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The Key to the Golden Firebird
The funny thing about stop signs is that they're also start signs.
Mayzie is the brainy middle sister, Brooks is the beautiful but conflicted oldest, and Palmer's the quirky baby of the family. In spite of their differences, the Gold sisters have always been close.
When their father dies, everything begins to fall apart. Level-headed May is left to fend for herself (and somehow learn to drive), while her two sisters struggle with their own demons. But the girls learn that while there are a lot of rules for the road, there are no rules when it comes to the heart. Together, they discover the key to moving on -- and it's the key to their father's Pontiac Firebird..
Mayzie is the brainy middle sister, Brooks is the beautiful but conflicted oldest, and Palmer's the quirky baby of the family. In spite of their differences, the Gold sisters have always been close.
When their father dies, everything begins to fall apart. Level-headed May is left to fend for herself (and somehow learn to drive), while her two sisters struggle with their own demons. But the girls learn that while there are a lot of rules for the road, there are no rules when it comes to the heart. Together, they discover the key to moving on -- and it's the key to their father's Pontiac Firebird..
304 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 310 reviews
August 17, 2007
You know how much I love Maureen Johnson. In case you haven't heard me say it before, if you like teen novels, go out and read 13 Little Blue Envelopes.
Maureen's novels are funny because she only has one protagonist. Her main girl is always introspective, too-goody-goody-for-her-own-good, but kind of cool anyway. Quiet, but has her noisy moments. Thinks too much. Is too responsible and finds her resolution by letting go and being wild.
It's all the same girl. The reason I don't mind so much is because the situations are all so different that if I read them far enough apart, I don't realize how they're all the same person with different names.
This book is no exception. May Gold is the middle, responsible sister. Older sister Brooks is irresponsible and admired, younger sister Palmer is a baseball prodigy who doesn't remember to do things like eat. And one year ago, while sitting in the drivers seat of the golden Firebird that he loved so much, their father had a heart attack and died.
Now, a year later, the Gold family is falling apart. Brooks is falling in with a bad crowd. Palmer is having anxiety attacks that keep her up all night. And May is shouldering most of the resonsibility for keeping the family afloat as their mother works the night shift.
It's a touching book about grieving and moving on and coming together as a family, and liking the people who you can't help but love. Like all of Maureen's books, the writing is excellent, and it has laugh-out-loud moments, and moments that bring tears to my eyes.
Maureen's novels are funny because she only has one protagonist. Her main girl is always introspective, too-goody-goody-for-her-own-good, but kind of cool anyway. Quiet, but has her noisy moments. Thinks too much. Is too responsible and finds her resolution by letting go and being wild.
It's all the same girl. The reason I don't mind so much is because the situations are all so different that if I read them far enough apart, I don't realize how they're all the same person with different names.
This book is no exception. May Gold is the middle, responsible sister. Older sister Brooks is irresponsible and admired, younger sister Palmer is a baseball prodigy who doesn't remember to do things like eat. And one year ago, while sitting in the drivers seat of the golden Firebird that he loved so much, their father had a heart attack and died.
Now, a year later, the Gold family is falling apart. Brooks is falling in with a bad crowd. Palmer is having anxiety attacks that keep her up all night. And May is shouldering most of the resonsibility for keeping the family afloat as their mother works the night shift.
It's a touching book about grieving and moving on and coming together as a family, and liking the people who you can't help but love. Like all of Maureen's books, the writing is excellent, and it has laugh-out-loud moments, and moments that bring tears to my eyes.
October 19, 2007
i think i liked this best, so far, of marueen johnson, though i can't quite put my finger on why. i love the relationship of the sisters, and while i wish the focus wasn't so much on may, i therefore loved whenever the others came in. poor brooks, i really wish she had her own story. and i think i want to be palmer. palmer is my hero.
maybe there was a bit of projective identification going on as well - two of my sisters play softball (one with complete passion, one more just because) and i'm the one with the book and the grades. so it's interesting that i liked the others better than may, though that does say something not surprising about me.
also, the scene at camden yards is just so amazingly pitch-perfect, i think i'll forever love this book just because of that. and that isn't even adding all the stuff with the RV . . . the second half of the book was stronger than the first. and it's a more subtle finding-yourself story than something like 13 little blue envelopes, but i think that's because of the structure, and also because all three sisters are finding themselves at the same time, in the absence of such a strong personality.
oh, palmer. i heart you.
maybe there was a bit of projective identification going on as well - two of my sisters play softball (one with complete passion, one more just because) and i'm the one with the book and the grades. so it's interesting that i liked the others better than may, though that does say something not surprising about me.
also, the scene at camden yards is just so amazingly pitch-perfect, i think i'll forever love this book just because of that. and that isn't even adding all the stuff with the RV . . . the second half of the book was stronger than the first. and it's a more subtle finding-yourself story than something like 13 little blue envelopes, but i think that's because of the structure, and also because all three sisters are finding themselves at the same time, in the absence of such a strong personality.
oh, palmer. i heart you.
