DNF at 15%

I really should not have requested this book since I am definitely growing out of contemporary YA. However, with such a cool premise, I figured that this would be enticing enough to intrigue me. I should have listened to my gut. While the subject matter is intriguing, I wanted more depth than this genre can really provide.

Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me a free eARC of this book to read in exchange for my review!

This Golden State is a young adult contemporary novel about a teenage girl living on the run with her secretive parents.

Poppy is almost eighteen years old and in the summer before her senior year when her parents suddenly pack up their most essential items and move again. Along with her younger sister they move frequently and never use the same names twice. Poppy has never had a friend, appeared in a photograph or fallen in love. And she has never known why their existence is secret or what her parents did.

But after almost twenty years of moving from place to place her parents finally move them to a state she’s been waiting to see her whole life, California. Poppy is given more freedom in their new town including attending a summer math class and babysitting for one of the wealthy local moms. But a sudden impulsive act to send off a DNA ancestry kit plus a secret romance with the son of a billionaire and a high profile politician are making Poppy question everything about who she really is and where she belongs.

This Golden State is the glimpse into what it would look like if a family tried to live completely undetected in a world of smart phones, social media and genetic testing. It’s hard not to relate to Poppy who is legally an adult and falling in love for the first time but expected to continue giving up her life and future due to her parent’s past decisions. This novel was the perfect blend of character and plot driven story and I enjoyed every minute of it.

I recommend This Golden State for readers that enjoy coming of age and young adult novels about falling in love, finding your own path and letting go.

4.5 stars

I loved this book. I have never read a book about this topic before so I found it very interesting and thought provoking. The story did end the way I thought it would, but I was surprised by the big secret. The family dynamics were well written. I wish the story continued on to what happened next.

Thank you NetGalley and Flatiron Books for this digital arc in exchange for my honest review which is not affiliated with any brand.

The Golden State is a YA novel that is part romance, part family-on-the-run mystery. Seventeen-year-old Poppy (only her family knows this is her real name) has grown up with her family moving around, changing identities, without much technology and keeping people at a distance. When she and her eight-year-old sister are uprooted yet again, Poppy begins to question just what keeps making her parents run and who she really is. A chance opportunity to take a DNA/Ancestry test starts to unravel the details. Poppy finds herself getting closer to both the answers and her new friend Harry. How much is she willing to risk if a chance at a new life means losing her family? That question and more are answered in Marit Weisenberg's latest novel. The story flies by as Poppy gets closer to the truth and is a good read overall; a little more character development with her parents and maybe a slightly more realistic approach to Poppy searching for the answers (did she really wait all these years when each school she was at had modern technology?) would make it a 4 star read. Solid 3.5 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Read into the wee hours of the morning on this one! Had to find out where Poppy lands. . .

A tightlipped family unit with rules about suspending all questions and curiosity related to their own origins, futures and plans - it's all about running away and staying hid. Forever. No rest for the wicked? Maybe.

A great read. The wee hours were a small price to pay. . . .

A Sincere Thank You to Marit Weisenberg, Flatiron Books and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review.

The blurb of this book really intrigued me and the actually book itself lived up to that! This was such a lovely blend of genres, mystery, romance, coming of age etc and it kept me hooked until the very end!

I loved this book. I have not read YA in quite a while. Sometimes it can be very cloying and cringey and just plain annoying. This book, however, was so good, because the main character is incredibly mature and nuanced- wise beyond her years. In this story, given her unusual upbringing, her incredible maturity just makes sense. The story is about a mysterious family who is constantly on the run. Poppy, has grown up knowing that her family is not the norm. She and her sister Emma are not allowed to give anyone their real names and are not allowed to make any real connections outside of the family. They must always be prepared to move at any moment. When the book starts, the family moves to California and Poppy soon realizes that this move is different. While taking an advanced math course, she takes a DNA test on a whim, not realizing the hornet’s nest she has just stirred up. I don’t want to say any more to give anything away. This was a quick read that I truly enjoyed. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC for an honest opinion of the book.

3 for neutral, was unable to access my netgalley account for months, until today. Because of this, I was unable to see which books I needed to read. I apologize for the inconvenience and hopefully will not have any more issues in future.

This is a story about hiding in the most visible places.

I definitely thought this book was going to go in a much different direction- but I enjoyed it anyway! It was less about secrets & hiding and more about the difficulties inherent in autonomizing from ones family.


Thank you so much Flatiron Books & Netgalley for the eArc!

I liked this book and would recommend it to my friends. It was a nice change to my usual reads, it kept me interested until the very end.

This is what hooked me:

“The Winslow family lives by five principles:
1. No one can know your real name.
2. Don’t stay in one place too long.
3. If you sense anything is wrong, go immediately to the meeting spot.
4. Keeping our family together is everything.
5. We wish we could tell you who we are, but we can’t. Please—do not ask.”

This YA novel centers around a teenager, Poppy, whose family has been on the run her whole life, and she has no idea why. She has been pulled out of so many high schools, restricted from technology, and is beginning to yearn for freedom, independence, and knowledge.

Many times through this book, I could truly feel Poppy’s frustration. There was a good balance of trust and love for, as well as loyalty to her family, while also wishing she could make lasting connections and friendships, and imagine a future for herself that seems out of reach.

