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).

 

Moonglass

Moonglass by Jessi Kirby
Simon and Schuster's BFYR, 2011
232 pages
YA; Contemporary
3/5 stars

Source: Library

I picked this up after reading several mixed/positive reviews, including mentioning that it was a great summer read and that there were similarities to Sarah Dessen's writing, an author I adore.  And there was some validity to that.

Most of the book is set on a beach and while school technically starts, I didn't get a strong feeling of that setting. It's the beach and the ocean that dominates the world here. And certain sections did bring to mind Sarah Dessen; heck, she even blurbed the book! But it didn't feel as polished or as emotional as a Dessen. That makes sense because this is a debut. I bet as Kirby writes more, I will end up finding the emotion I get from Dessen. But as it was, I found this rather lackluster.

There's not much to the story. Anna and her father have just returned to the beach where her parents met. Her mother committed suicide when Anna was young and Anna and her father never discuss anything.  But being back at that beach starts to bring up some feelings and memories.  Additionally there's new school stuff and a cute boy.

I actually really loved the first person Anna meets: Ashley, a rich, slightly ditzy, and super sweet girl who soon becomes Anna's biggest cheerleader and supporter. The cute boy, Tyler, is all right; nothing especially swoony but he's not a big jerk so there's that.

I just felt overall that there wasn't much driving the plot; it meandered with no surprises because I was able to predict what was coming.  I also didn't feel emotionally connected to Anna, which would have increased my enjoyment of the book.  I can see why it makes a good summer read: first, all of the talk of beaches makes you want to go to the beach and second, it would be nice for a lazy afternoon where you feel very relaxed.

Overall: Nothing new in contemporary YA lit but a nice ride.

Read for YA Debut Author Challenge.