A summer camp for the rich where the honey is sweet and the secrets are deadly.

• Entertainment factor: ★★★★★
• Coming of age factor: ★★★★★
• Folk horror factor: ★★★★★
• Cosmic horror factor: ★★★★☆
• Scare factor: ★★★☆☆
• Original factor: ★★★★★

The Honeys is a beautifully written story that combines folk horror with cosmic horror and themes about being queer, establishing your identity in a hostile environment, with nature as a metaphor. With an idyllic and a harsh atmosphere these contrasts are not competing but form a symbioses that makes up for an original and dreamlike narrative. 

It consists of 344 pages. 

Plot

Mars and Caroline are twins,  but Mars has always felt like the lesser twin, while Caroline succeeds and exceeds in everything. They grow up in a rich family of high stature and are expected to meet these standards. Mars is a queer boy of 17 and luckily his parents are okay with it as long as he puts ‘we before me’. Every year Caroline goes to a summer camp in Aspen. Mars used to go too, but due to an incident related to his gender identity he left and was happy to do so. 

The story starts when Mars lies in his bed, and Caroline comes at his window like she used to do when they were kids, but she is supposed to be in Aspen. Before Mars can ask or wonder what she is doing here, she attacks him, hits him with something heavy and chases him down the hallway. A fight occurs and they both fall through the banister to the ground. While Mars only suffers injuries from Caroline’s attack, she hit the floor first and is brought to the hospital, where she later succumbs to her wounds. But the official death is a tumor in her head. 

At the funeral at their house, three girls from Aspen attend and invite Mars to Aspen and give him a gift Caroline made for him. For several reasons Mars decides to go. 

In Aspen he is welcomed but not everyone is wiling to accept him as he is. Wyatt is assigned to be his personal guide and they become friends. Mars wants to find out more about The Honeys, the girls from a special cabin with special privileges where Caroline was part of. While they seem like arrogant mean girls, he is soon accepted in their group and finds a feeling of belonging. But not everything is as it seems. Secrets lurk in Aspen that have everything to do with Caroline’s death and Mars is adamant to find out. 

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Short Review

It’s a story about finding out what happened to Caroline, but also about who she really was. How well do we know the people we love and who we are closest to? And are we indeed as close as we think we are? These questions bring Mars to Aspen. But they also raise questions about himself. He established himself as queer and non-binary. He describes it as floating in a lake, between two shores. Sometimes spending time at the  left shore and sometime at the right, but never staying too long on either side. It’s a great metaphor and there are many more to find. 

The prose is beautiful and the story is well written, told from Mars’ perspective in his voice that is clear, strong, and open minded, however he himself has prejudices as well. There’s another boy Tyler, who is openly gay, but fits right in with the boys. He tries to blend in, but Mars refuses to keep up an act, to deny who he really is, even if it offends others. It’s a very difficult line to walk, lonely even and that’s why he misses Caroline even more. He finds solace with The Honeys and those scenes are emotional yet strong. 

The atmosphere takes you right there to the nature of Aspen, which can be treacherous, but beautiful, idyllic and welcoming. The nature and the environment are perfectly reflected by The Honeys. It’s alluring, seductive but dangerous. Just like Mars can be himself. 

Although the story has a strong base of queer identity and offers a better understanding of Mars, it’s also a folk horror with some very creepy scenes. The mystery that unfolds on Mars’ journey for the truth is very intriguing and it’s only until late in the book that you find out what’s going on. Meanwhile you are being seduced by The Honeys and annoyed or even angry by the ‘boys being boys’ excuse for macho and sexist behavior. But when the truth is revealed the horror shifts from human horror to cosmic folk horror. With a great ending Mars not only comes to terms with Caroline’s death but learns much more. 

The themes of the story are cleverly mixed with the different kinds of horrors Mars has to endure and has to face, all playing out in beautiful nature and a wonderful atmosphere that can be both idyllic as full of mystery and weirdness. The overall vibe is dreamlike and Mars finding his own identity is woven through it. It’s also about abuse of power of powerful people, standing up to it and choosing your own path. And it’s a social commentary about greed and selfishness, gender and identity. 

The Honeys is a dreamlike alluring coming-of-age tale about identity that turns into a folk horror with gruesome scenes.