I loved the DNA test factor - and how it set things in motion during this story. I also really liked the character Harry, as he brought his own complex family and he was so empathetic.

I think an epilogue could have pushed this from 4 to 5 stars for me (depending on what it detailed); however, I will just imagine myself what Poppy is doing in the future!

This young adult novel is part mystery/thriller, part coming of age, and part romance. Main character Poppy is 17 years old and has been on the run with her parents and younger sister as long as she’s been alive, literally changing identities and names every few months or so - indeed, she doesn’t even know her parents real names or why they’re all on the run. Then they end up in a town in California where everything seems different - the house they’re staying in, how her parents are acting, and most of all the connection she makes in the summer math class she gets her parents to allow her to take.

This was a good one that I definitely would recommend to adult readers as well as teenagers, with a good balance between the different elements to the book and good characters. I will say I wanted just a little more from the ending, though.

I first heard about this one from my friend Kelly who recommended it as a fictional counterpart to the memoir Nowhere Girl, a memoir about a girl who has been on the run with her family for her whole life. I read that for my book club a few months ago so that intrigued me. The specifics are quite different, but definitely a good pairing!

Throughout the book the reader will examine the idea of what we are willing to sacrifice for our family and those we love. I loved the way it made me think about the ties we have to our family as we are young, but the natural process of needing to find who we are as an individual as we become adults. Ultimately the book looks at the idea of coming of age in a more extreme situation where the childhood identity has been completely wrapped up in the family unit. But like all adolescents, Poppy had to grow up and become her own person. This was a fantastic book and I really enjoyed it. Wish I could see what happens next for Poppy.

This book in 3 words: Hopeful. Intricate. Mind-bending. 

Poppy, almost 18, has no idea why her family has been on the run her entire life. Her curiosity grows as she misses out on more friends, connections, and roots. The family ends up in California and finds the courage to figure out what's going on. Poppy sends in a DNA test and this opens the door to her family's past. 

This Golden State is an achingly beautiful coming of age story and unlike anything I've ever read. Paired with a bit of mystery (some may even characterize this as a thriller), the plot swallows you whole, right from the start. Weisenberg has crafted such a satisfying and intriguing story with solid structure and execution. 

The character development and trajectory through this book is wonderful. Our main character, Poppy, is brave, courageous, and tenacious. She's easy to love and there were times I wished I could just wrap her in a hug. Henry is the perfect foil for Poppy and really brings her out and even helps her shine a bit. I adored the supporting characters, like her little sister and the teacher who is determined to give Poppy more than what she has. 

I loved Poppy and Harry. I thought they really helped each other find strength, understanding, and the strength to make tough decisions. They were authentic and tangible and I wish this was the first book in their series. 

This Golden State is unique and an incredibly strong YA book that should be on your shelf. I definitely recommend it. I was given a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I didn’t finish on NetGalley in time but I did finish the book once it was released. This book had potential… but fell a little flat towards the end. It was enjoyable but I was expecting more excitement throughout the story.

Poppy’s family has moved and reinvented themselves every few months ever since she was born. Her parents refuse to tell her why. As she is about to turn 18, her parents have no plans for her to enter adulthood, just to keep running. Poppy is determined to find out her parents secrets and learn to stand up for herself and for her future.

I got this book free as reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

We truly will only know the world we grow up in.

In Marit Weisenberg's, This Golden State, Poppy's family moves to new places every few weeks to every few months. She can't have real friends. She can't go on field trips. She can't plan for her future beyond high school. That's what life is like when your family is on the run. As Poppy turns 18 she meets a boy who is an unlikely friend, that wants to helps her uncover her truth.

My biggest takeaway from this book is the possible impact parents have in shaping the lives of their children. Poppy only knew what her parents told her. While she knew her life was not normal, it was her normal and she didn't know anything different. Poppy mostly lived by the rules her parents set, because she believed the rules kept her safe. For parents and members of society that help raise children, that message is importantly clear.

The first question I ask myself is, would I read this book again? The answer is yes! The second question is would I like to see this book as a movie? Absolutely yes! Please make this into a movie.

Really enjoyed this!

I will update the review with the link to on our blog, as soon as I'm able.

I'd like to thank the publisher Flatiron Books and Netgalley for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

This Golden State is a must read for the summer. A YA Fiction/Coming of Age/Romance/Thriller, This Golden State by Merit Weisenberg will keep you intrigued from the first page.

Poppy is not your average 17 year old. She has spent her entire life on the run with her parents and little sister. The only things she knows for sure are the five rules they must abide by:

1. No one can know your real name
2. Don’t stay in one place too long
3. If you sense something is wrong, go immediately to the meeting point.
4. Keeping our family together is everything.
5. We wish we could tell you who we are, but we can’t. Please-do not ask.

But Poppy is tired of moving, tired of running and tired of not knowing the truth about her parents and herself. When Poppy makes a split second decision to take a DNA test she puts things in to motion that even her over protective father can’t stop.
This is a fantastic book! The writing flows so smoothly, the characters are intriguing and the plot will keep you guessing until the end. I read this book in one sitting-I opened the book at noon and the next thing I knee it was 9pm. This is an edge of your seat, page turner with just a touch of romance.
I read this book of my own accord and offered my personal review in exchange for the digital copy. Thank you to @netgalley, @flatironbooks and the author for the opportunity to read and review this great book.