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About The Book

A devastating loss leads to an unexpected road trip in what Sarah Ockler calls a “beautiful, engaging journey with heart, humor, and just a pinch of Texas sass.”

Three days after learning of her brother Finn’s death, Honor receives his last letter from Iraq. Devastated, she interprets his note as a final request and spontaneously sets off to California to fulfill it. At the last minute, she’s joined by Rusty, Finn’s former best friend.

Rusty is the last person Honor wants to be with—he’s cocky and obnoxious, just like Honor remembers, and she hasn’t forgiven him for turning his back on Finn when he enlisted. But as they cover the dusty miles together in Finn’s beloved 1967 Chevy Impala, long-held resentments begin to fade, and Honor and Rusty struggle to come to terms with the loss they share.

As their memories of Finn merge to create a new portrait, Honor’s eyes are opened to a side of her brother she never knew—a side that shows her the true meaning of love and sacrifice.

About The Author

Photograph by Vicki Kramer

Jessi Kirby is the author of Moonglass, which was an ABA New Voices selection in 2011; In Honor; and Golden. When she’s not writing, she works as a middle school librarian. She lives with her husband and two children in Crystal Cove, California. Visit her at JessiKirby.com.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (May 8, 2012)
  • Length: 240 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781442416994
  • Ages: 14 - 99

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Raves and Reviews

“An amazing novel about first kisses, last goodbyes, and what it means to finally let go. I absolutely loved it.”

– Lauren Barnholdt, author of Two-Way Street

“A beautiful, engaging journey with heart, humor, and just a pinch of Texas sass. Hands down my favorite contemporary of the year.”
--Sarah Ockler, bestselling author of Twenty Boy Summer, Fixing Delilah, and Bittersweet

"The story of Honor and Rusty’s road trip offers moments of hilarity, potential romance, and spiritual awareness as the two travel across the desert to commemorate Finn’s life...Readers will find themselves rooting for the two to see past their differences and get together. "
--VOYA

“[Honor and Rusty’s] enviable roadtrip portrays the universe as resonant with beauty and responsive to personal grief, which is just what many teen readers need as they cope with the losses in their lives.“--BCCB

“A sweet and soulful summer romance that is worth the trip.”
--Publishers Weekly

“Fans of road-trip novels with plenty of heart . . . will love this journey, from unpredictable start to finish.”
--Booklist

Awards and Honors

  • CBC Best Children's Books of the Year

Resources and Downloads

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More books from this author: Jessi Kirby