About the Book
By: Jessi Kirby
Published by: Simon & Schuster
Released on: May 14th, 2013 TODAY
Source: arc/book to review from publisher
5 Stars: I LOVED IT!
Purchase it from: Simon & Schuster | IndieBound | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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Seventeen-year-old Parker Frost has never taken the road less traveled. Valedictorian and quintessential good girl, she’s about to graduate high school without ever having kissed her crush or broken the rules. So when fate drops a clue in her lap—one that might be the key to unraveling a town mystery—she decides to take a chance.
Julianna Farnetti and Shane Cruz are remembered as the golden couple of Summit Lakes High—perfect in every way, meant to be together forever. But Julianna’s journal tells a different story—one of doubts about Shane and a forbidden romance with an older, artistic guy. These are the secrets that were swept away with her the night that Shane’s jeep plunged into an icy river, leaving behind a grieving town and no bodies to bury.
Reading Julianna’s journal gives Parker the courage to start to really live—and it also gives her reasons to question what really happened the night of the accident. Armed with clues from the past, Parker enlists the help of her best friend, Kat, and Trevor, her longtime crush, to track down some leads. The mystery ends up taking Parker places that she never could have imagined. And she soon finds that taking the road less traveled makes all the difference
I am such a sucker for anything Jessi Kirby writes. She has a way of connecting me with her story telling, her characters, and all that goes on within the pages of her books. GOLDEN was no different for me. What a sweet, heartbreaking, beautifully told story. This is one of those stories that hooked me from the moment I picked it up, and had me wanting more. I was invested with all that was going on and what was happening.
You know those books you pick up to just "glance through" when really you should be doing other things like cleaning the house, prepping for a meeting or going grocery shopping, but instead you find yourself totally involved with the book even though you just picked it up? That was me with GOLDEN. I kept telling myself one more page, then I'd get to that page and tell myself okay, to the end of the chapter, and then I'd get to it, and want more answers, and I had to know what was going to happen next, okay really I was hoping to read the first kiss between Parker and a certain someone, but that's beside the point. Before I knew it, I had sit and devoured this book. That's how good it is. Not that, that is a shocker to some of you, but those that know me, know how picky I am when it comes to reading contemporaries. This book is so good!
Parker Frost is a seventeen year old high school senior who has always done what has been excepted of her, like always. She's not one that's taken chances or broken rules or skipped school. She's a character who through her senior project one of her teachers gives her, starts to question the safe life she's always lived. Through this project realizes that maybe it's okay for her to go outside the "safe zone" a little bit, and spread her own wings and do things SHE wants to do, and not what everyone else always excepts and things she will. It's through the project of keeping a journal and then giving them back to the students 10 yrs later that Parker begins to really look into her life, as she reads the story of Julianna, one of the journals her teacher gives her to mail out.
I love this quote from Parker's mother to her, "Life works out a lot differently than you can ever imagine at seventeen." pg 81. I totally get this quote. It's one that has meaning within this story, and in real life. Being at the stage in life Parker's mom is now, I get it.
GOLDEN is a story within a story. I loved how Jessi told the story of Parker, and within Parker's story told the story of Julianna and her journal from 10 years ago. Within her journal is a girl I felt like I related to a little bit more than Parker, though I related to the stage Parker is in, in Golden and the feelings and emotions that come with it. This is a story about those teen years when you are finding out who you are, what your place is in the world, and about love. First love, where it's exciting and new, and one that maybe you lose a little bit of yourself in it, and the love where you find yourself, and the person who makes you feel like it's just you and them, and you can be yourself with them, and not give up any of the things that make you, you. It's about finding happiness and learning to spread your wings and fly, and I love how Parker correlates this into her life by reading the journal of Julianna.
I loved how this story slowly unravels. It's a story rich with emotions, and characters who really do see life outside of the box they're in. In the midst of this, is an emerging romance that's sweet, and so well written. GOLDEN really hit all the right buttons for me. The writing, the characters, the storyline, the setting, everything. I loved connecting with this book via my former teen self, and now as a parent. It's a beautiful, layered story and one I seriously loved. I'm wondering how many times I can throw the word love into this review. Don't tell me, I know. I've used it one too many times.