September 7, 2013
I confess now that I LOVE Maureen Johnson's writing. Everything she writes has this incredible can't-put-your-finger-on-it luminous quality, and I think it's because she allows the characters to be themselves. She doesn't seek out the dramatic high-point, or display the pivotal apex of the scene - it's as if she shows you the bright self-aware moments on either side of the drama, and because they're not the 'sound-bite/tv scene' moments, they're so much more real. She doesn't automatically follow the 'A leads to B lead to C' narrative flow - she lets the characters jump sideways, into what they would really do.
I can't emphasise this enough - her characters are so ALIVE, so real. They do all the dumb things you would do yourself. They feel all the mixed-up angst that you yourself feel, when hit by a tragedy (as in May and Brooks and Palmer's case here), or when falling in love, or just during the daily life of BEING.
So I loved 'Key to the Golden Firebird' for all these reasons. Because the characters were allowed to be true to themselves - to be dumb, say stupid things, fall in love, live a whole life in a few short pages. I will be haunted by May and Brooks and Palmer and their mother and Pete (Pete!) for DAYS now. And I will be totally fine with it - about being haunted, I mean. I will cherish it.
Maureen Johnson! You make me so happy!
I can't emphasise this enough - her characters are so ALIVE, so real. They do all the dumb things you would do yourself. They feel all the mixed-up angst that you yourself feel, when hit by a tragedy (as in May and Brooks and Palmer's case here), or when falling in love, or just during the daily life of BEING.
So I loved 'Key to the Golden Firebird' for all these reasons. Because the characters were allowed to be true to themselves - to be dumb, say stupid things, fall in love, live a whole life in a few short pages. I will be haunted by May and Brooks and Palmer and their mother and Pete (Pete!) for DAYS now. And I will be totally fine with it - about being haunted, I mean. I will cherish it.
Maureen Johnson! You make me so happy!
July 2, 2007
Don't be deceived by the misleadingly chick-lit cover. Three sisters cope with the death of their father in this teen novel set in the suburbs of Philadelphia. Recurring themes: baseball and softball, and the titular Pontiac Firebird. This novel gets extra points for not being gratuitously depressing; in fact, it's often gently comic. And the characterization is moving and authentic.
August 19, 2018
(NB I am reviewing DRUNK)
Man. So great yet so easy to nitpick. Like, Pete is so great but so unrealistically perfect. Like, the different sisters don't have different personalities so much as different situations. Like, doesn't the mother impact on their lives more? Like, what's the actual plot? Like, isn't the cathartic action at the end all a bit creative-writing-class?
And yet, page by page, I loved this book, with the three sisters' grief spilling out of them in different ways. I laughed out loud several times, I wished the characters well. I felt that the story captured well that combination of exasperation and going-the-extra-mile that is in all family relationships. I liked that the book was some stuff that happened rather than solving a big problem, and that at the end they were in the same place but in a different place and life goes on. I felt that a lot of the big plot beats could have had more consequences -- Brooks and Dave's realisation about their relationship, Palmer's careless pitch, even Mayzie's blowup at Pete that gets resolved quickly and with goodwill on both sides. But something about its untidiness was charming and authentic.
Man. So great yet so easy to nitpick. Like, Pete is so great but so unrealistically perfect. Like, the different sisters don't have different personalities so much as different situations. Like, doesn't the mother impact on their lives more? Like, what's the actual plot? Like, isn't the cathartic action at the end all a bit creative-writing-class?
And yet, page by page, I loved this book, with the three sisters' grief spilling out of them in different ways. I laughed out loud several times, I wished the characters well. I felt that the story captured well that combination of exasperation and going-the-extra-mile that is in all family relationships. I liked that the book was some stuff that happened rather than solving a big problem, and that at the end they were in the same place but in a different place and life goes on. I felt that a lot of the big plot beats could have had more consequences -- Brooks and Dave's realisation about their relationship, Palmer's careless pitch, even Mayzie's blowup at Pete that gets resolved quickly and with goodwill on both sides. But something about its untidiness was charming and authentic.
February 22, 2024
This has been on my TBR for a while, I loved 13 Little Blue Envelopes growing up (and again as a reread even as an adult) so I picked this one up at Half Price Books some years ago. I wanted something a little lighter and easy, and that’s exactly what I thought this was. Upon picking it up, and realizing the girls in the book lose their Dad the exact same way I lost mine, I knew I was meant to read this book. Watching the teen girls navigate their grief almost helped me realize I’m navigating mine pretty well considering. This was a sweet book about the 3 Gold sisters growing up and figuring out life without their Dad. While also realizing he’s always always with you. Definitely a sweet YA novel, glad I read it!
November 28, 2022
I didn't realize when I picked this up randomly off my middle school library shelf that this is an older book written by Maureen Johnson of Truly Devious fame. I haven't read that yet, but now I'm sure that I will, as there's something authentic about the way Johnson writes. This was a fairly quick read about family dynamics and that is a bit high school (underage drinking, talk of sex) . The characterization is the key that drives this story. (See what I did there? ☺)
June 27, 2021
A book about sisters, growing up, and grief. I'm s sucker for books about sisters, and those relationships and dynamics were pretty strong. The minor characters were all defined by one adjective (annoying, slutty, sleazy, smart) and not fleshed out, and the love interest was pretty much a manic pixie dream boy, but the core story was good, and I cried a couple times. Overall good.
