Reading level: Ages 14 and up
Hardcover: 240 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers (May 8, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1442416971
Source: Publisher
Also Read: The Sky is Everywhere, Amy and Roger's Epic Detour, Hold Still
Rating:  ♥♥♥.5

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?

My Thoughts

In Honor by Jessi Kirby is about Honor, a teen aged girl who decides to follow through on an unknowingly last request made by her brother Finn before his unexpected death. This story is emotionally charged and it will make you cry, laugh, cheer and then cry some more but you will never forget Honor's journey.

It is not often that I indulge in a contemporary novel, but upon hearing so many good things about IN HONOR I knew that I had to make an exception and was glad that I did. This novel had a remarkable way of putting things in perspective, of making me appreciate those loved ones that are near and remember those that have passed. 

I was only a few pages into this story when I had to grab my box of kleenex. Yes, I knew the subject matter of this novel was heavy and I expected to shed a few tears, but Jessi Kirby was able to make me audibly sob. I could understand Honor's grief so clearly that I could feel the weight of it settle in my chest making it difficult for me to breath. It was through this understanding and sadness that I wanted her to throw caution to the wind and fulfill her quest, even if it meant that she was forced to take her brother's estranged best friend Rusty, along for the ride. While on this journey together they try to mend this fragile rift between them while coping with their loss but before their journey reaches it's inevitable conclusion certain truths are voiced and feelings are expressed. These bits of truth and emotion are what makes this story special and I will always remember it.

Despite the fact that I enjoyed this read I did have a momentary eye roll over the obvious comparison to a certain entertainer that is a big idol now-a-days. I just about threw my book across the room near the end and then breathed a sigh of relief on the last few sentences but it still somehow seemed slightly unsatisfying. Yet, I don't see how it could have worked out any other way :)

IN HONOR is a good read dealing with the pain of loss and the journey to healing.