2016 Reading Challenge: Golden

As you can see I'm on a roll. Hahaha. Nako two years in a row na akong hindi naka-meet ng Goodreads goal ko and I did much worse this 2015 than 2014. Not good. So now that I have more free time, I should read as much as I can. I am determined to read 50 books this year. So without further ado, this year's second book, Golden by Jessi Kirby.

I liked it but not liked it liked it, if you know what I mean. You know my issue with these YA heroines, they always think they've got it figured out and blame the adults why everything is messed up (well, most probably it's the adults fault that these kids are messed up) but really, when you're 17, 18 or 20, you have a very limited point-of-view. And no, love is not the answer to everything.

So Parker is up for a full scholarship which will pay for her four-year Stanford schooling. She just needs to write her speech for the scholarship dinner where the panel will decide to whom they will award it. But during one of her extra-curricular activities, she encounters the journal of one of the students that has been missing and presumed to be dead. The students were supposed to answer the question, What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? She finds out things which I think sort of inspired her to go all carpe diem and let go of the scholarship she worked hard almost all her life. At that moment, gusto ko siyang kalbuhin, krompalin at hindi pa ako ang nanay niya sa lagay na yan. Can you just imagine how her mother felt at that time? So maybe she realized she doesn't really want to be a doctor but can't she, like, use that scholarship on a different course? So I liked the book except for that little shocker.

In fairness to her, it wasn't because of a boy.

Speaking of the boy, I liked that little diversion. Bitin but I guess their story wasn't the main angle in all this. Although all the time I was thinking that even if get together towards the end of the book, they'll be off doing their own thing when the new school year starts and they'll be apart. For me, sayang lang those six years that they could've been together because apparently, the feeling is mutual.

So yeah I liked it but, again, I'm not very crazy with Parker's decision.