Review: In Honor by Jessi Kirby

Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Format: Hardcover
Released: May 8th, 2012
Rating: 4.5/10


Amazon summary:

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?

Review:

In Honor is an ok book. I'd like to say it was better than that, but it hasn't stayed in my head and isn't one of the better contemporary YA novels I've read this year. It's a pretty slow mover, one of those where nothing much happens but then there's a big cheesy ending and that's it. I know quite a few people liked it though so as always it's each to their own!

It has a simple plot, really: Honor's brother Finn died in Iraq and she receives one last letter from him that includes concert tickets to her favourite singer Kyra Kelley. This prompts Honor to fulfil Finn's obvious last wish and road trip from Texas to California to get to the concert. She's joined by her brother's best friend Rusty who's one of those guys who won't take no for an answer, as well as being somewhat of an enigma. I can't remember what exactly we found out about him by the end of the novel, but I don't think it was a lot.

I didn't feel like I ever knew these characters. I know why they did certain things and I know how they felt about Finn's death, but I didn't get much more than that. Rusty comes across as a complete asshat and why Honor likes him I have no idea. Instead of being edgy and endearing in a Texan Tim Riggins kind of way, I found him arrogant and irritating. Definitely not someone I'd want to go road tripping with.

Honor is slightly better in the character stakes but even she's a bit dull and scarily hellbent on seeing Kyra Kelley who is like Kelly Clarkson crossed with Taylor Swift. Would the concert really be that important to her, in the grand scheme of things? The idea is a good one - who doesn't love an interesting road trip novel? - but I don't think it worked here. This one wasn't for me but I would like to read more by Jessi Kirby!