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Honey

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The addictive killer debut novel of 2026. It's a sweet feeling, finally having some control… 'The blistering thriller taking the literary world by storm' VOGUE 'Might well be the standout debut of the summer' MARIE CLAIRE PICKED AS A BOOK TO LOOK OUT FOR BY VOGUE, ESQUIRE, MARIE CLAIRE, THE NEW YORKER, STYLIST, ELLE AND GLAMOUR

‘The best kind of campus novel, satirical and razor-sharp, crossed with a crime story’ GUARDIAN

'It's just so clever' LOUISE O'NEILL

'Impossible to predict' ERIN KELLY

‘A beautiful, relentless novel’ ABIGAIL DEAN

'Wow, basically' HARRIET TYCE

'Worryingly relatable' SOPHIE DUKER

The first time, Yrsa doesn’t intend to kill.

But the Cambridge professor sitting opposite has manipulated her friend, stolen her research. When she flicks the bee into his Sanpellegrino, she thinks he’ll get a nasty sting.

Then he’s dead. And Yrsa, who – let’s face it – has been bored for a while, is alive.

It’s a sweet feeling, finally having some control.

Comic, sexy, addictive, unpredictable, Honey is about the not-always-righteous path of taking justice into your own hands.

The essential next read for fans of Butter, Yesteryear, My Sister the Serial Killer, Fundamentally or Boy Parts.

‘Yrsa serves up the unhinged hot girl homicide I didn’t know I needed’ SOPHIE DUKER

‘Juicy, dark, addictive, and truly clever. Yrsa is the antihero we've been waiting for’ SILVIA SAUNDERS

'A marvel of a novel, a story that breathes beyond its pages' ORE AGBAJE-WILLIAMS

'A twisted comeuppance story … Wow. Think Fleabag' KIRKUS

'The hotly-anticipated debut … a dark tale which throws light on the intersections between politics, race, sex, violence and love through the eyes of a female serial killer' MARIE CLAIRE

'Dark, thrilling and undeniably hot' GLAMOUR

'Brilliant' SERVICE95

'Sexy, scary, this debut became compulsive reading for me' BELFAST TELEGRAPH

'Thompson writes with wit and precision' IRISH TIMES

'Imani is a writer to watch and Honey is the entertaining (and quietly damning) read you'll need to kick off spring' ELLE

Audible Audio

First published May 5, 2026

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Imani Thompson

2 books84 followers

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5 stars
300 (11%)
4 stars
917 (36%)
3 stars
971 (38%)
2 stars
291 (11%)
1 star
65 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 896 reviews
Profile Image for Liv Kaelin.
241 reviews31 followers
October 14, 2025
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!
Profile Image for Zana.
974 reviews404 followers
December 6, 2025
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.
Profile Image for Michael  Burke.
332 reviews282 followers
May 11, 2026
Honey Left Dripping

Imani Thompson’s debut novel, “Honey,” is a provocatively dark thriller that takes the familiar trope of the female serial killer and subverts it with a sharp, academic lens. While the book is firmly rooted in the thriller genre—following Cambridge PhD student Yrsa as she descends into a cycle of killing “bad men”—it is notably not a mystery. The reader witnesses exactly what is happening as Yrsa executes her plans. Instead of asking who the killer is, the suspense centers on how Yrsa will pull off each increasingly bold crime and, more compellingly, where she will eventually slip up and face the consequences.

Yrsa, a student of Afropessimism, attempts to justify her escalating violence by framing it as "theory in action… a new methodology" and an act of feminist and racial solidarity. However, the novel suggests that her primary drive is less about deep-seated vigilante rage or redemption and more about a feeling of sport, or a cure for her profound boredom. This detachment gives Yrsa’s voice a dry and often sarcastic edge, providing moments of dark humor. The novel is at its most ambitious during its forays into academia, where Yrsa uses her research to intellectualize her bloodlust, challenging the reader with complex ideas about power, justice, and the limits of liberation.

Despite the high-speed pacing and intriguing characterization, the novel ultimately falters in its conclusion. While the narrative creates a mounting sense of tension that suggests Yrsa is heading toward a significant confrontation or obstacle… the ending is a letdown. That is all I will say, in the interest of avoiding spoilers.

