In Honor

In Honor by Jessi Kirby
2/5 stars
Simon & Schuster BFYR
235 pages
YA Contemporary

Source: Borrowed a copy from the library

I didn't love Kirby's debut Moonglass but thought it showed a lot of promise so I was interested to pick up her second book especially knowing that it was related to the military. I've had a deep thirst for such books and I was excited for that one.

This book opens with Honor mourning the loss of her beloved older brother Finn who died in Iraq. Soon after learning of his death, she receives his last letter with tickets to a concert (a Taylor Swift-esque singer) and the instructions to go see it. So she blows off her orientation week at college and sets off, picking up Finn's estranged best friend Rusty and making a journey from Texas to California with many mishaps on the way to moving through her grief process.

Soon into the road trip, I was reminded very strongly reminded about why I don't often like road trip books. Honor sets off with barely a plan, unsure of even how to get where she wants to go (are there no maps in Texas? Don't most teenagers have smart phones with GPS functionality? Sidenote: I love the GPS on my Droid-so helpful! I do know that not everyone has such a phone but she could have at least consulted Mapquest or something before setting off.) Soon after she talks about how they only have four days to get to their destination. Yet on their first night they pull over and accept alcoholic beverages (Honor's reasoning is because the girl who drinks is cooler than the girl who passes-um, what? Not comfortable with that message!)

I know I'm more of a planner (and always have been) as well as good at assuming responsibility but it was just baffling me that in the first twenty-percent of the book, she was already so derailed from her plan. If I was traveling with someone else on a frantic road-trip, we would alternate driving and get it done.  Now I realize that my plot would make for a much shorter book but it would also be more sensible.

A character element to mention is Rusty, who other reviewers have compared to Tim Riggins from the amazing TV show "Friday Night Lights." Many have swooned for him but he is definitely my least favorite guy (I mean, I would rather have Billy than Tim is how little I care for Tim). I know that many readers will fall for his bad boy act but I very rarely swoon for the bad boy and this was no exception.

Overall: Definitely not a book for me but if you like road trip books and/or have a thing for the bad boy, this might be more your read.

Cover: Super accurate-it is mentioned that Honor wears a dress with red boots and drives a black Impala (I assume that the car is an Impala but I don't know anything about cars so that could be false).