The Honeys

Now this was a very interesting story because I definitely read this in one sitting trying to figure out what happened to Caroline and what the Honeys were. Then to find out the parents are all in on this definitely blew my mind. Now the MC Mars definitely was about that life 😂😂.

This is the strongest opening to a book I've ever read! It sucked my right in. I also thought the last 30% was amazing! It wrapped up everything so nicely and brought a lot of things full circle. Very masterfully done. The only reason I took off a star is that it sort of dragged from the 10%-70%. It's not that I didn't enjoy reading the middle section, but it was a much slower paced and I felt like a few more exciting/creepy things could have happened. The middle section mostly ferls more like a regular summer camp than a horror book, so the ending almost felt like a different book tone-wise. But I LOVED the ending for Mars and the honeys. It was lovely.

As a reader who loves good descriptions and scene setting I didn't really feel that in this book and it was a little hard to follow in some places. Wasn't or me, but I did finish it.

Mars has never measured up to his twin sister Caroline’s seemingly perfect popular girl persona. When Caroline dies under mysterious circumstances, Mars seeks closure. That closure just happens to come in the form of attending the prestigious Aspen Conservancy Summer Program filling his sisters place. Quintessentially blue blooded- traditional gender roles, toxic masculinity, secrets and lies…what could possibly go wrong? Especially with The Honeys on his side. Named for the beehives they keep this group of beautiful girls may hold the key to Caroline’s death.This books was such an expected gem. Horror, mystery, suspense, mixed in with gender-fluid representation and a really deep commentary on society/misogyny - YES! Add in beautiful writing, multidimensional characters, and a perfect setting this book really has everything to make it incredible.Think summer camp meets Get Out with a hint of dark academia.I think what really struck me was this is too familiar of a setting. I grew up in a very wealthy, very white, often very traditional community. As we’ve watched many of the topics covered in the book develop there’s a divide of those who are willing to let go of tradition for traditions sake. It’s an interesting discussion.

I loved this book! Fast paced, easy to read plot that keeps you engaged, the best queer vibes, and an unexpected romance. I really didn’t see the outcome of this book coming but wow, fully loved it! 🙌🏻⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀The first chapter was enticing right off the bat. Marshall ‘Mars’ Matthias is attacked by his twin sister Caroline at home while she is supposed to be at summer camp and through the struggle they fall from the second floor where she dies (not the cause of death though). Mars then decides to go back to Aspen Conservancy camp to stay the remainder of the summer and learn about Caroline’s life over the past year.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀This is marketed as YA horror, but it’s definitely soft horror. This book represents a lot from Mars’ gender fluidity to the outcome and trauma of bullying. We have the atmospheric, maybe light academia vibes with the summer camp, the enigmatic and effervescent Honeys, and the mystery behind Aspen itself along with the mysterious deaths/ missing people. First, I loved the Honeys, a group of mysterious, very into themselves, almost whimsical girls who live farther away from the camp and much closer to the bee hives. Second, I did not see their secret coming, what a twist. I enjoyed La Sala’s writing too and the way he wrote from Mars’ “is this happening or am I crazy” perspective. I was mostly just going with the flow unsure of what was coming and kind of confused (but in a good way) until about half way through the book with the first real plot twist. The last half of the book was pretty trippy but such a fun read and I also loved the connection of Mars and the bees in the end. Really I feel that’s all I can say without spoiling it but this was such a great book!

Wow! This book is a slow burn and then all of a sudden a raging wildfire! In the best way possible. I never could've guessed those last twists. The main character Mars is so well-written! My heart ached for them as they dealt with the horror of their twin sister's death. Also, I love when the environment/setting is a character unto itself and that was definitely the case here. A really wild and very queer read. Can't wait to read more by this author.

The only word I can think of to describe this book is ethereal. It made me long for the summer and crave that feeling when you come inside and your skin is still warm from the sun. I never thought a story could start so dark but give off so much light at the same time.

Hard to follow at times and lacked some draw at times but the ending was great and very unforeseen and captivating.

Atmospheric narrative and is easy to read on Kindle

Spoilers in review - so stop reading if you'd rather not know.I really enjoyed the start of this book - it was dark and intriguing. Mars's twin sister, Caroline, attacks him one night in attempt to kill him and, in the ensuing fight, ends up dying. This sets Mars off on a quest to find out more about his sister and the summers she spent at Aspen Conservatory, a sort of holiday camp for rich, privileged kids - and which Mars himself left years earlier under a cloud. The camp is much as you'd expect - except for the area where the Honeys reside - beautiful, confident girls who swoop into the main camp as and when they feel like it but who, otherwise, remain aloof, tending to Aspen's apiaries. Yet as the novel unfurls, there is something dark and altogether 'other' about the Honeys.What I did like about this novel was Mars himself, and the way he described his gender fluidity. You could feel his yearning to be like the Honeys and his refusal to be pinned down or defined. He was intelligent, plucky, sensitive and fun. And the banter between him and some of the boys was brilliant. However, the novel soon began to drag. There was a lot of to-ing and fro-ing between the forest, the hut where the Honeys lived, and the camp. And then what started out as dark and mysterious just became silly and weird. I don't want to say too much and spoil all of the plot for people who may choose to read the book - but whilst, as a reader, I can accept (and enjoy) the paranormal, this sort of meandered into the realms of fantasy, but without the requisite world building. The author has come up with a strange (almost New World Order-esqe) storyline involving global dominion and control that's linked to, um, bees. The concept of some ethereal 'lace' (a network through which the Honeys command some sort of hive consciousness and awareness of future events) was just silly. It was confusing at first and didn't make much more sense as the novel progressed. I just think it was a step too far into the surreal. I tend to like my fantasy more grounded. This was abstract and, oddly, not a particularly exciting explanation for the shenanigans going on at Aspen.I felt like this was a book I should have enjoyed more. It certainly had a lot of elements that I'd normally love - but I just found myself wanting to get to the end of it so that I could start on something else. Definitely not my cup of tea, but I can see how other people might enjoy it.