For readers who favor intellectually dense and morally complex character explorations over traditional, neatly packaged thrillers, Honey is a striking debut. Yrsa stands out as a singular, albeit ethically questionable and often unsympathetic, lead. The novel offers a profound intellectual journey, even if it sacrifices a satisfying thriller ending.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for providing an advance review copy in exchange for an honest review. #Honey #NetGalley
Profile Image for Traci Thomas.
927 reviews13.8k followers
May 12, 2026
I liked this novel. The start is super gripping. It wanders a bit (aka could’ve been shorter) but is entertaining and fun. Woman behaving badly always works for me. I think some of the theory could’ve been stronger more fleshed out, but it was a good ride.
Profile Image for Heidi Zuva.
671 reviews31 followers
May 11, 2026
Yrsa, how do you not have bleach or gloves (because you weren't going to kill him) but you do have a lethal amount of epinephrine and a syringe? GIRL.

I am having so much fun with this, she is *messy*.

Update - gahhhh this would have been a five star, but the ending was so abrupt and unfinished! I need a conclusion! It's a me problem, Thompson is a very talented new voice and I'm excited to see what she writes next.
Profile Image for Justine.
1,482 reviews402 followers
May 18, 2026
This looks to be shaping up as a bit of a divisive book. I thought it was very good, with excellent writing, and a truly interesting character in Yrsa. I do have to disagree with the summary statement that Yrsa justifies her murders of men in the name of feminism. That is a bit misleading about what is going on here.

Yrsa has trouble feeling things, is almost anesthetized from her everyday existence, and tends to search out experiences that will inject some intensity into her emotional life. She’s had some bad things happen to her which she has never confronted or resolved, and it seems there is some family tendency towards seeking out risky encounters to stimulate feelings and obtain a kind of a temporary high. I’m certainly not qualified to diagnose the problem, but it’s pretty clear that as high functioning as the women in Yrsa’s family are, they all share a similar kind of mental illness.

Yes, Yrsa chooses men to kill and chase the high that comes from getting away with it. And she looks for a rationale for killing them to ease any moral qualms. But her main motivation is personal, and not some kind of feminist payback on men generally. She thinks more than once that men are just easier targets. In that respect, she’s like any addict and chases the quickest route to getting the high she craves.

It’s a compelling story, almost exclusively character driven, and doesn’t provide pat answers, or any kind of path to ultimate redemption. The ending is not exactly nonexistent but it is vague in the sense that it is ultimately left to the imagination of the reader. So, not a lot of tidy boxes here, which may be offputting to some. Personally I enjoyed Honey, and I will certainly read Thompson’s next book. I think she’s a talented writer with a lot of potential.
Profile Image for Steph ✨.
785 reviews1,670 followers
May 21, 2026
Ohhh boy, I did not like this. I don't know if it's that this book is just not for me, or if it's just not a great book. But I didn't like it, and I'm sad. I was lead to believe this would be comic, sexy, deliciously dark. It wasn't any of those things. Maybe a little bit dark but not deliciously so.
This definitely had more of a literary tone to it rather than the comic thriller tone I was thinking it would have, which is a shame, I'm definitely not a literary girly. It was very academic based, lots of talk about the class Ysra is teaching. Speaking of Ysra, she was so incredibly unlikeable, and this book ended up more of a character study of her than anything else. And I couldn't stand her, she was rude and really unsympathetic. A really hard character to follow from.

The ending also fell flat for me. An ambiguous ending is one thing, but this didn't have much of an ending at all, it just kinda stopped. I was left feeling really unsatisfied. I wanted to DNF but really wanted to see if the end would bring it all together and it just didn't. I should have DNF'd it.
Profile Image for My.bookish.diaries.
72 reviews17 followers
June 17, 2026
Thank you Tandem Collective Global and Penguin Random House Canada for the gifted copy!! 💛✨💛

3.75⭐️

─── 𓆩🐝𓆪 ───

I really enjoyed the premise of this book, it was what pulled me in immediately. We meet Ysra, drifting through her PhD program on this kind of exhausted autopilot… bored, emotionally drained, and slowly realizing the men around her are completely insufferable….

She’s running on low energy, full of emotions she can’t quite name… until one encounter and an accidental death…shifts everything.

And then… the bee changes it all. 🐝

I loved that line: “To kill and get away with it.. what could be sweeter?”
like… okay?? a female serial killer targeting awful men with this academic edge?? Yes please.

And the way she keeps rationalizing everything to herself… like she’s trying to logic her way through something deeply emotional and irreversible.

There’s also this layer with her research into Afropessimism and how that connects to her lived experience as a Black woman navigating harm, exhaustion, and retribution. That part added a lot of weight for me, especially how the theory and real life start mixing together

I was really into the story, especially wondering if she’d get caught and who she’d go after next. The ending gets really intense, and I just wish we got a bit more closure on what happened at the end. But I also kinda get why it ends like that… it leaves you sitting with the uncertainty of what Ysra becomes next, or doesn’t become.
Profile Image for Briana Shuman.
20 reviews2 followers
September 18, 2025
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.
Profile Image for Jamie Josephson.
177 reviews18 followers
May 7, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for providing and ARC in exchange for honest feedback.

