Jellicoe Road

Jellicoe Road contains some riveting characters, and a plot that holds merit, but it becomes so disjointed at times, that it becomes monotonous. It's a fun read, just regrettable that the ending doesn't pack a bigger punch due to the plot tapering off slowly much earlier.

Amazingly written book. The story lines are woven so expertly that you find yourself u able to put down the book. There are some adult themes so if you are purchasing for your kid I would make sure to read it first and discuss it with your kid.

I loved this story! The character development is phenomenal. The story is unlike any other I have ever read. I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a stand alone book that you just can't put down.

This story is pretty confusing at first, but if you hang with it, everything begins falling into place. Great story of adoption, family and friend ties. Has a great, strong, smart heroine and you get to see her vulnerability as well. (Her character reminds me of Hunger Games Katniss)

This was such an amazing book! There is mystery and romance-but not the cheesy ridiculous kind. It's real and heartbreaking and amazing. Everything the characters felt, I felt. This book is definitely a must read.

The writing style drove me crazy. A friend recommended this book to me, she said it was one of her favorites. I don't know, I just really wasn't a fan. It seemed disjointed, and was a bit confusing. I would like to give specific examples, but it was a little while ago that I read it, so I don't really remember. I ended up giving the book to D.I.

This book was picked for book club. The person who picked it said it was her favorite book and she was sure we would all love it.
WE ALL DISLIKED IT! Most hated it.
For me, it seriously is the worst book I can remember reading. There are time jumps, characters names change for no reason other than to confuse the reader, and every kind of drama you can think of is shoved in this book. Save your time and money and skip this one.

ACTUAL RATING: 2.5 STARS

This book has moved so many. But all it did was confuse me.

I loved Finnikin of the Rock, so I wanted to check out more of Marchetta’s books, and I’d heard lovely things about this one. Unfortunately, everything about it was a mess for me: the plot, the setting…I was just so turned around.

So apparently the people at this boarding school of sorts are involved in territorial wars that were started years ago, but nobody really knows why the wars continue, and what their point is? The logic behind these territorial wars was poorly-explained, and I got lost in all the seemingly nonsensical rules involved in the war. My confusion made it difficult for me to picture the setting vividly because I was devoting too much time to trying to figure out what the heck was going on.

In addition to the territorial wars, Taylor, our MC, is also struggling with the disappearance of Hannah, who found Taylor on the Jellicoe Road years ago and has been a supportive constant in her life ever since her mother abandoned her. As Hannah’s absence is prolonged, Taylor begins probing into Hannah’s past…and learns more about her own.

It turns out Hannah’s past is actually much more closely connected to Taylor’s than Taylor ever could have imagined, and we get snippets of this past throughout the book. However, the way these snippets are interwoven with the main plot (whatever the heck the main plot was, anyway) makes this aspect of the book just one more layer of confusion, and the final twist was so vaguely explained that I actually had to look up a summary of the twist because I’d read it three times and was still confused. Thus, there was never any payoff for me.

I can see glimmers of good intention in this book, however. There are some touching, well-written moments where we see the impact of Taylor being abandoned (by more people than just her mom), and where we see her trying to grow into her own identity. I liked those moments. But, unfortunately, the vast majority of this book was me just furrowing my brow, leaving me confused by way more than just the hype.

3.5 Stars

This was the perfect example of a ‘slow’ story that isn’t boring. The pacing is pretty slow, but it builds on itself and reveals information and history. The story grows and develops and blooms. It’s a weird one - I wouldn’t think much about it when I wasn’t reading, but when I was reading it had my full attention.

Things I Liked:
I really liked the writing style. It was very much a stream of consciousness style that I found easy to read. It was easy to connect with Taylor because we get so much of her emotions and thoughts from the writing. I liked how we were discovering information alongside her. The story pulls you with it and keeps you engaged.

I really loved the flashback scenes to Narnie, Tate, Jude, Fitz, and Webb. I found the characters endearing and very lively. They had such an earnest friendship and it was great to see. We get so much history from them. I loved seeing how their relationship changed the townies, the cadets, and the Jellicoe school kids.

I really loved the dynamic between Griggs, Taylor, and Santangelo. As the chosen leaders of the cadets, the Jellicoe school houses, and the townies respectively, it was nice to see their interactions change and evolve over the course of the story. The learn more about each other and their history and they evolve naturally. I really loved the bonding at the Prayer tree, it felt so genuine that I became completely invested in these three characters.

Things I Didn’t Like:
I didn’t really care about Raffaela at all. She felt pretty useless as a character to me. I know she has some kind of history with Santangelo that was supposed to cause drama or at least bring her into the core group, but we don’t get any information to actually make me care. The side characters in general all receive virtually no information, but that’s really ok because the story is more about the core group and their history and the history of Jellicoe road. But Raffaela is on the edge is integrated as part of the core group, but I don’t think we get enough of her to establish her on her own.

The serial killer side plot fell completely flat to me. There wasn’t enough information to establish is and it didn’t have much closure either. It never went anywhere, it was just brought up now and again with no history or development. It was really just unnecessary and didn’t add anything at all to the story.

This was an enjoyable and engaging read, that builds and creates this hazy world of nostalgia and mystery. I really liked how the answers revealed themselves naturally and organically. The characters and the world are ethereal, while still being incredible grounded in emotion and humility.

A revelation.

That’s what this audiobook was to me. Even after many, many years of reading the book. You think you have it memorized even, but then hear someone else’s voice, saying all those sentences that bring so many great and incapacitating new emotions that is almost like lighting stroke my heart.

I am pretty sure there are quite a few poor souls out there that have not come across this book, or audiobook, yet. So I’m going to review it again, in the hopes to make you pick it up and make this world better.

