Monday, June 17, 2013

Golden by Jessi Kirby | Book Review

TITLE: Golden
AUTHOR: Jessi Kirby
PUBLISHER/YEAR: Simon & Schuster / May 14, 2013
SOURCE: Pulse It, a Simon & Schuster website that gives you access to two books or book excerpts a month.
SERIES: No

Goodreads / Author's Website

Everywhere I turned a few weeks ago rave reviews were popping up for Jessi Kirby's Golden. I hadn't heard anything about the title and I kind of just glanced through the reviews. However, the rave part of them stuck with me and when I saw that there was an opportunity to read it online I jumped at the chance. While I don't normally enjoy reading full books on a computer, Golden was worth the sacrifice. I devoured this book, putting all my other books aside just to finish it.

Parker Frost has always been the typical good girl. She doesn't skip class or kiss boys, she listens to her mother and has always been working towards university. In the final semester her life begins to change. Julianne Farnetti and Shane Cruz were the IT couple in this small town ten years ago and died in a car accident just following their graduation. When helping a teacher with a class project, Parker comes across Julianne's senior journal and finds out that maybe there's more to this couple's story than what meets the eye. As she tries to figure out Julianne's secrets she begins to question her own path as well.

Seriously you guys, I could not put Golden down. Like just so perfect for my state of mind right now. Let's start with Parker. I just got her you know. Basically, back in high school that was me. She's the girl who does what she's told and works super hard towards some goal or another. I loved watching her slowly, slowly, slowly come into her own as she read more and more of the journal. Basically I liked the idea that she's discovering herself and asking questions

Also, the journal itself, super interesting. Like on the one hand I felt like it was pretty obvious that the golden couple wasn't actually perfect, because everybody has their problems right? But on the other hand, this is a seventeen year old, who's remembering a high school couple from when she's seven so of course they seem greater than they actually were. And like I loved just watching Parker learn that people aren't always like their public persona and that is in fact, rarely the case. It was all a part of her growth.

I also had zero issues with the romance. It felt totally realistic considering Parker is this super type A overachiever who has zero dating clues. And I LOVE that it didn't totally overpower the central coming of age, growing into yourself theme. There was a love interest who is pretty awesome and sweet and is just like so patient (although still a high school boy) and I kind of love them together. But I also love that this wasn't the whole story. It's like it's all just a part of Parker figuring out who she is outside of this path that she was previously on.

You guys, this book just made me feel things. From the romance to the mystery I was hooked and it's not like it's a super light read, like I totally cared about these characters. It was also kind of perfect because I didn't care about them SO much that I was like weeping in front of my computer screen the whole time. Kirby just strikes a really good balance with the writing that had me feeling, but able to hold it together.

I just feel like Parker is a character a lot of people could find themselves rooting for. Kirby did a wonderful job portraying the angst that can come with major moments in life and how the small decisions we make every day affect us in the long run. I really loved this book and need to get my hands on a copy of In Honor like immediately. It was that good.

4 comments:

  1. This book sounds so good!!! I really love how you described Parker and her discovering herself, and that you had zero issues with the romance! :) Great review!

    Alice @ Alice in Readerland

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    1. Thanks! It's one of the better contemporaries I've read recently. I totally get why people were raving about it earlier.

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  2. I really want to read this one! It has been on my list, I just haven't had the chance to get it yet. It sounds amazing! Parker also sounds exactly like me when I was in high school, too!

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    1. The only reason I got to it when I did was because it was free for awhile online, but I'm so glad that I did. I'm really excited to read Kirby's other novels now.

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