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Jellicoe Road
eBook - 2010
Winner of the Michael L. Printz Award * ALA Best Book for Young Adults * Kirkus Best Book
Jellicoe Road is a dazzling tale that is part love story, part family drama, and part coming-of-age novel. Described by Kirkus Reviews as "a beautifully rendered mystery" and by VOYA as "a great choice for more sophisticated readers and those teens who like multifaceted stories and characters."
Abandoned by her mother on Jellicoe Road when she was eleven, Taylor Markham, now seventeen, is finally being confronted with her past. But as the reluctant leader of her boarding school dorm, there isn't a lot of time for introspection. And while Hannah, the closest adult Taylor has to family, has disappeared, Jonah Griggs, the boy who might be the key to unlocking the secrets for Taylor's past, is back in town, moody stares and all.
In this absorbing story by Melina Marchetta, nothing is as it seems and every clue leads to more questions as Taylor tries to work out the connection between her mother dumping her; Hannah finding her; Hannah's sudden departure; a mysterious stranger who once whispered something in her ear; a boy in her dreams; five kids who lived on Jellicoe Road eighteen years ago; and the maddening and magnetic Jonah Griggs, who knows her better than she thinks he does.
If Taylor can put together the pieces of her past, she just might be able to change her future.
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HarperTeen
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Add a CommentSuggestion if you liked the great gatsby
Borrowed the hard copy through interlibrary loan. Difficult to follow at first, but well worth the read in the end.
An instant favorite! I recommend going into Jellicoe Road with as little knowledge about the premise as possible. The first part of the book is purposely confusing, but there is a moment when everything comes together, and it is absolute perfection.
5+ AMAZING STARS!
(Read March/2015)
One of the best young adult books that I've read. The first few chapters seemed confusing, but I powered through and the reward was utterly worth it. After reading this, I have purchased her other titles and look forward to more of Melina Marchetta's fantastic writing.
This was a difficult book for me to get into, in fact I really didn’t get *into* it until the last quarter. Although surprisingly mature and violently graphic at times, I’m a little shocked I didn’t like it as much as I was expecting. Hazy and wayward, I spent the first three quarters of the book expecting to find a “…and the whole thing was all a dream!” line at the very end. That was not the case, but the Epilogue indeed had me teary eyed.
how I managed to finish this book is truly a wonder
Why did I wait so long to read this book?! On the Jellicoe Road is absorbing, emotional, and thrilling. There's mysteries, and questions abound (both for the MC and the reader). There's a thread of magical realism and mysticism. There's romance and tension and friendship and grief. There's complex characters and simple characters, smart humor and character growth, and the charm of Australian things. (That last one may be less charming to Australian readers, but for someone who didn't know what a singlet was, or why there would be a school for orphans and arsonists in the middle of the bush, it was lovely. And educational!)
In short, it had all my favorite things, more or less. And as a result, I had a difficult time putting it down. I felt compelled to keep going, and definitely tied up with the MC, Taylor, even though she's rather spiky and cold sometimes. There are urban truths in here, too, that it's difficult not to flinch away from. And so much raw vulnerability at times, it hurt.
I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys lyrical fiction with a bit of mystery, intelligent contemporary YA, ensemble casts that are all very realized characters, and character-driven narratives. Also, Australia.
Excellent read. It will haunt you for sure.
This is a moving story which is ostensibly about Taylor Markham, a seventeen year old with only vague memories about her childhood, but is really more about friendship and tragedy and love. It's a bit hard to follow at the beginning because the story jumps around in time and is not linear. It is totally worth reading through though - a lovely story.
This book was so wonderful. It has that air of mystery that adds to the fun of reading, and real people that you can't help but connect with.You get so emotionally involved with the characters, more than you realize until you reach the end. Really, by the end, at least for me, you're just left a little speechless. Everyone should give it a read.