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Original poster

Jodi Picoult

68 replies

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 13/01/2023 23:07

spoiler for new book Mad Honey

I've dipped in and out of JP books Iver the years - generally enjoy the court room stuff, never usually guess the ending.

I got a copy of her new book Mad Honey for Christmas which she co wrote with wnouther author.

Whilst her writing style in this is a bit hyperbole heavy, I was quite stuck into it. At exactly the halfway point, the deceased girl (I think 16/17yo) is revealed by the medic who carried out the autopsy as a trans girl.

She had a boyfriend who didn't know this about her, had clearly had full surgery already as they had sex, and was not suspected of being trans by her friends or anyone who had met her.

I didn't know the book would involve trans characters, nor those who have gone under the knife in childhood, and on pausing to look online as to how this might change the story for me going forward, learn the second author is trans and, according to online reviews, the second half of the book is very much pushing the trans suffering, brave, troubled youth thing.

I had a look at JPs Insta to see if any comments had been made on her promos of the book and she seems fully entrenched in the trans mentality.

Feel a bit robbed as I'm gender critical and the book summary on the sleeve doesn't hint at any of it, else I'd have left it for someone else to buy. But hey ho.

So JPs off the shelf for me now. I'll drop her other books in a charity shop, but this one will be pulped.

OP posts:
Misstache · 14/01/2023 12:23

“I think we can all benefit from this,” said the judge. “Normally, things like rules of evidence, relevance of the line of questioning, and leading the witness apply, but only TERF NAZIS think the point of court is to actually hear evidence relevant to the case and to either convict or acquit someone. In fact, this is so important that I’m going to order all the other courtrooms pause their proceedings immediately and everyone comes in here to be educated. After all, this is only a murder case, it’s not like it’s as important as hearing about how your chromosomes are actually a construct and in fact after taking hormones there is literally no difference between a cis woman and a Trans woman.” A member of the jury piped up. “Is this going to take long? Because, like, I have to get home to my kids.” “Order in the court!” yelled the judge. “Let me make one thing very clear! We WILL be learning about the lady penis today and if there are ANY objections I will charge you with contempt of court and send you to prison!”

DialSquare · 14/01/2023 12:22

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I take issue with this. Surely it was a gold lame bag.

KatMcBundleFace · 14/01/2023 12:20

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🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

I'm moved beyond words by your work

Original poster
BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 14/01/2023 12:14

This is the next part

Jodi Picoult
OP posts:
Misstache · 14/01/2023 12:09

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Frenchfancy · 14/01/2023 11:21

Thanks for the warning!

KatMcBundleFace · 14/01/2023 11:16

They both did a tour to promote the book. Tickets at York Library were expensive and I think in the end they did 2 for 1 deals on them. They were pushing it like mad on their social media, I don't know how it went in the end.

Lucky Yorkies got the extra treat of handmaiden in chief Joanne Harris introducing the evening...... of cause she did.

I was heartily amused by Dawn Ennis comment about the book tour. No you silly sausages we are not going to picket a book tour..... obviously you lack the self awareness to understand this sort of action massively backfires..... which is why you don't stop doing it to woman.

Ennis has an interesting history, which no doubt is on the farms somewhere.

Of course women who weren't interested in this just ignored the book tour and I think the authors had a nice time on T*rf Island.

Jodi Picoult
Original poster
BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 14/01/2023 10:53

I thought her, but i thought it was as a consequence of her either loving Asher so killing lily as hate, or Maya actually falling for Lily and a fight ensues as Lily declares she's straight Hmm

I didn't read the whole book, so I don't know the reasoning.

Contemplating just reading JPs chapters bit really don't want to

OP posts:
risefromyourgrave · 14/01/2023 10:50

Oh, I didn’t see that coming! Thanks.

Original poster
BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 14/01/2023 10:44

Maya

By accident.

OP posts:
risefromyourgrave · 14/01/2023 10:39

I’m halfway through listening to this on audiobook, and I was already a bit bored. So I don’t waste any more time (I’ve got the new Stephen King to listen to) can someone tell me who murdered Lily? I was thinking it might be Dirk? Or was it actually Asher? I’m just up to the bit where Asher’s been bailed out of jail.

PlaitBilledDuckyPuss · 14/01/2023 10:12

Getinajollymood · 14/01/2023 06:53

She does love chestnut hair pulled back from the face, does Jodi.

I get irritated with her books. I’ve read a handful but the asides that are meant to be deep and meaningful like this - Once ... a guy threw a party ... you were gone and someone noticed you lying at the bottom of the pool ... I dove in and dragged you out ... But you were furious at me. You told me you’d been looking for mermaids and I interrupted you Huh?

She also really doesn’t like working mothers. We are the reason we don’t know our daughters are being abused.

