Honey

by Imani Thompson

A wickedly funny, adrenaline-rush of a novel about a graduate student who murders bad men and justifies it in the name of feminism, by a bold new voice in fiction

Yrsa is in a funk. She’s bored of her PhD program, bored of her research on Afropessimism, bored of the entitled undergrads she has to cater to. But most of all, she’s bored of the men in her life—especially the bad ones.

When her best friend, Nina, confesses to having an affair with her professor, and that he’s stolen her research, Yrsa is mad. On the quad, Yrsa bumps into the professor and witnesses his an unfortunate incident involving his San Pelligrino and a bee allergy. What she sees that afternoon awakens something in a taste for murder.

Emboldened, Yrsa decides to chase that high, and soon, no sexist, misbehaving man within commuting distance is safe.

With each murder, Yrsa feels a greater sense of meaning and purpose—finally, her doctoral research feels useful. But how long can killing in the name of feminist and racial solidarity justify her actions? Will her rampage ever assuage her feelings of rage and revenge? And how long until her actions—and buried family secrets—come back to haunt her?

Genres: Horror, Thriller, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Contemporary, Adult, Feminism

365 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication May 5, 2026

Reviews

[emma]

a girl serial killer taking out gross guys? i know that's right

[Liv Kaelin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a smidge confused with this one. This is described as "wickedly funny", but I'd argue it's more serious in tone and academic than that would lead you to believe. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the more serious topics surrounding racial justice and inequality more than the otherwise silly thriller that this is pitched to be.

Unfortunately, the writing here didn't really work for me. If this had been a general fiction novel surrounding race, afropessimism, and revenge as a concept I think it would've worked a bit more for my personal taste. However, I feel like we were trying to dive so much into those topics that the thriller plot points would just kind of fall off and never be fully developed, and because we were trying to make this a thriller, it didn't dive into other topics as thoroughly as I felt like I wanted it to. A classic case of trying to do so many things that it didn't really commit to any of them.

Unfortunately, 2.75 stars rounded up from me. I look forward to seeing what else this author writes in the future!

Thanks so much to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Zana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought that this would be my new favorite unhinged female serial killer novel, but the stars weren't aligned this time.

There were funny one-liners (presented in a very British-style dry humor manner), and I really liked the discussions on being a Black academic at Cambridge. Unfortunately, most of the good stuff happened offscreen.

It wasn't until the last 25-30% that we actually see what's happening with Yrsa and her victims. I understand that it was due to the FMC's drug abuse (so she most likely was mentally checked out most of the time), but the drug abuse didn't even happen onscreen either. It was disappointing and it didn't make for an exciting read.

If you're a fan of My Year of Rest and Relaxation, then you might like this. Both feature sarcastic, disaffected, and (at times) mean FMCs who aren't satisfied with their lives and who self-destruct in unhealthy ways.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for this arc.

[evie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ☆ review to come 🐝

[Briana Shuman · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a story about a woman named Yrsa who kills a man with a bee. That’s how it starts, anyway. But really, it’s a book about control who has it, who’s taken it, and how far one woman is willing to go to reclaim it. Yrsa’s voice is sharp, academic, and restless. She is not here to be liked. She is here to think, rage, dissect, and dismantle and she invites you to watch.

The themes of Afropessimism and justice, intellectual theft and power, are heavy and rich. The book hums with ideas. But often it hums louder than it speaks. Yrsa’s inner monologue, while intellectually charged and fiercely singular, sometimes feels like trying to listen to a symphony while assembling IKEA furniture you know something important is happening, but you're not entirely sure where to put the screws.

Some plot threads start with intrigue but fade rather than resolve. And while the narrative voice is undeniably bold, the emotional core felt distant at times.

I appreciated the academic lens, especially the exploration of Afropessimism and justice, but the pacing and dialogue often left me disengaged. Some plot threads felt underdeveloped, and the emotional core didn't quite land for me. Still, Imani Thompson is clearly a bold new voice, and I'm curious to see where she goes next.

Readers drawn to character studies over clean plots, and to questions over answers, may find more sweetness in the sting than I did.

2.5/5 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley, Random House, and Imani Thompson for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC for review. To be published May 5, 2026.

3 stars

Yrsa is a PhD student writing her dissertation on Afropessimism. Her best friend, Nina is having an affair with her professor and he steals Nina’s research. Yrsa is furious. Then Yrsa gets to watch him die due to his allergy to bee stings and it changes something in her…she starts chasing that high.