July 17, 2023
Recently re-read this book after a few years and enjoyed this little heartwarming gem just as much as I did the first time since I never really remember the plot but just the vibe of it. Lovely use of the enemies to friends to lovers trope, but even greater use of the interconnected storylines of the sisters that isn't overwhelming and concludes nicely since you don't lose track.
Definitely a recommendation for those wanting to get out of a reading slump or just wanting a break from genre heavy books that can be a bit in your face.
Definitely a recommendation for those wanting to get out of a reading slump or just wanting a break from genre heavy books that can be a bit in your face.
March 27, 2019
I really don’t know how I feel about this book... I wasn’t too keen on the writing and I really didn’t like the beginning (or the first 200 pages) because nothing really happened. I feel like I just got to know the characters in the last 70 pages.
But somehow the ending really moved me. May being open about how she thought her father felt about her really touched me and got me teared up a little.
But somehow the ending really moved me. May being open about how she thought her father felt about her really touched me and got me teared up a little.
March 23, 2014
After reading and thoroughly enjoying
Suite Scarlett
, I was very much looking forward to picking up Maureen Johnson's other novels, so I went for The Key to the Golden Firebird, which is very much in the same vein as Suite Scarlett. Maureen Johnson has a brilliant way of showing just how complicated family dynamics can be. The Key to the Golden Firebird starts with describing the heart-warming, close relationship that the Gold sisters have with their father, but then he dies from a sudden heart-attack. I knew then that this was another Maureen Johnson novel that isn't as it first appears.
May is desperate to learn to drive, but not because she wants an expensive car to show off to her friends – her mum is working all hours to pay the bills, her sister Brooks is hardly ever there, and her younger sister Palmer is going through some issues of her own. May is feeling hopeless until her neighbour Pete offers to lend a hand.
The Key to the Golden Firebird is told through the eyes of each of the sisters and you get a real glimpse onto their world - how they see their life, their relationships, the way they deal with brief, and how their personalities shine through. Although I had a particular affinity for May, as we're introduced to her first, I ended up growing quite close to Brooks and Palmer. It wouldn't be YA contemporary without a little bit of romance and in this charming novel we have Pete, the boy next door. We go from seeing him as the enemy – as he was when the Gold sisters were younger – to rooting for him and May, but how does it end? You'll need to brush aside your prejudices and pick up these to brilliant young adult books to see!
I also reviewed this book over on Pretty Books.
May 6, 2013
I am always surprised at the amount of heart and sincerity in Maureen Johnson's books. Her online persona is so goofy and occasionally diabolical, and her books are so funny, that when I get to the end and I'm genuinely touched--as I always am--it startles me a little. This one was no exception. The Gold sisters--Brooks, May, and Palmer--are utterly lovable. They are each so broken up over their father's death, each in their own way. The shifting perspective gives us glimpses into each sister's head. We spend the most time with May, the responsible middle child, and her struggle with learning to drive (even as school comes fairly easily to her) made me love her instantly. Palmer, the youngest, worked her way into my heart next, with her panic attacks and intense feeling of alienation. And Brooks--whose grief looks a lot like wild-child behavior--finally won me over about halfway through the novel, when it becomes clear how lonely she is under everything else. I miss these girls already, and I finished the book just an hour or two ago.
November 25, 2014
I really enjoyed this book. It had surprising depth and great character growth. I didn't know anything about it going in, but I'm really glad I read it. It follows three sisters who are overcoming a death in the family along with usual teenage hormones and drama thrown in and adding to the mix. I really liked how we got to follow all three sisters even though May was the main sister. I can definitely imagine this book being a lot deeper and introspective and moving, but it had a nice balance of that and teenage romance fluff. There was definitely no-insta love, so that was really great. The book and characters managed to be really relatable even though I haven't experienced much of what these girls go through, and even though I'm now ten years older than the youngest sister, I think. I would recommend for anyone who enjoys YA, but I wouldn't call this light and fluffy and fun. It has that, but it also has a lot more.
November 27, 2013
I like Maureen Johnson a lot - her characters and stories feel really real and honest (other than that one where jack the ripper comes back as a ghost or something)and all about relationships and families. I didn't like this one quite as much as 13 Little Blue Envelopes or Suite Scarlett but I still really enjoyed reading it. And just in case you want to know what it's about - it tells the story of three sisters coping in the aftermath of their fathers death and their different ways of dealing with it...
January 28, 2019
When their father dies of an unexpected heart attack just after arriving home in his beloved gold Firebird, the three Gold sisters each react to it in different ways. Sensible May tries to keep things going and has a surprising romance with Pete, whom she's known all her life. Jock Brooks starts drinking and running with a rebellious crowd. And introvert Palmer withdraws even more, trying to hide her panic attacks from her family.
Johnson's characterization is sharp and observant, as always, and the way she weaves the sisters' lives together with each other and with their friends and family is really good stuff.
Johnson's characterization is sharp and observant, as always, and the way she weaves the sisters' lives together with each other and with their friends and family is really good stuff.
