Review of Golden, by Monika Pardon

"This is the story of the girl with the Golden Hair"

I have wracked my brain for days, writing and rewriting my review for this book, and for some reason I just couldn't get it right on paper.  There are so many details that I wanted to put into this review, but I also knew that those details were the most important for a reader to find out for themselves!  So I am going to do my best to give you all a brief description of this amazing book without giving away all of the surprises that Monika has in store for you!

The book starts at the funeral of Memere, Sonora’s grandmother.  Sonora is 17 years old and has been living with her grandmother since she was a young girl because her parents were murdered.  Since Memere has died she is forced to go live with her crazy Aunt Liz and Cousin Ramona.  Liz and Ramona both hate Sonora, and the feeling is mutual.  The only bright spot in her life is Luke, her Aunt’s overly nice and overly 
protective boyfriend.  

During summer break Sonora is attacked by three very large, black bears.  After the attack her life begins to spiral out of control.  Her Aunt is getting meaner and threatening her to stay away from Luke.  Her friend Carly has turned into a complete witch, and her smoking hot new Art teacher in school is showing a little too much interest in her future.  When she finds out who, and what, she truly is, her life is shattered.  

What would you do if you found out your real mother is alive, but lives in a place called the Shadow Realms?  What would you do if one of your closest friends turns out to be psychotic and wants you dead?  Can Sonora make it through all of the betrayals and lies to find out who she can truly trust?  Or will the people she once trusted be able to take her life from her?  Did I mention that the fate of our world, and the Shadow Realm, is in her blood?  

Okay, so here’s where I get to put my two cents in.  I was sucked, headfirst, into this book.  Once I started reading it I couldn't put it down.  There are so many twists and turns in the story that my head was reeling, but in an oh-my-goodness-are-you-freaking-kidding-me kind of way.   Like I said before, there are so many important details within the book that I really had to tame myself so I wouldn’t shout it from the rooftop.  The characters are amazing as well!  Sonora has to be one of my all-time favorite heroines now.  She is strong, vivacious, snarky, and so relatable.  She has wit that keeps going even after she knows she should be quiet.  

Monika Pardon has a hit on her hands!  I am salivating at the idea of another book after this one because she leaves the reader begging for more.  Oh, and for those of you who love fairy tales as much as I do, there’s some great Goldilocks and the Three Bears references within this book.  It made me feel like a kid again, when my own mother would read that story to me.  So this book holds a special place in my heart.  I hope you love it as much as I do!  Monika, you have earned a fan for life in me.  I can’t wait to see what you do next!

You can purchase her books at: Amazon/Barnes & Noble/SmashwordsCheck out her blog at: Monika Pardon on Blogspot
Find her on Facebook: www.facebook.com/pardonmonika
Follow her on Twitter: @MonikaPardon

Golden is Monika's Debut YA Novel and is published through Anchor Group Publishing.  www.anchorgrouppublishing.com

**Don't forget!  There's a giveaway at the bottom!**

Monika Pardon grew up, the youngest of six children, in southern Maine. As a child, she constantly made up stories that entertained her family. As she grew up, she never grew out of her imagination or her fondness for story-telling. She eventually went on to college and graduated from the University of Michigan in 2006. Today she lives near Portland, happily writing her stories and reading anything entertaining that she can get her hands on. Golden is her Young Adult debut novel.         

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