This is one of those books that grips you from the beginning and dares you to look away. The FMC is just fascinating - she is incredibly smart, yet deeply flawed and completely unhinged. This story touches on some fairly morally grey areas without trying to clean them up which I love! It made me uncomfortable…but in a good way. The pacing was perfect and delivered exactly what I needed when I needed it.

It was unique and addictive. Highly recommended.
Profile Image for Rae | My Cousin’s Book Club.
304 reviews62 followers
May 25, 2026
2.5 rounded down

This had a good premise but it was so slow. Definitely not a horror or thriller and that’s quite disappointing. I fully expected an unhinged serial killer and instead I felt like the entire book was written as if it’s a paper that she was working on and not an in depth look into a Black woman killing men.

Sigh. I was planning to choose this book for my book club but I just can’t do it to them lol.

I had high expectations for this book and I’m really disappointed that I didn’t like it more.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of the book. All opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Ro_Monique_.
274 reviews22 followers
March 30, 2026
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.
Profile Image for evie.
207 reviews7 followers
May 24, 2026
3.5 ☆ Thank you to publishers and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! A morally-gray, complex PHD student who decides to take matters into her own hands? Sign me up. I didn’t find the book “wickedly funny” but I did enjoy Yrsa’s humor and one-liners. The book did feel slow at times but I was hooked on Yrsa navigating her new obsession. It was soooo entertaining to see her make a mistake and how she tries to fix it, and I loved the constant fear that she would get caught. I loved how Thompson would set the scene by describing in detail the type of clothes Yrsa is wearing, the meals she is sharing with her friends, and the details in the room Yrsa kills her victims. I was able to imagine the humid Cambridge summers, and the pubs Yrsa hung out in with her friends. I will say I didn’t like the abrupt ending. I was so engrossed in the scene, feverishly turning the page, only to be met with a blank page. No way it ended right then and there. Maybe that was intentional but who knows.
Profile Image for Ashlee Mitchell.
24 reviews2 followers
September 16, 2025
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.
Profile Image for Erin.
3,188 reviews434 followers
November 12, 2025
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.)
Profile Image for chantel nouseforaname.
840 reviews416 followers
June 6, 2026
I really enjoyed Honey. Imani Thompson is too funny. For a debut novel this was everything that I wanted it to be. Dark. Black. Humorous. Filled with quiet rage being externalized. There was suspense and I feel like this would be a fantastic television show.

Finding out that Imani is of Jamaican-British heritage also was such a great tidbit!

Now for some takeaways.. the ending could have given a bit more, but I like what I felt it was saying about how 1) men never really believe that they’re in danger because they see all women as weaker than themselves; which does a disservice in reality to men who are being abused but the patriarchy doesn’t give a fuck about men either if we’re being honest. 2) women get caught up in bad situations fighting on behalf of men; like that ending— girl! If your boyfriend or your husband cheats on you, I can promise you it’s never the other woman’s fault. 3) women can be just as dangerous as men; don’t sleep on them. An angry woman with a plan can really turn your life upside down.

I loved the main character, Yrsa. I felt all the things for her, she wasn’t perfect, she was devious and also ridiculous, but I understood her point of view. I loved her taste in music, I loved that she loved good sex, I love that she rode for her friends down to the ground! She had a very Dark Passenger Dexter quality about her. That Joe Goldberg quality about her. But real talk, she was her own woman. I loved that for us. I love all the current cultural references and touch points in the novel. Sam Mack as a character representing the manosphere, and her trying to kill it. Ratings. I love the dissertation plot line that followed the character through the book as she lives out her research and findings. I definitely thought Syed was gonna make her! I was like one of these folks is gonna blow the whole shit up, and was pleasantly surprised by the outcome.

The author took some really bold artistic liberties that transitioned her character from just crazy to an absolutely diabolical maniac at times. Especially surrounding Felix. I REALLY enjoyed that! I didn’t trust Isaiah the entire book, and for him to turn out to be normal and loving, what does that say about me?? 🫣