March 17, 2013
this book was amazing!
it is about a girl named Mayzie (aka May) and her father dies from bad health. May's family is a huge fan of baseball, especially her dad. in the story, her family struggles with getting over the death, trying to get good grades, making some money and May deals with a little romance when her close friend and neighbor gives her driving lessons.
i loved this book because it brought so many emotions to me and it sometimes made my heart skip a beat. i couldn't put the book down.
i would recommend this book to readers who enjoy books about death and people in denial
it is about a girl named Mayzie (aka May) and her father dies from bad health. May's family is a huge fan of baseball, especially her dad. in the story, her family struggles with getting over the death, trying to get good grades, making some money and May deals with a little romance when her close friend and neighbor gives her driving lessons.
i loved this book because it brought so many emotions to me and it sometimes made my heart skip a beat. i couldn't put the book down.
i would recommend this book to readers who enjoy books about death and people in denial
August 9, 2008
This is the first Maureen Johnson book I've read, and I have to say I really liked it. It did read like a lot of YA lit for girls, but I think that's what its purpose is. The main characters were all girls searching for themselves after the loss of their father. It had a nice sports angle and it really dealt with the sisterly relationship well. However, it really would be enjoyed most by fans of YA lit only.
November 24, 2014
My favourite thing about Maureen's books is that the focus is never between protagonist and love interest. This book, for example, is all about three sisters. I originally marked it as tree stars but then I read some one and two star reviews that had issues with things in the book that weren't issues at all so I bumped it up to four. My favourite Maureen book is probably still Suite Scarlett but I did enjoy reading this.
August 25, 2021
An enjoyable read that tells the story of 3 teenage sisters starting to come to terms with their grief over losing their father. The focus centres mainly in the middle sister, May, who seems to be the one holding the family together.
It’s a heartwarming story and it exceeded my expectations. It isn’t a book I would normally choose (it came as part of a book subscription) but I’m glad I read it.
It’s a heartwarming story and it exceeded my expectations. It isn’t a book I would normally choose (it came as part of a book subscription) but I’m glad I read it.
April 20, 2008
This book is really good, especially if you've read other Maureen Johnson books. Maureen really helps you understand each one of the characters. You can't help but hate Brooks for being so forgetful, but you also have sympathy for her later in the book. Each one of the characters has a distinct personality, May's shyness, Palmer's determination, and Brook's independence. It's a really good book!
May 9, 2011
Very cleverly written! I expected a bit more madness from Maureen, but I certainly was not disappointed in any way.
And that plot drop at the beginning.... Thank God I didn't read the back of the book! I wish they hadn't put it on the back so then everyone will be as shocked as the girls at what happened.
And that plot drop at the beginning.... Thank God I didn't read the back of the book! I wish they hadn't put it on the back so then everyone will be as shocked as the girls at what happened.
August 16, 2011
3.5 stars. I liked it, but it doesn't stand out.
July 30, 2020
short,, will review later
Read
April 14, 2025Week 2:
1. The main characters of the story are three sisters, The middle child whose perspective the story follows is named Mayzie, she is a brainy, hardworking and responsible girl. The oldest daughter Brooks is conflicted and beautiful and the youngest, Palmer is very quirky, fast and witty.
3. The secondary characters so far have been their dad who passed away in the first chapter from a heart attack, the sisters struggle with the aftermath of this throughout the story. Their mom is another less important character, a nurse who is disorganized and stressed. Their dads best friend Mr camp and his son Pete who is causing conflicts with Mayzie, often terrorizing her with pranks.
Week 3:
May really wants to get her license but just failed her exam, she spends the whole chapter experiencing self hatred and disappointment in herself. I predict she is going to pass her exam with help from her rival Pete sparking a romance.
3. We don't see May processing her Fathers death and she seems to be stuck on the stage of denial. I expect we will be seeing her and her family start to go through grief during the book.
6. The picture on the back of the book is May holding keys and the book title is the key to the golden firebird, her dads beloved car. I assume some sort of conflict and adventure will need the car and May will have to drive it. I can also tell that the golden firebird is a big connection to her dad and will have something to do with grief.
Week 4:
2. The book reminds me of his three daughters, a movie where just like in the key to the golden firebird three sisters lose their dad and deal with processing it.
6. The setting of the book is very relatable with it taking place at home, school, extracurriculars and jobs all atmospheres very connected to being a teenager.
Week 5:
1. May the main characters, older sister Brooks is troubled, depressed and unmotivated but still social, popular and very well liked. You can tell through the descriptions of her constantly sleeping in, quitting baseball because she just stopped caring and dating a boy who she and everyone around her knows isn't good for her. Her sisters are constantly getting annoyed with her slacking off around the house and them having to clean up her mistakes because they don't understand her way of dealing with grief. Each of the sisters go through grief in different ways and Palmer represents it very detailed and complicated. I like Brooks as a character although I do understand being in her sisters shoes and just wanting her to start being responsible.
4. I think in the end May will finally learn to drive and fall in love with Pete in the process of doing so. I know it will have something to do with her driving her dads beloved Golden firebird. I feel like the story hasn't yet reached it peak of conflict with complicated situations but I’m guessing soon it will and we’ll see some situations with Pete, her annoying coworker, her sisters and her mom.
