Mad Honey Quiz: Test Your Knowledge of Jodi Picoult's 2022 Novel

Mad Honey Quiz: Test Your Knowledge

This quiz spans the entire novel, from the Kierkegaard epigraph to the epilogue. Answer all 20 questions, then check your responses against the key below. Each answer is grounded in the story's events and themes.

Plot and Sequence (Questions 1–8)

1. On December 7, 2018, what does Olivia discover when she checks her beehives?

   • A) A swarm of bees has escaped
   • B) A bear has destroyed one hive
   • C) The queen bee has died naturally
   • D) A neighbor has stolen honey

2. Where does Asher call Olivia from after Lily's death?

   • A) The hospital
   • B) Lily's house
   • C) The police station
   • D) His father's home

3. What does Detective Newcomb tell Olivia about the blood on Asher's shirt?

   • A) It is Lily's blood
   • B) It is Asher's own blood
   • C) It is not Asher's blood
   • D) It is from a nosebleed

4. What physical evidence places Asher in Lily's bedroom?

   • A) His DNA on the bed
   • B) His fingerprints on an overturned lamp and nightstand
   • C) A text message on Lily's phone
   • D) A witness saw him leaving

5. What plea deal does Jordan present to Asher?

   • A) Second-degree murder with 20 years
   • B) Manslaughter with up to 15 years
   • C) Accidental death with no jail time
   • D) A guilty plea with probation

6. What medical condition does Dr. Benjamin Oluwye testify that Lily had?

   • A) Hemophilia
   • B) TTP (thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura)
   • C) Anemia
   • D) A vitamin K deficiency

7. What does Maya confess to Olivia and Asher after the trial?

   • A) She lied about seeing Asher at Lily's house
   • B) She sent a text from Lily's phone ending the relationship, and Lily fell during a struggle
   • C) She helped Asher hide evidence
   • D) She knew Lily was transgender but didn't tell anyone

8. In the epilogue, what does Ava Campanello do?

   • A) She moves in with Olivia
   • B) She leaves town to hike the Appalachian Trail with her dog
   • C) She files a civil lawsuit against Asher
   • D) She opens a honey shop

Character Motivation (Questions 9–13)

1. Why does Asher arrange for Lily to meet her estranged father at the diner? (Short answer)

2. Why does Olivia decide to contact Braden for bail money?

   • A) She wants to reconcile with him
   • B) She is desperate to free Asher and has no other options
   • C) Braden offers to pay without being asked
   • D) Jordan insists she ask him

3. Why does Asher secretly meet his father Braden monthly? (Short answer)

4. Why does Maya send the text from Lily's phone?

   • A) She wants to break up Asher and Lily because she loves Asher
   • B) She is angry at Lily for ignoring her
   • C) She wants to protect Lily from Asher
   • D) She is following Asher's instructions

5. Why does Lily keep her transgender identity a secret from Asher initially? (Short answer)

Theme and Symbol (Questions 14–17)

1. What does the beehive symbolize in the novel?

   • A) The dangers of nature
   • B) Community, maternal protection, and fluid identity
   • C) The inevitability of death
   • D) The power of the patriarchy

2. What does the tree house represent for Asher and Lily?

   • A) A place of escape from the law
   • B) A sanctuary and a space for secrets and intimacy
   • C) A reminder of Asher's father
   • D) A symbol of their future home

3. What does the "mad honey" metaphor refer to?

   • A) The sweetness of revenge
   • B) Deception that appears sweet but is harmful
   • C) The bitterness of loss
   • D) The unpredictability of love

4. What does the Kierkegaard epigraph suggest about the novel's theme? (Short answer)

Synthesis (Questions 18–20)

1. How does the novel challenge assumptions about domestic violence and abuse? (Short answer)

2. In what ways does the novel use bees as a metaphor for gender and identity? (Short answer)

3. What is the significance of the title "Mad Honey" in relation to the trial and the characters' secrets? (Short answer)

Answer Key

1. B – Olivia finds a bear has destroyed one hive, an event that sets off the day's chaos. (Chapter 2)
2. C – Asher calls from the police station, saying he thinks Lily is dead. (Chapter 2)
3. C – Newcomb tells Olivia the blood on Asher's shirt is not his. (Chapter 4)
4. B – His fingerprints were found in Lily's bedroom, where a lamp and nightstand were overturned. (Chapter 4)
5. B – Jordan presents a plea deal offering manslaughter with up to fifteen years. (Chapter 8)
6. B – Dr. Oluwye testifies that Lily had undiagnosed TTP, a blood disorder causing easy bruising and bleeding. (Chapter 18)
7. B – Maya confesses she sent a text from Lily's phone ending the relationship, and Lily fell down the stairs during a struggle over the phone. (Chapter 22)
8. B – Ava leaves town to hike the Appalachian Trail with her dog Boris. (Chapter 23)
9. Asher wanted to give Lily a second chance with her father, hoping to heal their estrangement. (Chapter 3)
10. B – Olivia is desperate to free Asher and has no other financial options, so she swallows her pride and asks Braden. (Chapter 8)
11. Asher wanted to understand why his father wasn't in his life and to discover the source of parts of himself. (Chapter 16)
12. A – Maya loves Asher and believes Lily is hurting him, so she tries to break them up by sending a breakup text. (Chapter 22)
13. Lily fears rejection and has been hurt before when her father outed her; she is afraid Asher will react badly. (Chapters 11, 13)
14. B – The beehive symbolizes community, maternal protection, and the fluidity of identity, as seen in the "destiny is fluid" passage. (Chapter 22)
15. B – The tree house is a sanctuary where Asher and Lily share secrets and intimacy, and later it is sealed off as a symbol of the past. (Chapters 5, 13, 20)
16. B – Mad honey is poisonous but looks sweet, representing the deceptive nature of lies and hidden truths. (Chapter 16)
17. The epigraph suggests that life is understood backwards but lived forwards, reflecting how characters reassess events with hindsight. (Chapter 1)
18. The novel shows that abusers can be charming and that victims may still love them, and it explores how cycles of abuse can be inherited but also broken, as seen with Olivia and Asher. (Chapters 2, 16)
19. Bees have fluid roles—any egg can become a queen—and the hive is matriarchal, paralleling the novel's themes of gender identity and the idea that identity is not fixed. (Chapter 22)
20. The title "Mad Honey" symbolizes the dangerous sweetness of lies and hidden truths that poison relationships and lead to tragedy, as seen in the trial and the characters' secrets. (Chapter 16)

For deeper analysis, explore the book overview, questions and answers, and ending explained.