I am very excited to be a part of the blog tour for the latest release from author Ryan La Sala, The Honeys. Check out my review below, and don't forget to enter the giveaway!
Book Information
Title: The Honeys
Authors(s): Ryan La Sala
Publication Date: August 16, 2022
Publication Date: August 16, 2022
Edition: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook; 352 pgs
Publisher: PUSH (Scholastic Press)
Source: Rockstar Book Tours
Purchase: Amazon - Kindle - Audible - B&N - iBooks - BAM! - Kobo - TBD
Publisher: PUSH (Scholastic Press)
Source: Rockstar Book Tours
Purchase: Amazon - Kindle - Audible - B&N - iBooks - BAM! - Kobo - TBD
Disclaimer: I received a copy from the publisher as part of a blog tour in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Please note the purchase links above are affiliate links.
Tour Schedule
Week One
8/1/2022 - YA Books Central - Excerpt/IG Post
8/2/2022 - Lisa Loves Literature - Review/IG Post
8/3/2022 - @ReaderOfTheWrittenWord - IG Review
8/4/2022 - A Dream Within A Dream - Review/IG Post
8/5/2022 - One More Exclamation - Review/IG Post
8/6/2022 - Nerdophiles - Review
Week Two
8/7/2022 - My.Bookish.Mind - IG Review/TikTok Post
8/8/2022 - Eli to the nth - Review/IG Post
8/9/2022 - @amysbooknook8 - IG Review
8/10/2022 - Do You Dog-ear? - Review/IG Post
8/11/2022 - Brandi Danielle Davis - IG Review/TikTok Post
8/12/2022 - A Bookish Dream - Review/IG Post
8/13/2022 - Mallory Books - Review/IG Post
Week Three
8/14/2022 - booksaremagictoo - Review/IG Post
8/15/2022 - onemused - Review/IG Post
8/16/2022 - @ReadsReaders - YouTube Review/IG Post
8/17/2022 - Momfluenster - IG Review/FB Post
8/18/2022 - @enjoyingbooksagain - IG Review
8/19/2022 - @lexijava - Review/IG Post
8/20/2022 - @drewsim12 - IG Review/TikTok Post
The Summary
From Ryan La Sala, the wildly popular author of Reverie, comes a twisted and tantalizing horror novel set amidst the bucolic splendor of a secluded summer retreat.
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.
Praise for The Honeys:
"Pure horror gold." - Booklist STARRED review
"Tantalizing and memorable." - Publisher's Weekly STARRED review
"As rich and complex as dark amber honey." – Kirkus
My Review
An idyllic woods filled with reality-shifting secrets is the setting for Ryan La Sala's queer horror novel The Honeys. The horror should not be taken lightly, as La Sala crafts a psychological minefield, amidst the backdrop of a pristine summer camp. Just when you think you know what's happening, a new twist appears and the stakes grow higher and higher.
Mars, our main character, has a lot of history with Aspen Conservancy Summer Academy; a camp for the rich and influential, if you don't conform to the ideals of camp, then you are ostracized. Mars, who is queer and genderfluid, breaks the binary that Aspen has in place, making them a prime target when they were younger, and causes them to leave. But once their twin sister, Caroline, dies under very suspicious circumstances, Mars heads to the last place she was: Aspen.
There is a lot of social commentary mixed into this horror tale; the gender binary, sexism, toxic masculinity, the influence of the affluent to just name a few. La Sala dives into both the internal and external pressure these things create and how empowering and frightening living as one's authentic self can be. The use of bees and how the rigid gender roles within a hive reflect out into the camp itself, and the groups of teens is so well-crafted. La Sala really does an excellent job of creating a horror the reflects both the mundane and the supernatural.
As with most horror mysteries, I can't go much into the plot, but Mars himself is not always a reliable narrator, but then the others around him are unreliable as well. His trust gets broken, his beliefs get reshaped, and it all comes to a head at the end of the book. This was a very satisfying story, one I couldn't put down because as you got another taste, you just wanted more.
Dark academia taking place in a sunlight meadow, The Honeys by Ryan La Sala is one book that should grace everyone's reading list, and is the perfect read to finish out the summer months.
Final Rating
About the Author
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About Ryan La Sala:
Ryan La Sala writes about surreal things happening to queer people.
Ryan resides in New York City, but only physically. Escapist to the core, he spends most of his time in the astral planes and only takes up corporeal form for special occasions, like brunch and to watch anime (which is banned on the astral planes).
Ryan is the author behind the riotously imaginative Reverie, and the brilliantly constructed Be Dazzled, and the highly anticipated The Honeys. He has been featured in Entertainment Weekly, NPR, Tor.com, and one time Shangela from RuPaul’s Drag Race called him cute. Right in the middle of the road downtown! So. Pretty big deal all around, yes?
His next book, The Honeys, will be publish with Scholastic on August 16, 2022.
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