Week 6:
2. When Palmer is in the locker room it describes the scents of peach and coconut body scrubs, loofahs, expensive shampoo and conditioner, body puffs and steam. The deep description of scents in the showers puts you mentally there with her smelling the scents, feeling the steam, and feeling the locker room Palmer is experiencing. When the author goes into sensory detail it connects you to the story and engages your senses. Without going into detail you don't feel connected to the scene or get to use your senses to imagine what the character is feeling.
Week 7:
Who: The three sisters May, Palmer and Brooks and their dad
What: The dad of the three sisters passed away and they are dealing with the grief of it all
When: The book takes place when Palmers in grade 9, May grade 11 and Brooks grade 12.
Where: Lordstown, Ohio
Why: Because of the loss of their father the plot begins and tells the story of each individual sister.
Coming home from a prank played on their family friend but rival Peter they see ambulances in the driveway and immediately know something is wrong. They find out their beloved dad passed away from a heart attack. A time jump of a year happens and the sisters seem to have a common factor of grief, denial. None of them have taken time to be sad, to process their emotions or take in the trauma they went through. The book is told in second person but switches often through speaking about each sister. So far each sister's conflicts have been followed and the story takes you realistically through their daily lives and experiences.
Week 8:
The characters all seem to be stereotypical and unoriginal basic outlines. The popular sister, the athletic sister and the nerdy sister. Although the book is entertaining, the character outlines are so plain and stereotypical. Every character also seems to be biased to the author Maureen Johnson and it is obvious whose side she is on and who she aligns with.
7. In the most recent chapter the oldest sister Brooks gets drunk and takes the family car for hours. She comes home after being arrested and brethalized causing her to face a 300$ fine, suspended license and rehab for her alcoholic tendencies used to cope with her issues, for a book designed for teenagers the themes are very mature and serious and could have a chance of influencing naive young readers to normalize Brooks behavior.
Week 9:
1. Brooks is tall and slim, has long blonde hair and blue eyes and is the basic outline of a pretty, popular sister that is so commonly seen. She pretty much always wears jeans and t-shirts, doesn't wear makeup and wears flip flops and sandals a lot of the time. Although her outline is basic she has some elements that make her a complicated and likeable character. As the book progresses the view shifts off her just being lazy to her complicated character and ways of dealing with grief. Brooks develops a problem with alcohol to deal with her issues and gets arrested for driving under the influence. The ways she speaks to and acts around her sister during their family trip felt so genuine and believable and so similar to how siblings communicate. After the most recent chapters i've started to like Brooks character so much more.
4. What i've been loving so much about this book is how believable and real all the events feel. The author Maureen Johnson did a fantastic job on actually dissecting the mind and behavior of a teenage girl instead of watering it down and making them behave cliche and boring. Each of the characters is complicated enough to believe that they are a real person. I felt like Brooks arrest was a little out of place for the timing and like the storyline just needed something to spruce it up but other than that the book is seriously so well written.
Week 10:
2. I was relieved when May finally stood up to her mom for her favoritism and unfair treatment of her compared to her sister Brooks. The way May was treated by the family was annoying me the whole book. She dealt with it so well and never brought it up which made me like her character more.
5. I predicted that May would learn to drive and fall in love with Pete in the process which I guessed was completely correct, what I didn't expect was more conflict with Pete after getting together. She did drive her dads firebird which I predicted but it wasn't as eventful as I expected. The story is now in its peak of conflict like I thought would happen and the drama with her sisters, mom Pete and coworker were somehow all right and happened in the conflict. The only thing I didn't predict enough of was the importance of her dads death and how that would become prevalent during the family drama.
Week 11:
5. The key to the golden firebird would be a coming of age live action movie. May would be played by Sadie sink because they are both red haired and she would do a good job at capturing the May essence and personality. Brooks would be played by Cameron Diaz, although she's obviously too old to play a teenager now, when she was younger she had the perfect older sister annoyed energy that fits Brooks. Finally Palmer would be played well by Maude Apataw, she has the perfect acting experience that suits Palmer's antisocial and awkward personality, she could play the role fantastically.
6. I find the book to be a perfect mix of optimism and pessimism, although in many chapters I felt a bit down because nothing happy or encouraging had happened to the characters. There were also moments mostly in the later chapters that uplifted my mood and made me feeling hopeful. Those specific chapters felt so highlighted because it wasn't an unrealistic book where everyday was amazing and new for the characters, it made us really appreciate when ups came and feel the impact of downs.
Week 12:
2. I felt very satisfied with the ending of this book. It concluded all tension and elephants in the room in a relieving way I spent the whole book hoping would happen. It wrapped up the sisters hatred for each other, made the sisters face the grief for their dad and May and Pete made up. It was a beautiful and satisfying ending.
1. The main characters of the story are three sisters, The middle child whose perspective the story follows is named Mayzie, she is a brainy, hardworking and responsible girl. The oldest daughter Brooks is conflicted and beautiful and the youngest, Palmer is very quirky, fast and witty.
