Honey by Imani Thompson: A sharp, unsettling debut that turns rage into something intoxicating

There’s a moment early in Honey by Imani Thompson—out May 5, 2026—when a tiny, impulsive act spirals into something irreversible, and from that point on, the novel never loosens its grip. This is a dark, provocative debut that knows exactly what it’s doing, luring you in with something almost playful before revealing just how far it’s willing to go.

Just like its title, this book is delicious. Yrsa’s first kill is so sweet in its construction—unplanned, quick, and disturbingly easy. What makes it even more compelling is that it’s not really the act itself that kills the man, but her decision not to intervene once things go wrong. It’s petty. It’s spiteful. And it’s chilling in the way Yrsa immediately recognizes the opportunity in front of her and simply… lets it happen. That moment sets the tone for everything that follows.

At first, Yrsa is almost mesmerizing in her composure. She’s cool, controlled, and sharply observant, someone who seems to move through the world with a kind of detached clarity. But that control doesn’t last. As she continues targeting men she deems deserving, her choices get sloppier—and more personal. She begins circling closer and closer to her own life, and it becomes impossible not to think: this is how you get caught. The tension builds not from whether she’ll stop, but whether she even can.

What makes Yrsa so fascinating is that she doesn’t read like a typical cold-blooded killer. If anything, she feels like the opposite. There’s an intensity to her, a sense that she experiences everything too deeply, and that emotional overload causes her to short-circuit in dangerous ways. It’s easy to label her as narcissistic or detached, but that feels like a surface-level read. Spend time with her, and something more complicated—and more human—emerges.

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Thompson’s academic background adds a distinct edge to the novel, weaving in ideas around race, feminism, and afro-pessimism in a way that feels both intellectual and deeply personal. Yrsa’s research isn’t just background noise—it actively shapes how she interprets the world and justifies her actions. That said, this is a book that asks a lot of its reader. It’s sharp, layered, and at times deliberately uncomfortable, which may leave some readers unsure of how they’re supposed to feel. But that uncertainty is part of the point.

You don’t have to like Yrsa to appreciate Honey. In fact, the novel is stronger if you don’t try to pin her down into something easily digestible. Personally, I did like her—at least in the way you like a character who makes bold, terrible decisions you’d never make yourself. She’s compelling company, even at her worst. And if she’s self-centered? That just makes her honest. Most people are—we’re just better at disguising it.

Honey is a novel that thrives in that discomfort, constantly asking where justice ends and self-justification begins. It’s messy, smart, and unafraid to push its premise to unsettling extremes. For a debut, it’s remarkably confident—and more than a little dangerous. If you’re looking for something that sparks conversation (and maybe a little argument), this is one to watch when it releases.

What did you think of Honey—or are you planning to pick it up when it releases? Let’s talk in the comments.

An advance reader copy of this book (ARC) was provided to me by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Related Content

• Imani Thompson in conversation with Nussaibah Younis (Daunt Books)
• Review: Honey by Imani Thompson (ghostvillehero)
• Book review – Honey by Imani Thompson (Michelle D Rayford)

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