Those 'deep'n'meaningful' asides are why I stopped reading her books. She has a gift for intriguing plots, but spoils it with her pretentious style of writing.

scratchedbymycat · 14/01/2023 10:11

ItWasDobbinAtTheMareAndSpare · 14/01/2023 06:45

This extract makes me laugh… also similar to real life Dr Marci Bowers.

A trans woman who passes convincingly AND is beautiful as well isn't a very fair character, surely, to the majority of trans women if the idea of the book is to give a real sense of being trans.

Surely one of the biggest struggles trans women face is they don't pass convincingly and as a result aren't blindly accepted as women?

And (musing here) even if they were accepted at face value based on convincing appearance, that still isn't acceptance if they really are, which is trans...? And being trans is surely critical to who they are...?

I think if I were in a relationship with someone who had a backstory like the main character, I'd feel like the relationship was a total lie if I didn't know the full truth. Imagine being in a relationship with someone and finding out they had a different name and different life at some point, and never shared that. Crikey.

DialSquare · 14/01/2023 10:05

Give me Jodi Taylor over Jodi Picoult any day of the week.

Original poster
BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 14/01/2023 09:53

ItWasDobbinAtTheMareAndSpare · 14/01/2023 06:45

This extract makes me laugh… also similar to real life Dr Marci Bowers.

Urgh.

I'm glad I stopped reading.

OP posts:
Original poster
BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 14/01/2023 09:52

What conceit has Picoult used to account for how the boyfriend doesn’t know the backstory? Is the trans character supposed to have moved and then met him?

I'm gonna start using the character names as the pronoun thing is hard when describing a book.

Lily (transgirl) makes an attempt on her life so Lily and Lilys Mum relocate to the east coast. Then Lily and Asher meet and begin dating. There is no reference to Lily's physical stature, so I have no idea when the surgery happened / puberty blockers to prevent growth etc.

Lily also hid other things from Asher (Lily claimed Lily's dad died in a car crash, but actually they are estranged), and when Lily then confesses, Asher asks Lily for 100% honesty which Lily accepts and says there are no more secrets.

OP posts:
Original poster
BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 14/01/2023 09:48

So Jodi Picoult’s idea of writing a story of what it’s like to BE trans is to write an nonsensical portrayal of adolescent medical transition and kill that person off?

The transgirl also self harms, makes actual suicide attempts, and for pretty much the duration of the book, her male boyfriend is the main suspect in her death as "scorned boyfriends who's girlfriends are ending the relationship always turn to violence"

OP posts:
Twicebakedroastpotatoes · 14/01/2023 09:03

Maybe a naive teenage boy who has never had sex with an actual woman might not realise he’s having sex with a male. I can’t see any other way this would be feasible.

Also used to really like JP till she turned into a mindless TRA.

Alcemeg · 14/01/2023 08:44

I just had a look at Wiki and found out that Marci Bowers joined the Moonies as a late teen. So she was obviously attracted to delusional dogma from an early age.

Rightsraptor · 14/01/2023 08:41

It would be really interesting to talk to men who've had sex with TW. I don't think, in the five years I've been in this fight, that I've ever read anything on that. Definitely not had any actual conversations about it.

I was intrigued to read the other day that when post-vaginoplasty patients claim their neo-vagina self lubricates, it's actually prostatic fluid that is being released.

Sorry, going off track now.

FrancescaContini · 14/01/2023 08:30

ItWasDobbinAtTheMareAndSpare · 14/01/2023 06:45

This extract makes me laugh… also similar to real life Dr Marci Bowers.

Not very subtle, is she? I’ve skim-read a couple of her books in the past and they’re pure trash.

Pushing the T agenda and glamorising it - shameful.

KnickerlessParsons · 14/01/2023 08:25

I find it hard to believe that the surgery is so good that a man wouldn't realise he's having sex with a trans woman.

Typo22 · 14/01/2023 08:18

Yeah I got blocked by her when disagreeing with some TRA like comment she had made (can't remember what it was)

Delphinium20 · 14/01/2023 08:16

Oh, Jennifer Finney Boylan is an insufferably dull writer who used to have a column in the NYTimes. Ivy educated, upper East Coast family, Boylan is the WASPyish of American WASPs. I was never a fan of Jodi Piccoult, but she's a tad more talented than Boylan. Boylan transitioned in middle age and is supposedly still married. I'm sure Boylan's wife has a story she won't tell. Now that would be an interesting read.

Rightsraptor · 14/01/2023 08:14

I've just noticed the 'in Africa and other countries' that the esteemed doctor says. FGS - Africa is a continent of 50 plus countries.

Whatever we in countries which don't practise FGM think of it, I really don't think reversal of it would feature high in any FGM-practising country's list of priorities. It may even be seen as colonial.