When Amanda Pearson won UK’s reality talent show Searching for a Star six years ago, she thought she’d made it. She secured a record deal and released a smash hit. But the stardom quickly leaked into her personal life. Unfortunately, drug use, parties, and public incoherent ramblings overshadowed her talent. Now, at age 25, she is labeled as a one-hit-wonder. She’s in loads of debt and on the brink of homelessness. When her former publicist presents an opportunity for a chance to win it all back, Amanda is understandably skeptical. All she has to do is participate in a closely monitored drug experiment. She and five other strangers will take a pill – only one of them will take the actual drug, while the other five are taking placebos. And they will be staying in a mansion together for one week. If she fulfills the contractual obligations, she’ll be rewarded handsomely with the opportunity to be back on top. When she settles into the house and meets the other participants, it doesn’t take long for things to turn from strange to frightening. The other participants become obsessed with Amanda, to the point of becoming dangerous towards her and each other. Soon, all the money in the world couldn’t convince Amanda to stay in the house any longer. Honeycomb by S. B. Caves is a psychological horror novel which explores how far one will go to regain fame and popularity, and the dangerous consequences once achieved.
Book
After getting to know the other participants, Amanda develops low opinions of some of them. Arthur, a no-nonsense former actor, is curt and disrespectful to most of the other housemates. Sherry is a self-proclaimed comedienne who performs at open-mic nights with her dog. Justin is a young and successful YouTuber living in his mom’s basement. Wish is a former dance choreographer who is unable to work due to an injury caused by a car accident. And lastly, Claude, is a used car salesman but seems to be the most “normal” of the bunch.
All six participants take the pills each morning. The company running the experiment stated that the drug caused “no adverse side effects.” But as the hours tick by, everyone else in the house becomes increasingly obsessed with Amanda – except for Claude, that is. They can’t stand being away from her. They follow her and compliment her, and Amanda quickly becomes overwhelmed and smothered. Naturally, Claude is the only one she feels comfortable with. But that ultimately puts him in danger as well. Because if they can’t have her, then no one can. Not to mention that they still can’t quite figure out who is taking the drug, and who isn’t. When the dangerous obsession with Amanda turns deadly, she starts to realize that no amount of fame or fortune is worth any of it.
Review
S. B. Caves hits it out of horrifying-yet-captivating park with Honeycomb. This book fucked me up, for a lack of better words. I couldn’t put it down. The characters are unlikeable yet tragic. Readers slowly realize that the company recruited participants who were absolutely desperate for the rewards that the experiment promised. But these problematic characters only made the story that much better – especially since their strange personalities make it harder to determine who is taking the actual drug. Thanks to the prologue, it’s not difficult for readers to make that determination on their own.
Even so, the slow downward spiral that housemates endure, plus surprise twists thrown in, kept me glued until the end. My jaw dropped multiple times during the third act. I won’t spoil the ending for curious readers out there; but I will say that even though it was unsettling, I wouldn’t change a thing about it. Just be prepared for some gruesome and disturbing scenes, but which aren’t completely unexpected.
S. B. Caves joins the Cantina Book Club Podcast to discuss his experiences as a writer of psychological thriller, and the most challenging parts of approaching dark themes. Keep an ear out for the interview and preorder Honeycomb, available July 9.
