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This Golden State
This Golden State | Marit Weisenberg
8 posts | 8 read | 9 to read
Marit Weisenberg's This Golden State is a propulsive, breakout novel following a family on the run, a restless teenage daughter hungry for the truth, and the simple DNA test that threatens their carefully crafted world. The Winslow family lives by five principles: 1. No one can know your real name. 2. Dont 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 cant. Pleasedo not ask. Poppy doesnt know why her family has been running her whole life, but she does know that there are dire consequences if theyre ever caught. Still, her curiosity grows each year, as does her desire for real friends and the chance to build on something, instead of leaving behind school projects, teams, and crushes at a moments notice. When a move to California exposes a crack in her parents airtight planning, Poppy realizes how fragile her world is. Determined to find out the truth, she mails in a home DNA test. Just as she starts to settle into her new life and even begins opening up to a boy in her math class, the forgotten test results bring her crashing back to reality. Unraveling the shocking truth of her parents real identities, Poppy realizes that the DNA test has undone decades of careful work to keep her family anonymousand the past is dangerously close to catching up to them. Determined to protect her family but desperate for more, Poppy must ask: How much of herself does she owe her family? And is it a betrayal to find her own place in the world?
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vlwelser
This Golden State | Marit Weisenberg
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Pickpick

I have no idea how this ended up on my book club's radar, but I randomly picked it and assigned it to May. It absolutely sucks you in. And the entire book club is going nutty about how much they love it. A teen girl and her fam are constantly on the run but she actually has no idea why. Highly recommend.

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Oooo this one sounds so good!! Stacked!! 2y
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DebbieGrillo
This Golden State | Marit Weisenberg
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Pickpick

I just chose this book at random from the recently uploaded audiobooks at my library. I'm so glad I did. It was an excellent story about a fugitive family told from the eldest daughter's perspective. Highly recommend!

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DebbieGrillo
This Golden State | Marit Weisenberg
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Hooked_on_books
This Golden State | Marit Weisenberg
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Pickpick

Poppy is nearing 18 and uncertain about her future because, for her entire life, her family has moved often and suddenly to avoid the law. But she doesn‘t know why. As they come to their next new place, she starts to learn some things and make new connections, shaking everything up. A bit of a melodramatic premise, but it was a fun read.

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MelKelsey
This Golden State | Marit Weisenberg
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Pickpick

Book 85

Poppy is on the cusp of her eighteenth birthday, and she's spent her entire childhood on the run with her family. She doesn't know her parents' real names, what they are running from, and who provides them with safe houses, new ids, and money every time they have to abandon another city.

MelKelsey I couldn't put This Golden State down and stayed up late to read it entirely in one day. Just as Poppy is in the dark, there are no real clues to uncover the backstory of this unique plot. The end, while not dissatisfying, is abrupt and requires some suspension of disbelief. The novel is marked as a YA, and, while clean, it didn't feel like a book aimed at a young reader. 2y
MelKelsey Poppy and her love-interest, Harry, are the only (semi-)substantive characters, and their potential-relationship accounts for a good portion of its readability. The pure enjoyment of reading prompts my 4.5 star rating. I am curious to read more by Marit Weisenberg, and I wouldn't be sad to read a sequel! 2y
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Alfoster
This Golden State | Marit Weisenberg
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Pickpick

This was a great thriller! Seventeen-year-old Poppy and younger sister Emma are on the run with their parents and move every few months (although the girls don‘t know why). But when they settle in California things get dicey as Poppy falls in love and finally discovers the big secret behind their parents‘ “don‘t get involved” credo. Can be read in 1 sitting as you won‘t want to put it down!
Thanks to #NetGalley for this ARC. Out now.

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robinb
This Golden State | Marit Weisenberg
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Pickpick

Overall I enjoyed this multi genre YA story. It‘s a mystery/thriller with some romance thrown in. Eighteen-year-old Poppy has never had a stable life. She, along with her parents and 8-year-old sister, have been on the run/under the radar/off the grid her whole life. Why? She has no idea. This is a story about growing up, finding yourself (literally) and coming to terms with your future, which may or may not match other‘s expectations. While 🔻

robinb yes, it had its unbelievable moments, and I didn‘t feel the chemistry from Poppy and Harry (a rich, sometimes bad-boy she meets), I did feel the closeness of this family (sometimes almost to a smothering degree). I felt Poppy‘s need for answers and her push/pull with her family dynamics. The ending was a bit of a surprise to me, but it also made sense as well. So while not perfect, it was a solid, suspenseful, hopeful read. 4/5⭐️ (edited) 3y
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sblbooks
This Golden State | Marit Weisenberg
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Most anticipated YA of 2022. #YA