Honey

You know how it is? Men do whatever they want and constantly cross women’s boundaries. And then you’re constantly confronted with them, even though you’re conducting research on intersectionality and sexism at a university department. It can happen that you get so worked up that you suddenly turn into a serial killer. “Honey” tells the unpredictable story of a woman who accidentally discovers a deadly new hobby, and it’s not only entertaining but also scholarly. An absolute highlight that kept me hooked until the very end. And maybe the men deserved it a little bit?

Man… I generally like twisted and flawed main characters. And hooo boy is this one twisted and twisted. She’s real, complex and messy. Combined with great pacing fitting for this book, this might be one of the generally most entertaining reads I’ve had so far in 2026.

“Honey” by Imani Thompson is a really interesting and actually fun read. Thompson’s way of writing is refreshing and descriptive when it needs to be. Sometimes the book is written in a more episodic style which matches its protagonist. Yrsa is a complex character with complex thoughts and feelings who I personally did not like much most of the time but considering the path her character takes that was okay with me. I do not need to like her to enjoy the book. Maybe, in a way, it is actually healthier to dislike her. Though, my enjoyment of the book ended with the last few pages. (Spoilers) The ending (if you even want to call it that) felt unfinished and left everything floating in the air, unanswered. Sadly, this also impacted my feelings on the rest of the book in a negative way. The book opens up so many interesting topics, thoughts, etc. that in the end, do not get enough attention, thus feeling like they were not thought through enough. (Spoiler section over) Maybe there will be a second book that changes my opinion but as of now I am reviewing “Honey” as a standalone. In general, I enjoyed the book a lot and wished I could say the same about the ending which slightly tainted my opinion on the book as a whole. However, I would still recommend the book to others to make up their own mind on the story and its ending.

Sadly I didn't like the writing style at all. Maybe I'm just a bit to prudish for it. But readers, that are fine with very direct ways of speaking, may find this very much intriguing. Just try out the reading sample.

What did I think? Well, at first I thought this was going to be another one of my 'unhinged female serial killer' novels. Then it became clear very quick, that it's only wishful thinking. Ysra is our typical graduate student, starting to murder disgusting men and justifying it in the name of feminism. Not as funny as I expected. The tone is way more serious and academic than it let on, and it felt really boring at times. A promising concept that sadly lacked in execution. Also, I really don't like having to reread a page three times in order to understand what her deluded mind rambled on about.