Review: Golden

Golden by Jessi Kirby
Published by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Format Reviewed: Paperback
Publication Date: June 1st 2013
Genre: YA Contemporary
Pages: 288
Reviewed by: Eugenia
My Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Buy it

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.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Australia for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Jessi Kirby has written a beautifully crafted novelof self-discovery, how fate can have an impact on a life, and the inevitability of change. With a subtle backdrop of Robert Frost's poetry to set the scene, this book has an emotional storyline about one girl's journey to solve a town mystery and some of the questions she has about her own existence in the process.

So dawn goes down to day. Nothing gold can stay.

Parker Frost has never stepped out of her own perfect square. She lives by the rules, gets the grades, and has the opportunity to win a scholarship to the university of her choice. However, when she comes across the journal of Julianna Farnetti, who supposedly died along with her boyfriend Shane in a tragic accident almost ten years before, Parker is faced with a challenge. Along with her extroverted BFF Kat and cute Trevor, perhaps the time has come for Parker to start making some of her own decisions in life and follow the road less traveled.

But sometimes life gives us those rare moments where we do see chance as it’s happening. And in those moments, we have a choice. And sometimes we have to take a risk. And it’s scary. It makes us vulnerable. But I know now it’s worth it

Admittedly, this is my first Jessi Kirby book, and I went into it with some pretty high expectations since she is such a renowned YA contemporary author. I can definitely say that after reading Golden that I will be exploring some of her other novels. What she has done so effortlessly here is write with such beautifully and well-placed expression. Each sentence, each thought, is placed gently ans in a way that really enthralls you to the story. Although the plot may seem simple at first glance, once you delve deeper new revelations come to the surface and the writing helps to portray these in the most lovely manner. The subtle little pieces of poetry at the beginning of each chapter is also a nice addition which helps to set the scene for the particular 'theme' which that chapter is related to.

But when’s the last time you took a chance? Or didn't do what someone else expected of you? Or did something you really wanted to, even though you probably shouldn't have?

Another aspect of the book which was done exquisitely was the character development and incorporation of the journal into the story itself. The 'mystery' of the plot may have made up a large component of the book, but the characters and how they dame into themselves enriched the whole experience. Parker especially underwent a change in her personality, striving to achieve her own goals and aspirations instead of always doing what was expected of her. Her best friend Kat was a refreshing contrast to Parker's personality in the beginning, quite cheeky and with her own little plans, though she always works in the best interests of her friend. Trevor was a tricky one - although he might seem like your usual arrogant teenage guy on the surface, he did have some substance under that bravado. Even the other characters who you meet later in the book are written well, and you are able to understand them even for their small 'page space' if you like. Overall, all the elements of this story came together really well to produce something memorable and evocative.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, Golden was a lovely story that illustrates how the 'happy ending' you imagine, may not be the one you were actually looking for. With an abundance of beautiful quotes and captivating plot, this is a contemporary that you definitely should read.