In Honor is a fun road trip story, that starts in a place of heartbreak. Honor's brother Finn, her only remaining immediate family member, is killed at war. With the wounds still extremely fresh, Honor sets out on a road trip to fulfill his last request of her. But what road trip would be complete without an extremely attractive, male side-kick? (I know I have one with me during every road trip I take.) Finn's best friend, Rusty, tags along on the trip. They have some serious issues with each other that they need to work through, which makes for some great tension. Road trips always make for a great background to a story. They're fun, and they leave hours and hours of bonding time for the main characters. They are the perfect environment for a relationship to grow. The car is Finn's pride and joy, his 1967 Chevrolet Impala. That's right, it's the same car driven all over the country by the beautiful Sam and Dean Winchester. I was thrilled to see the Supernatural inspiration, and to find out that Jessi Kirby is most certainly a fan of the show. This is such a wonderful, emotional book, and I already can't wait to re-read it. It has all the elements of a great contemporary novel. It had me crying at parts, and smiling uncontrollably at others. While it would make sense for a book with this subject to be very heavy, Kirby manages to make it fun and uplifting, without sacrificing the emotional undertones. I love the progression of the relationship between Honor and Rusty, it seems natural and not overdone. Both characters have lost the person who was closest to them. This shared grief, along with a long history together, serves to bring them together. It is obvious that they have feelings for each other, but they also have a lot of anger and unresolved problems that they need to work their way through first. I also really enjoyed Honor as a character. She is likeable and very easy to relate to. Reading her point of view is like listening in on a friend's thoughts. You feel the awkward moments and insecurities she has, and hear the inner dialogue of conflicting emotions. It feels completely genuine. I find a lot of YA characters fit the cliche of closed off to the world around them, especially those who are going through hard times. Honor is a refreshingly warm person, who is kind to the people around her, and willing to let them in, but not to the point where she is annoyingly perfect. Plus, she's loads of fun with a little tequila in her. Kirby's writing is beautiful. She is someone who has a real talent and knowledge for her craft. It's the combination of the quality of her writing and the nature of her stories that will keep me coming back for whatever she has to offer in the future. Her books have made it next to my Sarah Dessen collection on my shelf, and as a massively huge Sarah Dessen fan, that is saying a lot. It is very early in her career yet, as this is her second novel, so I really can't wait to see what else she has in the years to come. I can only imagine it will get better from here. Review originally posted at Along for the Read : http://www.alongfortheread.com/2012/05/review-in-honor-by-jessi-kirby.html

I have always had a fondness for novels featuring road trips in them, and Jessi Kirby's In Honor was no exception. Within the very first chapter, Jessi Kirby had already reduced me to tears. The overwhelming emotions her characters feel bursts straight from the pages with Kirby's poignant writing style, instantly hooking readers. My feelings were constantly mirroring Honor's... when she laughed, I laughed and when she cried, I cried too. Ever since her parents died when she was a little girl, Honor has always relied on her older brother Finn, her protector, best friend and the one constant in her life who has always been there for her... until his sudden death. Devastated and feeling lost in the world, Honor opens Finn's first – and final – letter he ever sent while serving in Iraq and sets off on a road trip from Texas to California in the hopes of fulfilling his last request. Unexpectedly joining her is Rusty, Finn's estranged best friend who had gone off to college to play football while Finn suddenly decided to enlist instead. Rusty and Honor were grief-stricken in their own ways, but despite the initial tension, their trip together gave them a chance to learn from each other and become stronger individuals. As they reminisced and told their favourite memories of Finn, he also becomes entangled in your heart. And with Rusty's sometimes brutal honesty, he helps Honor to see a side of her brother she didn't know... one that brings a shocking revelation by the end of the novel that made my heart break all over again. In Honor was a heartfelt novel which truly showed the meaning of love and sacrifice. It was not only a journey of self-discovery, healing and remembering loved ones... but also showed that life can be short and it's important to be open to new experiences, to be a little spontaneous and not have everything planned out. With a touch of romance and an emotional storyline, Jessi Kirby's In Honor is a contemporary novel I'm sure you won't want to miss, one that will make you simply glad to be along for the ride. You can also read this review at: http://midnightbloomreads.blogspot.ca/2012/05/in-honor-by-jessi-kirby.html