Feminist and fun, I enjoyed this dark academia thriller (though it bothered me throughout that I have no idea whether I’m pronouncing “Yrsa” correctly in my head.). No idea whether it will stick with me though (and, now, I mere two weeks later it’s already pretty fuzzy.)

[Jen G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deranged yet funny. Sadistic yet sweet. I predict Yrsa is going to become one of the decade’s most controversial characters. I found the last quarter particularly powerful, especially once readers learn the back story of Yrsa's relationship with her grandmother and estrangement from school friends. This is a real sensation, particularly for a debut novel. I predict that a movie adaptation will arrive shortly.

Favorite quotes:

"DNA. Trace it back and her lines become crossed, polluted and pollinated. An Irish man and an enslaved woman, some say. The Sargasso Sea and hot work. Body work. Oranges and tobacco. A mistress, a master, a boy who decided to take a boat. Others say Egypt and the Nile to Calcutta. But it's hard to know. Back when they drew maps for the world they wanted to see. Then back before, when color wasn't color and the gods were closer to the earth. Imprints in the red soil. In land spoiled and unspoiled and spoiled again. When tongues spat different syllables and all the patterns, all the shapes, were newfound. Cinnamon to the bark. Where is she in this, in lines twisted and sequenced to their double helix. Because the dead aren't dead, they carry. Bone lines, blood lines. The bodies that the sea swallowed and dissolved and turned to sand. Is she, the maternal, stronger? Back before it was women and women and men. When it was finding feet and star worlds. Was it built on violence—or love—in the nucleus, in the chemical base of this, here, her."

"In a moment, she stands, watching the bottom of the elevator as it climbs the shaft, her mind full of men who think the entire world belongs to them. They are like dogs, marking everything in sight, and the minute a woman claims something for herself, they piss on it, too."

Thanks NetGalley and Random House for eARC.

[Ashlee Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yrsa is certainly a morally grey and interesting character, and this novel spent a lot of time providing context for her motivation to kill. This was a twisty, funny read, and I liked the tie to her research with Afropessimism and the nuance of her being a Black woman seeking retribution. I was puzzled at her choice to constantly engage and spend time with problematic men, even in pursuit of kills, and personally found her inner monologue a bit aggravating. The ending felt rushed and I would've liked to see some threads further fleshed out. Nonetheless, this a strong debut. This will appeal to readers who enjoy diverse, feminist suspense and eccentric character studies. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yrsa is a student working on her PhD and teaching at a college. She's a bit bored, really, and is looking for little moments of highs in order to mix up her dull days. When a twist of fate offers a chance encounter with a man who recently wronged her friend, she is shocked as she watches him die from a bee sting allergy.

This whole book was shocking, well written, and fascinating in equal parts. I liked Yrsa and her yearning to define and then define again her purpose, the root of her anger, and whether seeking vengeance was justified. I liked reading her theories and philosophy as she struggled to define and write her thesis.

Each twist, as Yrsa dug deeper and then bumped in to bad men - I was shocked with each murder an each turn. The secrets were slow to reveal and I reveled in each one. There were a lot of layers to this one, and I appreciated each twisted one. The ending was abrupt and a surprise. This is one that will definitely stick with me as I ponder the things Yrsa did.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

[Eve L. Fell · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨Releasing May 5th, 2026✨

4/5 🍒

Yrsa is a professor for a college in the UK. She is passionate about the content of her work and the trouble that women of color go through in today’s society. She begins her descent into madness because of men.

Men who she has a tendency to sleep with. She gets pleasure out of using them to fill her desires and not be used herself. She has a hard time developing feelings for people period. Whether it be men, her friends or her family. Early on it’s pretty safe to assume that she is mentally unstable, possibly sociopathic.

As the book progresses we see her snap. She is done being nice to men. Especially men who are pieces of crap in her eyes. She makes a silent vow to herself to do something about these men who she knows. In her mind they don’t deserve to live for one reason or another. Even though to a normal person those wouldn’t be reasons to murder someone.

She starts on a killing spree. Slowly she becomes a serial killer. In her mind she has a good reason as to why she’s killed each person and nothing can change that. But will she eventually feel bad for what she’s done? Or will she full steam ahead and continue her spree?