3. The secondary characters so far have been their dad who passed away in the first chapter from a heart attack, the sisters struggle with the aftermath of this throughout the story. Their mom is another less important character, a nurse who is disorganized and stressed. Their dads best friend Mr camp and his son Pete who is causing conflicts with Mayzie, often terrorizing her with pranks.
Week 3:
May really wants to get her license but just failed her exam, she spends the whole chapter experiencing self hatred and disappointment in herself. I predict she is going to pass her exam with help from her rival Pete sparking a romance.
3. We don't see May processing her Fathers death and she seems to be stuck on the stage of denial. I expect we will be seeing her and her family start to go through grief during the book.
6. The picture on the back of the book is May holding keys and the book title is the key to the golden firebird, her dads beloved car. I assume some sort of conflict and adventure will need the car and May will have to drive it. I can also tell that the golden firebird is a big connection to her dad and will have something to do with grief.
Week 4:
2. The book reminds me of his three daughters, a movie where just like in the key to the golden firebird three sisters lose their dad and deal with processing it.
6. The setting of the book is very relatable with it taking place at home, school, extracurriculars and jobs all atmospheres very connected to being a teenager.
Week 5:
1. May the main characters, older sister Brooks is troubled, depressed and unmotivated but still social, popular and very well liked. You can tell through the descriptions of her constantly sleeping in, quitting baseball because she just stopped caring and dating a boy who she and everyone around her knows isn't good for her. Her sisters are constantly getting annoyed with her slacking off around the house and them having to clean up her mistakes because they don't understand her way of dealing with grief. Each of the sisters go through grief in different ways and Palmer represents it very detailed and complicated. I like Brooks as a character although I do understand being in her sisters shoes and just wanting her to start being responsible.
4. I think in the end May will finally learn to drive and fall in love with Pete in the process of doing so. I know it will have something to do with her driving her dads beloved Golden firebird. I feel like the story hasn't yet reached it peak of conflict with complicated situations but I’m guessing soon it will and we’ll see some situations with Pete, her annoying coworker, her sisters and her mom.
Week 6:
2. When Palmer is in the locker room it describes the scents of peach and coconut body scrubs, loofahs, expensive shampoo and conditioner, body puffs and steam. The deep description of scents in the showers puts you mentally there with her smelling the scents, feeling the steam, and feeling the locker room Palmer is experiencing. When the author goes into sensory detail it connects you to the story and engages your senses. Without going into detail you don't feel connected to the scene or get to use your senses to imagine what the character is feeling.
Week 7:
Who: The three sisters May, Palmer and Brooks and their dad
What: The dad of the three sisters passed away and they are dealing with the grief of it all
When: The book takes place when Palmers in grade 9, May grade 11 and Brooks grade 12.
Where: Lordstown, Ohio
Why: Because of the loss of their father the plot begins and tells the story of each individual sister.
Coming home from a prank played on their family friend but rival Peter they see ambulances in the driveway and immediately know something is wrong. They find out their beloved dad passed away from a heart attack. A time jump of a year happens and the sisters seem to have a common factor of grief, denial. None of them have taken time to be sad, to process their emotions or take in the trauma they went through. The book is told in second person but switches often through speaking about each sister. So far each sister's conflicts have been followed and the story takes you realistically through their daily lives and experiences.
Week 8:
The characters all seem to be stereotypical and unoriginal basic outlines. The popular sister, the athletic sister and the nerdy sister. Although the book is entertaining, the character outlines are so plain and stereotypical. Every character also seems to be biased to the author Maureen Johnson and it is obvious whose side she is on and who she aligns with.
7. In the most recent chapter the oldest sister Brooks gets drunk and takes the family car for hours. She comes home after being arrested and brethalized causing her to face a 300$ fine, suspended license and rehab for her alcoholic tendencies used to cope with her issues, for a book designed for teenagers the themes are very mature and serious and could have a chance of influencing naive young readers to normalize Brooks behavior.
Week 9:
1. Brooks is tall and slim, has long blonde hair and blue eyes and is the basic outline of a pretty, popular sister that is so commonly seen. She pretty much always wears jeans and t-shirts, doesn't wear makeup and wears flip flops and sandals a lot of the time. Although her outline is basic she has some elements that make her a complicated and likeable character. As the book progresses the view shifts off her just being lazy to her complicated character and ways of dealing with grief. Brooks develops a problem with alcohol to deal with her issues and gets arrested for driving under the influence. The ways she speaks to and acts around her sister during their family trip felt so genuine and believable and so similar to how siblings communicate. After the most recent chapters i've started to like Brooks character so much more.
4. What i've been loving so much about this book is how believable and real all the events feel. The author Maureen Johnson did a fantastic job on actually dissecting the mind and behavior of a teenage girl instead of watering it down and making them behave cliche and boring. Each of the characters is complicated enough to believe that they are a real person. I felt like Brooks arrest was a little out of place for the timing and like the storyline just needed something to spruce it up but other than that the book is seriously so well written.
Week 10:
2. I was relieved when May finally stood up to her mom for her favoritism and unfair treatment of her compared to her sister Brooks. The way May was treated by the family was annoying me the whole book. She dealt with it so well and never brought it up which made me like her character more.