The mom and grandmother being so involved and having similar predilections was icing; I loved that bit of storytelling! Yo all in all, I’m reading whatever Imani Thompson has got coming next, and I would love to watch this show on Hulu or Prime; it definitely felt like Bria Mack Gets a Life meets Dexter or Harlem meets Dexter. I had a great time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Steph's_Creepy _Reads.
340 reviews100 followers
June 22, 2026
This is a tough one to review because I loved some things and I hated some too.
The main character is definitely giving sociopath vibes in this book. She is intelligent, observant, blunt, detached and cunning. I read this and had absolutely no apathy for her character at all because of how she sees the people around her, including her family. Almost like little pieces on a chess board. And hell mend any man that displeases, repulses or insults her.
I love a female rage book, but this slipped a little for me given how unemotional the MC seemed throughout the entire book.
I really enjoyed her reasoning behind what she did, and used her intelligence and fake charm to get away with such acts.
The ending riled me up somewhat though. I hate abrupt endings that leave me of a cliffhanger because I cannot see a sequel to this and if there is, I doubt I would read it.
I enjoyed it, but not enough to dedicate nore time to it. I would still recommend this book but to a select audience.
Profile Image for mariya.
112 reviews
Want to Read
May 4, 2026
a book set in my city okayyyy
I hope the author actually did their research lol
Profile Image for em.
665 reviews97 followers
February 8, 2026
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.
Profile Image for Ashley.
3,662 reviews2,461 followers
May 27, 2026
Ultimately, I'm disappointed in this one. The literary style of it threw me off at first, but once I settled into it and thought I knew what it was going for, I started to enjoy myself. And then, that ending? What? I, in fact, do not know what this book was going for, in the end. But the teases of an academic-minded serial killer (who is bored and disaffected with life, not my favorite thing in a story) venting her urges on "bad men" (not bad enough to justify murder), and telling herself the killings were experiments for her thesis were very interesting. I just don't think there was any payoff, or any kind of conclusions. The book just . . . ended. So I'm left asking myself, what was the point here.

I would try another book from this author, but I won't be buying it full price like I did for this one.
Profile Image for Sheree | Keeping Up With The Penguins.
764 reviews172 followers
June 14, 2026
Honey is an intense, dark, funny, and provoking read – and it gripped me all the way through to the very end. The body count is realistic, though considerable, and the stakes are just high enough to keep you on the edge of your seat. I’m obsessed with Yrsa and the mental gymnastics she does position her murders as a public service. It’s the ultimate Good For Her novel, one that will definitely appeal to fans of How To Kill Your Family.

My full review of Honey is up now on Keeping Up With The Penguins.
Profile Image for Jen G.
320 reviews4 followers
September 27, 2025
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.
Profile Image for Ellen.
178 reviews8 followers
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
May 12, 2026
3.5⭐️

“The line is so narrow, really, between life and death. It’s easy to pull someone under.”

A truly unhinged men are trash killing spreeeeeeee
Yrsa is a psychopath ‼️
Profile Image for Trisha.
6,130 reviews241 followers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
April 7, 2026
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.
Profile Image for Danna.
1,090 reviews29 followers
November 4, 2025
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.
Profile Image for Ashley Sawyer.
565 reviews55 followers
May 19, 2026
Yrsa is exhausted by the world around her. Her PhD program at Cambridge feels hollow, the men in her life are unbearable, and the endless academic discussions about race, power and violence are starting to feel painfully personal. Then one afternoon, after learning a professor betrayed her best friend and stole her research, a small impulsive act leads to his death. It looks like an accident. But for Yrsa, it awakens something in her. Suddenly, she isn't numb anymore. As she begins targeting more sexist and manipulative men, Yrsa convinces herself she's delivering justice. Each murder gives her a sense of purpose. But the deeper she falls into violence, the harder it becomes to outrun the consequences.

Honey had such a strong premise but it was missing something for me. At first I was pulled in by the messy female rage and morally gray main character energy. Yrsa was fascinating to follow, even when I didn't fully like or agree with her choices. There's this simmering anger running throughout the book that is almost impossible to look away from. That said, I think this one lost me towards the middle and the end. Some parts felt a bit repetitive and while the social commentary was sharp, it occasionally felt heavier than the plot itself. Still I can see why this would be a good fit for someone else. It's bold, unsettling and thought-provoking. Not a perfect fit for me but definitely memorable!

Thank you to NetGalley, Imani Thompson, and Random House for this eARC!
Profile Image for Sha Sha.
286 reviews19 followers
Read
June 7, 2026
I started listening to this audiobook June 4. I gave it long enough of a chance to get better. It hasn’t. So I’m DNF’ing this book it’s just boring. There are wayyyy too many books to continue wasting time on this.
Profile Image for Anni K. Mars.
436 reviews95 followers
May 30, 2026
4,5

Ein packendes Buch. Am Ende war ich so tief in Yrsas Kopf, dass es unheimlich war. Gänsehaut.

Die Handlung wurde toll mit den Inhalten von Yrsas Studium verknüpft.
Gewalt führt immer zu mehr Gewalt.
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