The characters in this story are fabulous! They are so well crafted, easy to relate to, and people I'd want to have as friends. I loved their interactions, their conversations, their relationships, and the chemistry, it was HOT! I love the snarkiness, and the unsure feelings that Jessi created with a first love, and those sweet moments that come from finding the courage to finally take that leap into a relationship, and the first kiss. Again, Jessi creates characters and situations that are realistic, and relatable. These are situations we've either experienced, are experiencing or hope to one day experience. I love it when an author makes me feel every range of emotion in her book, from sighing, to heart break, to laughing, and wiping away a tear or two.
GOLDEN is a beautifully told story that emotional hits all the right spots. It's vivid, realistic, and it's perfection at it's YA realistic fiction at it's finest. I HIGHLY recommend picking up this book and any of Jessi's books, though this is by far my favorite of hers.
About The Author
Jessi Kirby is the author of Golden, which will be released in May of 2013, Moonglass, In Honor. She is also a former English teacher and librarian, wife, mom, beach lover, runner, and lover of Contemporary YA, strong coffee, and dark chocolate. In that order. (quote from Jessi's website)
Find out more about GOLDEN here.Follow Jessi via her Website | Twitter | Facebook | GoodReads
The Giveaway
Thank you to Simon & Schuster, you can enter to win a copy of GOLDEN and a copy of each of Jessi's books on the tour! To enter, please fill out the form below.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
*All entering parties are responsible for reading the giveaway rules before entering* Don't miss Jessi on Simon & Schuster's SUMMER LOVIN' TOUR
Summer Lovin’ Tour Part II with Kimberly Derting, Morgan Matson, Shannon Messenger, Sarah Ockler, and Suzanne Young!
May 15th at 7:00PM
Once Upon a Time Bookstore
2207 Honolulu Avenue
Montrose Shopping Park
Montrose, CA 91020
May 16th at 5:00PM
Mrs. Nelson’s Toy and Book Shop
1030 Bonita Avenue
La Verne, CA 91750
May 17th at 7:30PM
Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore, Redondo Beach
2810 Artesia Blvd
Redondo Beach, CA 90278
May 18th at 3:00PM
Event with Whale of a Tale Bookstore
at Mission Viejo Library
May 19th at 3:00PM
Copperfield’s
Copperfield’s
Montgomery Village, Santa Rosa
Pizza Party!
May 20th at 7:00PM
University Bookstore
4326 University Way NE
Seattle, WA 98105
May 23 at 6:00PM
Changing Hands Bookstore
6428 South McClintock Drive
Tempe, AZ 85283
May 24 at 4:30PM
Panel at the Phoenix Comic-con
Phoenix Convention Center
100 North 3rd Street
Phoenix, AZ 85004
Posts
All of the reviews I've read have absolutely loved this book. I've really liked her others novels so far so I'm extremely eager to read this one!!
ReplyDeleteChristina K. in the rafflecopter
ReplyDeleteWhat I LOVE about Jessi Kirby is her characters. They're so real, they stay with you and I'm so happy Golden is perfect in this way:)
Lovely review - and it's great it sucked you in:))
I've heard so many good things about this book! I can't wait to read it : )
ReplyDeleteI've heard so many good things about this book! I can't wait to read it : )
ReplyDeleteThis is the first time I've heard of this book. Quite interested to read this! :) Thanks, moms!
ReplyDeleteGreat review! I love how you described the book, in particular how you said it's like stories within a story. It sounds really complex and something I'll like. Nice quote, too. :)
ReplyDeleteI also love books where you pick them up and start reading them when you should be doing other things. Those are the best =)
ReplyDeleteThanks for your review! I have to get this book =D
Sounds like such a great book. Will have it add it to my TBR pile.
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ReplyDeleteLove the cover - sounds like a great read with the "story within a story"! I liked that writing style in The Tragedy Paper - a recent read!
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Leanne
The summary sounds so good!! And the cover! Absolutely gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the giveaway!
I haven't read any of her books yet, but I need to definitely rectify this situation. :) I love the cover, and it sounds like a story I'd love. I especially like how you described the friends - they must be awesome! :D
ReplyDeleteThe cover looks great and the summary sounds like something I would love to read~ Read so many posts on this book...
ReplyDeleteI LOVED the characters in Golden too. They were all (mostly) likable and just so dynamic. So, so good.
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