So this is the authors debut novel. I agreed to read this in exchange for an honest review through Net Galley and Random house publishing company. I think some of the chapters fell a tad flat for me. I also don’t understand this being advertised as a “funny” book. It’s not funny at all and touched on a lot of racial issues within our society in present day.

This book was dark, serious and at times disturbing. Nothing about it was comical to me. I also wished certain characters and relationships were fleshed out more. But I did enjoy Yrsa and everything she had to offer in the book. I will be keeping an eye out for more of this authors work.

[whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I breezed through this wonderful novel, not just because it is good but because I was ridiculously invested and stressed out over Yrsa’s circumstances. I ended up rating this one a 4.5 because it was truly just so much fun.

Honey is about a PhD student named Yrsa who goes on a killing spree, which she justifies both for feminism and research purposes. A decent amount of her dissertation is building off of theory by Saidiya Hartman, describing the ways that violence is repeated by oppressed peoples—Yrsa specifically talks about Black people/descendants of slaves. She claims that it is her methodology, therefore, to repeat violence against (mostly) white men who have horrific ideas about race and women. While this may sound strange and easy to mess up, Thompson makes Yrsa a truly compelling character in how she works out her ethical logic. Also, the novel is ridiculously funny and I found myself laughing out loud by the end. Thompson is a terrific writer and has elevated a simple archetype of a serial killer into a provoking novel that is incredibly fun to read.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy!

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fascinating look at Yrsa, a PH.D. student who meets Ethan online and hopes it goes somewhere. But things soon spiral out of control and there are bees, poison,, murder plans, and so much more! It's wacky and often unbelievable, but it's a hoot and unlike anything else I've ever read! Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

[jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a strong debut, and the author included a lot of themes of treatment of black women in society, complex family relationships, and justifications for murder, just to name a few. However, a lot of the plot lines didn't feel properly wrapped up, and the ending had me wishing there was more left.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eArc in exchange for an honest review!

[Sacha · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

I cannot tell you why this book is "wickedly funny," as described. I enjoyed this read. I had a lot of feelings and thoughts about the content and tone. Funny? That was truly never on the list. If you're coming here because of this billing, please know that you may have to travel to the Upside Down to find out where this is supposed to be happening. I...just don't get this at all. If you're coming to this book for any other reason, great. It's a wild read in a good way.

Yrsa is over it. And by "it," I mean gross men behaving in disturbing ways. The challenges include but are not limited to (1) Yrsa decides what is disturbing and (2) her punishment methods are extreme and permanent. Creep her out. She'll kill you. You must give her this; she's committed to the bit.

One of several aspects of this novel that I loved and feared is that the nasty stuff Yrsa encounters is ubiquitous. These dudes aren't outliers. I know these guys, and so do you. I'm also fed up with this behavior, and certain events of the last few years have further exhausted some of us. You know the part where we're going backward in obvious ways and terrible treatment of women is regularly applauded and rewarded, including by folks in high power positions. So the world Yrsa exists in isn't some bizarro dystopia. It's just...this. Her reactions are big, but also I can't say I haven't had the thought. So there's that whole thread to think about from cover to cover.

Another riveting element of this novel is what slowly unfolds with Yrsa's backstory and family history. What I wouldn't do for a prequel. My main gripe - aside from having to suspend a lot of disbelief (and still being confounded by the hilarity promised here) - is that I wanted more of that origin story.

Reading this made me feel like a voyeur, a cheerleader, a potential killer, and...a fan of Thompson's. Go off, Yrsa. I never want to meet you, but I will always be happy to read about your escapades (and anything else Thompson produces, too)!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Lauren Chrisney at Penguin Random House for this widget, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

[JaAsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing style feels intentionally disorienting — as if you’re being pulled back and forth through Yrsa’s thoughts in real time. The structure mirrors her inner world, creating an intimate (and at times unsettling) closeness to her mental state. It feels deliberate. Psychological. Immersive.

Yrsa is a sexually liberated woman in her mid-twenties pursuing a PhD in sociology. Her thesis — “How Afropessimism Is Shaping Black Women’s Discourses on Their Liberation” — isn’t just academic. It becomes deeply personal.

After a pivotal and irreversible turning point involving a powerful male figure in her academic world, Yrsa begins interrogating liberation in ways that blur the line between theory and lived experience. She wrestles with haunting questions:

* If liberation can only be found in death, what if she changes the object of violence?
* If violence turns subject into object, is violence the only way to reclaim subjecthood?

