Honey

September 15, 2019
Brooks' talent as a poet is apparent in her second novel, a noir-tinged tale based on the love and friendship between Honey Ramone and Nicole Hewett, both 24. Born on the same day in the same hospital, but with completely opposite lives, Honey and Nicole were inseparable until Honey and her mom, Inez, took off without explanation one day when the girls were teens. A musical prodigy and piano virtuoso, Nicole stutters through life after their departure, and works as a crooner in a casino. Six years pass by without a word, until a tragic car accident kills Nicole's beloved father and brings Honey back home to Buckthorn, their dreary, small, dying town. Honey and Nicole pick up their friendship and begin a dysfunctional, disturbing, turbulent romance. Nicole's love for Honey becomes obsessive and when Honey disappears again, Nicole's sanity becomes strained. Brooks has delivered a meaty, insightful, and at times funny story of star crossed lovers (think Rebel Without a Cause). Her writing is exceptional and hard-driving, and the story itself difficult to put down.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)