Review: Golden by Jessi Kirby

Golden by Jessi Kirby

Publication Date: May 14, 2013
Page Count: 288
Published by: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Source: eARC from publisher for review

Synopsis from Goodreads:

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.

Are you interested in reading a completely original and totally unforgettable contemporary YA novel? Then I suggest you get yourself a copy of Golden by Jessi Kirby and read it ASAP. It is seriously good!

Perpetual good girl Parker Frost is about to graduate high school without ever having taken a chance. When an opportunity to shake up her conservative world literally drops into her lap, Parker takes a chance and embarks on a voyage of self-discovery. Parker is assisting an English teacher with a project when she comes across a journal written by a dead girl, Julianna. Julianna and Shane were the town's 'Golden' couple who died in a tragic car accident 10 years before. The legend that they left behind is hard to overlook, as there are reminders all around town, and Parker herself is attempting to get a scholarship that is named in their honor. Parker becomes obsessed with reading Julianna's thoughts and secrets in the journal, and she soon finds herself wanting to know more about Julianna's life and death.

For as long as she can remember, Parker's mother has put extreme pressure on her to succeed. Parker has always followed the rules and obeyed her mother, and never felt the urge to break free and do her own thing. But after reading Julianna's journal, she begins questioning everything about her life and wondering if what SHE wants really matters. Parker becomes determined to make her own decisions and to choose her own path in life.

I loved the complex cast of characters. Parker was easy to like and I thought she was very relatable. I especially loved that Parker's best friend, Kat, was portrayed realistically. Trevor, Parker's longtime crush, was super cute and really sweet. There was no insta-love between Parker and Trevor since their potential romance had been building for many years. I liked that there was a bit of romance in this book, but I am glad that it took a back seat to the main plot. The characters ended up having tons of growth because of the risks they took throughout the story.

The writing was absolutely beautiful, and I loved the poignant ending. The pacing was perfect, which made Golden a quick and easy read, but the plot had enough depth to remain interesting until the very end. The entire story was really enjoyable, and I liked that it wasn't completely predictable. I thought this was an awesome coming of age story, mystery, and romance all rolled into one fantastic book.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


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