Instead of observing theory from a distance, Yrsa makes herself the case study.

What unfolds is a dark, philosophical exploration of agency, power, and the politics of Black womanhood.

This isn’t a comfortable read — but it is a compelling one. It challenges the reader to sit with moral tension, to question systems of power, and to consider how far one might go to reclaim autonomy.


Thank you to NetGalley & Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[C.Z. Munu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Just wow. This book completely blew me away! An absolute 5-star read!

Honey follows a brilliant but deeply broken woman pursuing her PhD in Afropessimism, while quietly spiralling into the life of a serial killer. It’s dark, emotional, and shockingly sharp. The author explores childhood trauma, addiction, academia, and the intersections of identity in ways that feel both brutal and brilliant.

The main character is so messed up and somehow, you can’t look away as she becomes even more unhinged. The book takes you on a wild emotional ride through her relationships with friends, family, and men (oh, the men...), all while she’s trying to maintain control over her life and her mind.

I loved how Imani Thompson wove in real academic tension, the intellectual rigor, the self-doubt, the unraveling that can come from trying to make sense of pain through theory. The line between coping and collapsing blurs beautifully here.

If I had one small critique, it’s that the prose was sometimes simpler than I usually prefer but that didn’t take away from how powerful and addictive this story was.

Dark, disturbing, and utterly captivating! Honey is one of those reads that lingers long after you finish.

[em · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this was trying to do too much in a small book. Yrsa was deeply unlikeable and not an interesting morally grey way, but more annoying and lack of development. There were so many plot lines and themes weaved throughout this story and none of them felt developed enough to be entertaining or even worthwhile. Honestly I really thought this was going to be a great feminist thriller, but it was a drag to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #Honey #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Danna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honey disappointed me. It’s labeled as wickedly funny, but it read like an interior drama that is weighted down by the heavy themes like racism, misogyny, afropessimism and more. While the plot intrigued me, the writing didn’t. It felt flat and slow, and while I wanted to love Yrsa, painted as an avenger, I found her impossible to connect with.

Not recommended. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Ro_Monique_ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars | Thank you to Random House Publishing and Net Galley for this advance reader copy.

Oh, Honey. Beautiful cover. British Caribbean author. I was drawn in. Black woman raging. Self-distruction beyond return.

Honey follows Yrsa, a bored, liberal PHD student at Cambridge, whose chosen dissertation prompts a quest to justify violence and murder for the sake of feminist and racial solidarity. She plots and attacks men who’ve done her or her friends wrong, men who pose a perceived threat to society.

This book falls short to me as the FMC is incredibly unlikeable — to the point where it is hard to see how she is or could be successful in fostering meaningful relationships with friends, family, and partners. She is so judgmental and critical of everyone she encounters. It clouds any argument she makes to support her actions. The high she feels from her first and subsequent kills propel her forward. When a gross miscalculation occurs that results in an “unwarranted death”, Yrsa blips past her guilt and kills again on a whim. It was all very jarring which I’m sure was the intent. In the end, I was left feeling conflicted on the overall message.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up
ARC from Netgalley
Pub date: 5/5/26

I love a good feminist revenge plot, and Yrsa also adds in racism as justification for her killing spree. Needless to say, things get dark and with some dry humor, take us deep into themes of power, revenge, and the constant disappointment of other people. At least that’s Yrsa’s perspective, as she navigates the nasty world we live in, facing the reality of being a black woman in academia while dating, somehow keeping friends, and exploring her identity. While I think this book could have been expanded to take us even deeper into the journey, I thought the main themes were well fleshed out and I’d love to see a second book.

TW: murder and mentions of sexual assault and pedophilia

[Adelina · Rating 5 out of 5]

October 2025:
Publishing date: May 2025
Reviewed by @literary.listener

Wowza. I got this ARC from @netgalley and I am so thankful!! @_imani_thompson_ hit it out of the park. What a well written and interesting story.

The story follows the female main character in her exploration of violence. She is currently doing her doctorate at the University and struggling to find a way to finish her dissertation. She also is dealing with the complex relationships between friends, family, and exes. When the buzz (🐝) of an opportunity comes, she takes it. And the reader gets to follow her linking the past to the present.

Really think this a great quick read that explores a lot about not only being a woman, but a Black Jamaican young woman trying to find a place in this world that fits their mold. Beautiful!

