so good! The best part of this is the background noises it had. It made it significantly more creepy. I remember looking around for the bees and other outside noises while I was in the house listening. It will get you caught up! And the narrator was also great! They did very well at making sure the emotions shone through when they needed to, and switched the voices between the different characters. This isn’t his first book that he narrated, but it is the first one I’ve heard, and I really enjoyed it. I’ll be adding more by him soon!
This was a book I added on a whim. Katee Robert endorsed it on TikTok and I saw so many people calling it horror, so I got so curious. And I ended up liking this so much more than I thought I would. And to me, those are the best kinds.
Overall, I give this