5. I predicted that May would learn to drive and fall in love with Pete in the process which I guessed was completely correct, what I didn't expect was more conflict with Pete after getting together. She did drive her dads firebird which I predicted but it wasn't as eventful as I expected. The story is now in its peak of conflict like I thought would happen and the drama with her sisters, mom Pete and coworker were somehow all right and happened in the conflict. The only thing I didn't predict enough of was the importance of her dads death and how that would become prevalent during the family drama.
Week 11:
5. The key to the golden firebird would be a coming of age live action movie. May would be played by Sadie sink because they are both red haired and she would do a good job at capturing the May essence and personality. Brooks would be played by Cameron Diaz, although she's obviously too old to play a teenager now, when she was younger she had the perfect older sister annoyed energy that fits Brooks. Finally Palmer would be played well by Maude Apataw, she has the perfect acting experience that suits Palmer's antisocial and awkward personality, she could play the role fantastically.
6. I find the book to be a perfect mix of optimism and pessimism, although in many chapters I felt a bit down because nothing happy or encouraging had happened to the characters. There were also moments mostly in the later chapters that uplifted my mood and made me feeling hopeful. Those specific chapters felt so highlighted because it wasn't an unrealistic book where everyday was amazing and new for the characters, it made us really appreciate when ups came and feel the impact of downs.
Week 12:
2. I felt very satisfied with the ending of this book. It concluded all tension and elephants in the room in a relieving way I spent the whole book hoping would happen. It wrapped up the sisters hatred for each other, made the sisters face the grief for their dad and May and Pete made up. It was a beautiful and satisfying ending.
March 20, 2018
Okay, so this book dealt with a lot. And I like how there was some character growth throughout the story. But I also really feel like it's not yet finished.
The romance needs more growth. You can't just have Pete date other people throughout the whole book, and then after 200 damn pages... 200 FREAKING PAGES, Like, honey, I need more. If you're going to include romance, there needs to be more relationship growth.
And yes, I do realise that the issues the book deals with are what it's actually supposed to be about, but at this point it just feels like the romance was there just so that there could be romance in the book (because lord forbid there is a teenage girl who doesn't want a relationship). It's almost like it's against some contemporary rule for the girl to NOT get the guy. Honestly, I would've been much happier had they not ended up together. All May did throughout the entire damn book was use Pete and ignore him whenever she felt like it.
Also, can we just talk about the fact that there are so many damn romance cliches in this book. Let's list the few obvious ones:
1. The girl falls in love with a boy.
2. The girl falls in love with the neighbour boy.
3. The girl falls in love with the neighbour, whom she hates, but not really, because deep down, she realises she has feelings for him.
4. The girl realises she loves the neighbour boy, as soon as he starts dating.
5. The boy starts dating a girl just to date her, because he's clearly also in love with the neighbour girl.
6. The boy starts dating the girl who works with the girl he's actually in love with.
So, that was the whole May + Pete issue.
As for May as a character, she was selfish. Smart, but selfish. She uses people, and tosses them aside when she's done with them. But there's also a side of the writing that kind of makes you pity her, in a way. Yes, she's annoying, but she's also got a lot on her plate, and she's expected to be this model figure because the rest of her family are either too busy working or being depressed or not giving a shit about their actions. There's that I guess. Not really sure if I hate her character or if she's just very poorly written.
Moving on. Brooks. Brooks is senselessly and just plain irresponsible. She threw her life away for absolutely nothing, and there was nothing in the story to suggest that she was changing her ways or that she even wanted to. Even at the end. So I'm assuming she remained sad and careless.
Palmer. I really really disliked Palmer. She is so nosy and has some serious stalkery issues. She spies on people all the time, she listens in on their conversations and she's just plain awful. Then she wonders why no one freaking wants her around. And yes, I do realise she's struggling, but damn girl, you definitely need not be that whiny and creepy.
Pete. Pete seems like this character who was created by someone, and written by someone else. He's got some serious character inconsistencies - like how are you going to mention that he likes to joke around and prank people, and then write him into this boring, useless character? He's just SO boring and dull and unremarkable, that it literally feels like he was only written in the story for the sole purpose of being a romantic interest/romantic awakening issuer for May.
Now despite all of this, I actually didn't absolutely hate this book. It was a very easy read. I just think it needs a lot more work. Especially when it comes to our characters. But I did like it - it just didn't blow me away, and it wasn't one of those remarkable contemporaries that stand out :)
The romance needs more growth. You can't just have Pete date other people throughout the whole book, and then after 200 damn pages... 200 FREAKING PAGES, Like, honey, I need more. If you're going to include romance, there needs to be more relationship growth.
And yes, I do realise that the issues the book deals with are what it's actually supposed to be about, but at this point it just feels like the romance was there just so that there could be romance in the book (because lord forbid there is a teenage girl who doesn't want a relationship). It's almost like it's against some contemporary rule for the girl to NOT get the guy. Honestly, I would've been much happier had they not ended up together. All May did throughout the entire damn book was use Pete and ignore him whenever she felt like it.
