Saturday, March 16, 2013

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta


Read in October, 2012

WOW...How in the world can I write a review that will give On Jellicoe Road justice?? This is definitely one of the best books I've had the pleasure of reading.
Jellicoe Road is certainly a stylistic departure from Melina Marchetta's other books I've read (Saving Francesca and The Piper's Son). But when you get down to it, they are about many of the same things - the family you are born into and the family that you create, a search for identity, breaking down the walls between people. Taylor Markham is feeling lost in her life, as she has since her mother left her alone on the Jellicoe Road when she was eleven years old. But her schoolmates are expecting her to lead their turf war with the Townies and the Cadets, all while she is negotiating a tumultuous relationship with the leader of the Cadets. Taylor's recurring dreams and a confusing story found in her guardian's house provide a key to Taylor's past, as well as to the story of the conflict.I've heard from a lot of people that the first half of this book was a struggle for them, and I didn't have that experience at all. While I absolutely agree that the second half of Marchetta's book is where the novel finds its heart and soul, I really enjoyed trying to decipher the two threads of the narrative and imagining what the connections between the past and present could be. A careful and curious reader will find clues that point to many of the eventual connections, and when the stories finally do come together, it is absolutely revelatory. So much more than I could ever have imagined.....If you haven't read On Jelicoe Road yet, Please GO to your library or buy your own copy (because after you read it, you'll want to own this book!)

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