Wednesday 3 September 2014

Jellicoe Road Review

Jellicoe Road (On the Jellicoe Road) 

Author- Melina Marchetta
Page count- 419 (hardback)
Publisher-  Penguin Australia
Publication Date- August 28th 2006

Synopsis 

Taylor Markham, abandoned on the Jellicoe Road when she was a young girl now lives in the Jellicoe boarding school for the orphaned, criminally inclined, troubled and now erratic, disinterested Taylor has been elected leader of the Territory wars played by her school against the local students (Townies) and the cadets and to top it all off, the cadets, known for their ruthlessness, are now led by Jonah Griggs, the boy from Taylor's past who she never thought she would see again. The territory wars are about to recommence.

But Taylor has other things on her mind like the hermit who whispered in her ear, the mysterious boy from her dreams a cat that looks perpetually scared and a prayer tree, Taylor is trying to piece together the mystery of her past like why her mum abandoned her and how just moments after Hannah her closest friend and mentor seemed to find her. But now that Hannah has disappeared leaving only a manuscript featuring war games, love lost and found and the unshakeable bond of friendship it is up to Taylor to piece it all together.

My opinion

There are some books- and I am talking only a handful- that no matter how long it's been since you have finished them you can't get them out of your head, they find a permanent place in your heart and re-reading them is like visiting an old friend, now, there are even fewer YA books that can leave an effect like this so trust me when I say that Jellicoe Road (or On the Jellicoe Road) is without a doubt one of those books. Melina Marchetta has yet again blown me away with another one of her beautifully told stories, each time I think that her next book could not possibly be any better than the last and each time I have been sourly mistaken. Marchetta's sophisticated, complex and intricately woven stories that deal with many contemporary issues restore my faith in teen fiction. I wholeheartedly believe that Melina Marchetta deserves so much more recognition that what she now gets and I am making it my life's mission to make sure that everyone reads this book.

The story of Taylor Markham on the Jellicoe Road is powerful, tragic and deeply thoughtful that evokes emotion from the very depth of your heart and leaves you raw to the bone but in a good way... if there is such a thing. I cannot put into words how much I love this book and how much it means to me all I know is that this is a story that will stay with me for a very long time now the rest is up to you to find out!





                                                        Rating: 10/10