Also, can we just talk about the fact that there are so many damn romance cliches in this book. Let's list the few obvious ones:
1. The girl falls in love with a boy.
2. The girl falls in love with the neighbour boy.
3. The girl falls in love with the neighbour, whom she hates, but not really, because deep down, she realises she has feelings for him.
4. The girl realises she loves the neighbour boy, as soon as he starts dating.
5. The boy starts dating a girl just to date her, because he's clearly also in love with the neighbour girl.
6. The boy starts dating the girl who works with the girl he's actually in love with.
So, that was the whole May + Pete issue.
As for May as a character, she was selfish. Smart, but selfish. She uses people, and tosses them aside when she's done with them. But there's also a side of the writing that kind of makes you pity her, in a way. Yes, she's annoying, but she's also got a lot on her plate, and she's expected to be this model figure because the rest of her family are either too busy working or being depressed or not giving a shit about their actions. There's that I guess. Not really sure if I hate her character or if she's just very poorly written.
Moving on. Brooks. Brooks is senselessly and just plain irresponsible. She threw her life away for absolutely nothing, and there was nothing in the story to suggest that she was changing her ways or that she even wanted to. Even at the end. So I'm assuming she remained sad and careless.
Palmer. I really really disliked Palmer. She is so nosy and has some serious stalkery issues. She spies on people all the time, she listens in on their conversations and she's just plain awful. Then she wonders why no one freaking wants her around. And yes, I do realise she's struggling, but damn girl, you definitely need not be that whiny and creepy.
Pete. Pete seems like this character who was created by someone, and written by someone else. He's got some serious character inconsistencies - like how are you going to mention that he likes to joke around and prank people, and then write him into this boring, useless character? He's just SO boring and dull and unremarkable, that it literally feels like he was only written in the story for the sole purpose of being a romantic interest/romantic awakening issuer for May.
Now despite all of this, I actually didn't absolutely hate this book. It was a very easy read. I just think it needs a lot more work. Especially when it comes to our characters. But I did like it - it just didn't blow me away, and it wasn't one of those remarkable contemporaries that stand out :)
June 14, 2021
A YA story of May, Brooks and Palmer, three sisters struggling to find their way through life after their father's death. For me this book lacked any kind of depth before the final quarter of the book. It's written in a standard chick lit format of boy meets girl, boy falls out with girl and girl makes up with boy at the end. I contemplated giving up on it halfway through but since it's so short and an easy read I kept going. The final part of the story is lovely but I wanted to know more about some of the relationships and some of the emotions but it all felt very surface level. I wanted to know more about the young May and Pete's relationship because it went from one of pranks and dislikes to one of helpfulness very quickly. I wanted to know more about Brooks and how she met David and Jamie and why she didn't confront them about how they made her feel. I wanted closure on Brooks's dependence on alcohol and Palmer's panic attacks. This book has a surface level happy ending but there's a lot of emotion left in that family.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 8, 2022
I loved this book! I instantly fell in love with the three Gold sisters, seeing bits of myself and my own sibling in each of them. I was struck by how very human all of the characters are, even many of the side characters. This book has a very interesting and unique plotline and shape to it; it's less linear, one-two-three than other books. Rather, it is a more dynamic, ever-evolving plot with new pieces to the puzzle introduced all throughout. It manages to capture the chaos of real life without being overwhelming to read, making it sort of slice-of-life. It also captures being a teenager and the struggles and fun that come with that. The descriptions of mundane, seemingly random things and thoughts and inner dialogue are so beautifully written and the way that the author makes simple things seem poetic is incredible. This depth gives the characters more personality and makes it a more interesting read. I recommend to any and all teenagers!
Plus, May totally reminded me of Rory Gilmore which made me like it even more :)
Plus, May totally reminded me of Rory Gilmore which made me like it even more :)
April 27, 2020
I first read this book over 10 years ago in high school and remember loving it because of the way it made me feel, and specifically remember adoring the relationship between May and Peter. I decided to reread this book as a quick and easy trad after listening to a podcast about formative books and to see how this one held up for me. I definitely still enjoyed it, but its clearly written in a very YA style so probably not something I would pick up today. I still felt oddly connected to the main character - not because I related to her, but I still feel like my high school self still related to her. I really liked how the focus was more on the sisters and their family relationships than about the love story.
July 26, 2021
Definitely not my favorite MJ story. But it came off as very realistic. So many times when tragedy strikes people rabbit hole themselves and bury their pain and their heads in the sand. A now single mom, struggling to make ends meet, working nights, dealing with her own grief, she's going to miss the clues that something's wrong at home. Each character experiences their own downward spiral as they come to terms with the changes in their life after the death of their husband/father. I think this is a very poignant look at the struggles of family dealing with death and how sometimes things get worse before they can get better.
July 9, 2020
This book was slow going for me at first, and then I read the last 150 pages in one sitting. I love Maureen Johnson and am working through all of her books, and I think one of the things I like about this one is that the romance is secondary. The characters are all deeply flawed - many of them say and do bad things, often without recognizing it, but it makes things feel quite realistic. The sister relationship also feels so strong, and as a middle daughter of three sisters it felt very familiar.
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