In Honor by Jessi Kirby

In Honor by Jessi Kirby
Release Date –  May 8, 2011
Publisher Website –  Simon and Schuster
Publisher Social Media -  Twitter
Pages -  240 pages
My Rating- 3/5
**borrowed from library**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Hours after her brother’s military funeral, Honor opens the last letter Finn ever sent. In her grief, she interprets his note as a final request and spontaneously decides to go to California to fulfill it.

Honor gets as far as the driveway before running into Rusty, Finn’s best friend since third grade and his polar opposite. She hasn’t seen Rusty in ages, but it’s obvious he is as arrogant and stubborn as ever—not to mention drop-dead gorgeous. Despite Honor’s better judgment, the two set off together on a voyage from Texas to California. Along the way, they find small and sometimes surprising ways to ease their shared loss and honor Finn’s memory—but when shocking truths are revealed at the end of the road, will either of them be able to cope with the consequences?

In Honor has the makings of a great read - likeable characters, a pop star that brings to mind Taylor Swift and a road trip. While the novel was certainly likeable it left me wanting more. I was hoping for something deeper. It ended up by an average read for me.

The characters while quite likeable did not resonate with me to leave a lasting impression. The plot, while engaging, is reminiscent of  other books I’ve read. Jessi Kirby does, however, make the plot her own and does so with her wonderful writing and charming characters.

The pacing  was great at the start but it felt a little rushed towards the end.  Once they reached California a lot was a lot happening very quickly and it felt a little jarring to me.

Honor’s journey isn’t just to fulfill what she sees as her brother’s last request but to also challenge herself.  She does  a lot of things she would normally never do while on this trip of self discovery and growth. Her character learns some hard truths, and this makes her perspective change. Having your character grow and change is important in any novel and this aspect was a strength of this one.

Rusty is the bad boy who might be hiding something good underneath it all. He goes from sweet, to infuriating many times throughout the novel. The cute banter between he and Honor provided some sweet moments.

Finn, the protective older brother, is such a large part of the novel because his death is the catalyst for everything. While you think the novel would have a sad, darker feel this is not the case. Finn’s death does provide many heartfelt moments but the novels tone is much more light hearted over all.

Part coming of age, part road trip Jessi Kirby has created a cute, quickly readable story. It may resonate with other readers more than it did with me. I found it to be a average read that will compliment those long summer days at the beach