[Helen Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the early copy.

I was genuinely excited going into this. The premise sounded dark, bold and sharp, and the early comparisons made it feel like it would be right up my street.

The novel follows Yrsa, a university lecturer whose first impulsive act of violence sparks something far more dangerous. The themes around race, identity and power within academia are clear and intentional, and the concept itself is strong.

For me, the execution didn’t quite land.

The structure includes a lot of emails, academic commentary and essay-style passages. While I understand why this approach was used, it reflects Yrsa’s profession and mindset, it significantly slowed the pacing. I found myself wanting more focus on the tension and progression of the murders, rather than extended academic dissection.

Yrsa is cold, obsessive and morally detached, which I didn’t mind – she’s clearly meant to be an unlikeable anti-hero. I don’t need to like a character to enjoy a book. What I struggled with was feeling fully pulled into the story itself. The narrative never quite built the momentum I was hoping for.

The final third improved slightly, but the ending felt abrupt and left me wanting more resolution.

This will likely appeal to readers who enjoy literary, academia-set thrillers that lean heavily into theme and character study. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the right fit for me.

[Miss Murder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yrsa is in a funk. She’s bored of her PhD program, bored of her research on Afropessimism, bored of the entitled undergrads she has to cater to. But most of all, she’s bored of the men in her life—especially the bad ones.

When her best friend, Nina, confesses to having an affair with her professor, and that he’s stolen her research, Yrsa is mad. On the quad, Yrsa bumps into the professor and witnesses his death: an unfortunate incident involving his San Pelligrino and a bee allergy. What she sees that afternoon awakens something in her: a taste for murder.

Emboldened, Yrsa decides to chase that high, and soon, no sexist, misbehaving man within commuting distance is safe.

This was a unique and fascinating read. I was expecting some comedic, half-assed “thriller” that leaned in on tropes I’ve seen before. Instead, I got a surprisingly academic and morally gray story about an intelligent woman who gets herself into trouble by testing her hypothesis that killing “bad men” can release Black women from oppression.

Maybe it’s because I’m a sociologist myself, but I loved the interwoven academic theory and discussion that was key to Yrsa’s development. Although I can’t say Afropessimism is something I’m familiar with, it provided a unique plot device that kept me coming back for more.

I do think there were some storylines that felt unfinished, and the ending itself was a little abrupt. But all in all, I loved the change of pace this book had in comparison to my usual books - I am sure this is just the beginning in Imani Thompson’s writing career.

Thanks to NetGalley/Random House Publishing for the ARC!

[Haleigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC review! :)

This book is a solid 3 stars for me. I think, for me, it took almost half the book to get really interested in it. Outside of the actual killings and oddly enough, the relationship with her mother, I find that it fell flat and hard to keep my attention. The dialogue was extensive and while it was realistic and easy to read, it just really did not keep me interested and at times it felt more like a chore to get through the conversations and the reward was the little bit of action we got with each kill. The men in this book also…. while written accurately, it just annoyed me that we had SO much time with them. I really loved the premise of the book, I love feminine rage, I love realistic and complicated relationships, and I loved the view point this book offers of feminism and a women of color seeking revenge. It just felt boring at times.

[Samirah · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Received: NetGalley - Random House
Publication Date: May 5, 2026

Honey is sharp, unsettling, and very different from what I expected. I actually had no idea what to expect. What looks like a feminist revenge story is really an exploration of how theory can become a shield for personal collapse. And Yrsa is mentally collapsing for real.

Yrsa, a Black PhD student, understands power, history, and violence with striking clarity — but the further the book goes, the more obvious the gap between her insight and her actions becomes. The violence feels less driven by belief and more justified after the fact.

The ending offers no closure, which is exactly why it works I feel. Yrsa remains unseen not because people around her are naïve, but because she still sounds legible. Remember she is highly intelligent which beg the question to me, why is she doing this?? I didn’t feel comforted by this book (which I don’t think is the point at all), but I did keep thinking about it long after finishing. A lot of people may now mesh with style of character development, she didn’t make you want to root for her. For me it was a solid 4.5 stars read.

[Cindy (leavemetomybooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

* thanks to Random House for the NetGalley review copy (pub date: May 5, 2026)

Review TK

[Reading_Utopia! · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honey is a unique reading experience—one that didn’t fully work for me, but still had moments that kept me curious. The story follows Yrsa, a graduate student whose behavior takes a dark turn, though it reads more like experimental literary fiction than the dark comedy or horror it’s often marketed as.

