Happy Fourth of July! Book Review & Giveaway - In Honor by Jessi Kirby

WinterHaven Books would like to wish our followers and everyone from the States a Happy 4th of July! We’re thankful to our service men and women and wanted to dedicate a post to those around the world that sacrifice their time and sometimes their lives in serving their country.

I’ve chosen to post a review on a book that touches on the subject of military service. I’m reviewing In Honor by Jessi Kirby because I recently attended her signing event during her Summer Lovin’ Tour. Lastly, I’m excited to offer one lucky winner a signed copy of this book along with some of the swag I picked up at the signinig. Good luck!

Title: In Honor
Author: Jessi Kirby
Release Date: May 8, 2012
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Purchase Book: Amazon / Barnes & Noble

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
During the Summer Luvin' Tour, Kirby read an excerpt of this novel and upon hearing that it involved a road trip I was all sorts of excited.  However, I was quickly grounded when I discovered why Honor, the protag, embarks on this road trip in the first place.  See, Honor should be planning for the most exciting time of her life… her freshmen year in college; however she is dealt a devastating blow when she learns that her brother is killed while fighting in Iraq. Hours after her brother’s funeral, she opens a letter that Finn sent to her before he died. In the letter she finds two tickets to a farewell concert for one of her favorite musicians and his wish to her is that she have the time of her life. So, she takes off from Texas to California with the unwanted company of Finn’s best friend Rusty. Along the way, they attempt to find a way to move passed the pain of losing Finn and mending their once close friendship while they journey toward a new chapter in their lives. 

In Honor is my first experience with Kirby’s writing; and I have to say it had a quiet strength about it that I really enjoyed. The characters weren’t over the top, the plot was engaging yet surreal, and the flow was constantly moving. Gather these elements in one novel and I’d like to call that impactful. One thing I liked about Kirby is that she doesn’t use excessive descriptors and long flowing paragraphs to get her point across. She keeps her story short and to the point which adds that element of a brief but powerful journey with her characters. Where this novel is light on the romance, it is heavy on self discovery and true heart, which worked perfectly for In Honor.

I have to say I love road trips but more importantly, it was the military service theme that provided the emotional punch I was hoping for. I commend Kirby for taking on this topic that surprisingly not many YA authors attempt. To remind us that there are men and women sacrificing their time and lives to protect our freedom and the luxuries I often take for granted, is a topic I hope more writers incorporate into their contemporary works. So I applaud Kirby enthusiastically for her well written novel that does a great job tackling this topic along with the subjects of friendship, loss, and self-discovery… to do so in such a succinct novel was impressive. Great job!
Song Choice
In My Remains - Linkin Park

4 Snowflakes

Summer Lovin' Tour

Jessi Kirby was on tour for her book release, and let me tell you... the swag was awesome! I was fortunate enough to get a copy of her book and have it signed as well as a couple little extras, which I'd like to give away to one lucky follower. Good luck and Happy Fourth of July from WinterHaven Books!

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