Disclaimer: I received this e-arc and arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: The Honeys

Author: Ryan La Sala

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 5/5

Diversity: Gender Fluid MC, POC characters, lesbian character, gay characters

Recommended For...: young adult readers, thriller, mystery, horror, bees, summer camp, LGBT

Publication Date: August 16, 2022

Genre: YA Horror Thriller

Age Relevance: 16+ (gore, violence, death, illness, cursing, grief, micro aggressions, transphobia, suicide, sexism, bullying, harassment, psychological torture, alcohol consumption, sexual harassment, sexual content, romance, kidnapping, animal attack)

Explanation of Above: There is a lot of gore and violence in this book, containing blood and graphic depictions of injuries, and there’s death seen in this book along with a theme of grief throughout the text. Illness is also mentioned briefly. There is some cursing throughout the novel and there are mentions and showings of bullying, harassment, and psychological torture. There are a couple of scenes with micro aggressions in them towards the gender fluid MC, a couple of them being a refusal to use their preferred name, but there’s also some transphobia as well. Suicide is mentioned briefly, as an accidental suicide. There is a theme of sexism throughout the book. There is some alcohol consumption mentioned and one scene with a kidnapping. There is also some sexual harassment shown and mentioned in the book, as well as one scene with a little bit of sexual content. There is also an allusion to sexual assault in one minor scene, but it’s not confirmed. There is a slight romance in this book and there are animal attacks done by bees.

Publisher: PUSH

Pages: 340

Synopsis: 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.

Review: Ok this book sent me on one of the wildest rides of my reading journey. I instantly fell in love with the book from the beginning and I wasn’t expecting what I was given. The book did amazing to talk about binary “roles” in society and sexism. The book also frequently challenged gendered norms and showed that they’re completely fabricated by society. The book is a great summer camp horror/thriller read and it did so well with the cult aspect of it. The last few chapters of this one will have you going “wtf?” but stay with it! I promise it all comes together in the end, kinda like Cabin in the Woods. The character development was great, the world building is phenomenal, and it’s another 5 star read from me for a fave author of mine who proves they can write multiple different genres!

The only issue I had with the book is that I felt that the pacing was off in some places and it felt like there was a lot of filler, but overall I highly enjoyed this one.

Verdict: I love it! Highly recommend!