The writing style is highly fragmented and disjointed, which feels like an intentional choice to reflect the character’s academic immersion and mental state. However, this abstract approach made it difficult for me to stay fully immersed, and I occasionally had to reread sections just to find my footing.

There were many elements I genuinely appreciated. Yrsa’s relationship with her elderly neighbor, Blake, added a sense of warmth and balance to an otherwise heavy narrative. I was also intrigued by the gradual reveals about her past—especially the situation involving her grandmother, which added an emotional layer and made me reflect on what may have shaped her. I did find myself wanting more clarity around her relationship with her mother, which felt important but slightly underexplored.

While some readers may enjoy the subtle, off-page handling of the darker elements, I personally wanted a bit more detail and direction. After reaching 67%, I made the decision to stop reading. Skimming ahead to the ending confirmed my concerns, as the conclusion felt more abrupt than intentionally open-ended.

Overall, I can see this working well for the right reader—particularly those who enjoy dense, academic themes and nontraditional storytelling. For me, it was a mixed experience, but I’m still glad I gave it a chance.

[Jazmyne Mills · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Random House Publishing for allowing me to read this early!

I was really excited about reading this book. Once I read the premise, I knew this was right my alley. However, I didn’t like this as much as I thought I would. This story follows Yrsa as she teaches and completes her PhD program at Cambridge. She is upset after hearing how a professor takes advantage of her friend and wants to seek revenge. This sets off a chain reaction of Yrsa getting revenge against other men who she feels have wronged her or just have misogynistic values and behavior.

What I liked about this story is the depiction of Yrsa, a Black Caribbean woman, as not the typical Black woman stereotype. She seems cynical, quirky, but also incredibly intelligent. However, I couldn’t decide if I liked her. The author writes her in such a way that I can’t tell if she was meant to be a likable character or if she is an unlikable character. This made it hard to root for her or just to follow her journey until she gets caught. The structure of the story also wasn’t my favorite. I didn’t like too much of the little vignettes of her life that didn’t seem to me to connect with the rest of the book. I did like the flashbacks because they did help me to learn more about the main character.

I did really appreciate the commentary on Afropessimism. It made me want to dig more into the subject as I don’t know too much about it. I love when a book pushes me to learn about something new. I also think the commentary about violence was great too.

Overall, even though I didn’t love it as much as I thought I would, it was still a fun story to read, and I think it’s a great debut novel from the author.

[Violet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hated the first two-three pages (the writing was atrocious, like Imani Thompson tried to pack every cliche of the insufferable Gen Z Cambridge PhD student there), but so glad I kept reading because the rest was fun and well-paced, witty and really entertaining. Ysra is a PhD student in Cambridge, writing about Afropessimism. When her friend's PhD supervisor, who stole her research after having an affair with her, chokes on a bee in his lemonade in front of her, she doesn't call the ambulance straight away as she realises how fun it is to watch him choke and die. (No spoiler, this is the summary of the book.) She obviously develops a taste for blood and... starts thinking about how she could get that thrill again and again.
It made me think of My Sister The Serial Killer, it has the same vibe, similar humour, similar enough plot. The author has tried to make this more about race and academia as well, which works, and I liked how much of the sociopath Ysra is at every page.

Free ARC sent by Netgalley.

[Susan J. Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is billed as darkly comic, and while it’s certainly dark, I couldn’t find the humour in it. That’s not to say it wasn’t an extremely compelling and pacy read - I got through it in three sittings.
The blurb is a little misleading. The bee encounter Yrsa has at the beginning of the book is more of a reawakening than an awakening. She’s a PhD student with psychopathic tendencies who’s bored (and may have a drug problem). Turns out this is a dangerous combination.
Her Afropessimism research goes beyond the theoretical when she truly begins to explore how a person can escape subjugation and attain freedom. However, her methods are blinkered and personally focused, turning the tables on the people (men) she sees as the subjugators and looking to even the score, rather than rising above.
While she’s not a pleasant character, she makes a fascinating character study.
I don’t mind an ambiguous ending, but this one was a little too ambiguous for my taste, although it would be a perfect topic for a book group discussion. I’ve decided on my own ending and I’d be curious to see what others conclude.
Five stars from me, with thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for the chance to read an ARC. Honey releases on 7 May.