Ryan La Sala: "The Honeys" (ARC Review)

Title: The Honeys [on Amazon | on Goodreads | special book page]
Series: None
Author: Ryan La Sala [Site | Goodreads]
Genres: Contemporary with a Twist, Supernatural, Thriller/Mystery, Horror
Year: 2022
Age: 14+
Stars: 5/5
Pros: Original, immersive, twisty. Debunks gender divide and socially assigned roles.
Cons: There's a lot of build-up, that, though never boring, might discourage those who'd rather have their stories more straightforward.
WARNING! Contains a number of gruesome/violent scenes and the (tame) prelude to an unconsummated sexual encounter.
Will appeal to: Lovers of magical-realism-meets-isolation-thriller-meets-gender-issues. Patient readers who can let a story tick and finally go BOOM.

Blurb: Mars has always been 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...(Amazon excerpt)

Review: First off...DISCLAIMER: I requested this title on Edelweiss. Thanks to Scholastic for providing an ecopy. This didn't influence my review in any way.

POWER UNIT

After loving La Sala's debut Reverie (and skipping his sophomore novel Be Dazzled only because contemporary + romance isn't my thing), I was looking forward to reading more from him - but for a while I was on the fence about The Honeys, because a few Goodreads reviewers had marked it as "dark academia" and I was afraid I'd be catapulted in the middle of a clique of competitive, catty girls or something. So, if you have the same concern, let's get it out of the way: though I understand, on a level, why some readers have used (or are still using) the "dark academia" label for this book, I think that it's not accurate, and more than a little misleading. The Honeys is a story about grief, siblinghood, self-actualisation, survival in a (most of the times subtly) toxic environment, pursuit of truth, and ultimately a tribute to the inner (sometimes terrifying) power of the female species. And the fact is, I thought Reverie's spectacular villain - drag queen sorceress Poesy - had prepared me for the Honeys, but La Sala pulled the rug from under my feet so well. Their only common denominator? Women - or folks who identify as female - are a force to be reckoned with, especially when they have one another's back. I wish I could say much more on this subject, but I can't very well spoil the story for you, can I? 🙂 Only, forget (your average) dark academia. [...]

HAPPY AND ADRIFT*

The Honeys marked my first time reading about a genderfluid character, and even if, as a cisgender woman, I can't claim to KNOW what it means, I was definitely able to sense the amount of honesty and truth the author put into bringing Mars to life. Now, during the course of the story, they spend most of their time as a biological male embracing their feminine side (which makes sense, given the context), but there's this conversation where they explain what it's like to be genderfluid and "drift" from shore to shore, and reject the roles society requires you to perform either as a boy or a girl, and it's so simple, yet so illuminating. As I said, I don't identify as genderfluid, but I've always embraced my femininity only so far and refused to adhere to a number of its standards, to the extent of sometimes taking my cue from men instead (admittedly, peculiar men, but still 😉) - so, if Mars' explanation resonated with me, I can't even imagine what it could do for all the people (teens especially) who prefer to live their life in the middle or not to stay on a shore for too long.

*Note: "Happy and adrift" is a direct quote from Mars' explanation that I referenced in this paragraph.

SWARMING UP

Plot-wise, The Honeys starts with a bang, then slows down and stays quiet (so to speak) until the last chapters, but that doesn't mean it gets boring. There's a well-orchestrated crescendo, and a constant sense of foreboding, of bracing for certain things to happen - though they ultimately aren't the ones you expected, or if they are, they still don't follow the pattern you thought they would, and that's brilliant. The truth is wilder than you could have anticipated, and the ending has an open quality to it that still feels satisfying - and holy moly, the writing is so evocative, and Ch.29 starts a little nebulously until it hits you in the guts. Sorry, I've probably been nebulous myself, but I hope what you took away from my review is that this is an important story, and a heartfelt one, and a poignant one, and even a funny one at times, and you need to savour it like good honey (I don't even eat honey, but whatever - also, the honey here is a terrible thing, but a thing of beauty too), and it will grow on you - I know it did on me (all the way from 4 to 4.5 to 5 stars). I'm looking forward to buying a physical copy for my shelves and reading it again and again.

For quotes from this book click here. (ARC quotes not available, at the publisher's request. I'll add them when I buy my own finished copy).

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