On The Jellicoe Road goes beyond any realm or genre in literature. It surpasses boundaries and defines a whole new category of incredible, tremendous, fantastic and wonderful. It’s one of the wildest emotional rides your heart can take. The story is so deep, so clever, so thoughtful and perfect that it’s life changing. It certainly was for me.

One of the most common complains I come across when I recommend this book is people not getting it. At first it is confusing, but not because it’s bad narrative, because it’s mysterious. You will want to figure this book, but you won’t be able to at first, because like I told you before, it’s clever. It’s intelligent and it knows deep and dark things you will only get to know as you read along.

What is magical in all of this, though, is that you don’t even have to know what is going on to be pulled in. To get engrossed. To become obsessed. Because this is one rich story, and Melina Marchetta is probably one of the most powerful story tellers of our time.

The audiobook, like I suspected, is amazing too. The narrator did a wonderful job at conveying the emotions we needed. She did a great job of representing the turmoil inside Taylor Markham, her confusion and pain, her annoyance and her spirit. And it is not even one of those high budget audiobooks that seem to be the regularity now. No, it’s simple but engaging. And to hear a story like this, a story I hold so dear to my heart, in the voice of someone else but me was so gut-wrenching that I spend life the time crying my eyes out.

And in the aftermath I can’t recommend it enough. For the people that have never read this book, to the ones that will be introduced to it for the first time, for everyone. This is it.

While there were some wonderful parts in Jellicoe Road,, in the end, it just fell short for me. I think if I had read this upon its release, I’d have enjoyed it more. Too many authors that have mimicked this format now, and it’s not as fresh as it once was. Griggs was the highlight of the book. I love a strong, steady hero, and he was he was solemn to boot. There was no reading between the lines with this guy; you knew what he wanted you to know. Unfortunately, I wasn’t a fan of Taylor. It was hard for me to tell what her motivations were, and there was a point where she crossed the line for me. She was never able to come back from that. The parallel story was much more interesting than the one being told in its entirety, and I thought that was detrimental to the overall book. The reason some of the secrets were kept from Taylor felt flimsy to me. It was predictable, and while there were some emotional parts, I was never able to fully connect with anyone in the book. I did, however, love Raffy and Santangelo’s cat and mouse game, and I wish we’d seen more of them. Simon also tugged at my heart strings, and I’d have loved there to be some sort of resolution there. I guess, overall, I was looking for more things to be tied up.

This review was originally posted at Badass Book Reviews.

Okay, first thing is first – no matter how confused you are DO NOT re-read. I found myself re-reading the book from the start every time I hit around the 25 to 30% mark of this book because I was so confused and figured I missed something. Thank goodness for the lovely Nicole telling me to just keep going (which was right after my 3rd attempt of a re-read from the start, LOL). As many times as I re-read it, I could have totally finished the book twice, possibly 3 times over. Funny thing, I have absolutely NO REGRETS!

Jellicoe Road is an extremely unique YA (Young Adult) novel. Even though I was confused at first (nothing to do with the writing style) of course, because it was beautifully written! It was more because I was anxious for the story to reveal itself. Which is sad for me, because I missed just fully enjoying the story slowly but charmingly unwrapping itself to the reader and this is the reason why I urge new readers to this story to not re-read but just keep going and the number one thing is just let the story take you on its journey and more importantly do not rush it and just sit back and appreciate where it will take you.

One thing for sure is that this YA just set the standard to all YA reads for me going forward whether it’s an older or newer release. That’s kind of scary because my expectation for this genre’s bar has been raised. It’s no longer the mentality of ‘well keep in mind it’s a YA novel,’ no, just simply no. I will no longer settle for that kind of thinking after this book. Jellicoe Road has proven YA can be great, that it can be more than appealing and steal anyone’s heart at any reading age. That it can be limitless!

Jellicoe Road is everything – powerful, extraordinary and beautiful even when it’s tragic at times. My top YA of all times, I am just stunned I just read it now. Feel free to suggest to me any other YAs out there that will make me FEEL this much and I will welcome them with open arms.

As I rarely read Australian authors, I was expecting somewhat of a departure from the "stock" Young Adult lit books out there. It seems I got, in some ways, what I was expecting, but not in the manner in which I expected it. There were place-names that I didn't recognize (although Sydney was at least familiar-in-name); I had some trouble picturing the landscape not because of the lack of description, but rather because I assume it would be different than the stock landscapes in my head; and I kept wanting the characters to speak in an Australian accent, and I couldn't keep that up for long, as I was too "sucked in" to the characters and story. These things, however, were not the things that kept it from being a typical YA book.

"I tell him stories. Lots of stories. About the Jellicoe School students and the Townies and the Cadets from a school in Sydney. I tell him about the war for territory."

This book is characterized by two intertwining stories, both of which center on the same geographical location and interrelations among the three "factions" represented in the story (the school, the local "townies," and visiting "cadets"). While I had to go back a few times to re-read the sections of one of the stories as I began to feel my way through the book, some of the connections started to become clear as I continued. This discomfort with the divergent stories ultimately became satisfying, as they unraveled and converged slowly and naturally.

Many iterations of YA literature focus on a single "misfit" who ends up saving the world or changing the community. The joy of this story springs from the self-discovery of a number of seemingly normal-and-troubled teenagers, all of whom struggle with reconciling their own identities. Still sounds like a trope, I know... But there's more to it than one might expect from this type of book.

The interplay between self-and-origin and self-and-groups leads the main character, along with the people around her, to question where, when, and how identity really develops. Can we be complete if we do not understand where we come from? What are the turning points that make us who we are? Marchetta examines these questions from different viewpoints with a tapestry of answers, highlighting the complexity of being human.

With the obvious question of finding out the truth of her parentage and a recently-disappeared parent-figure, the main character finds far more depth of understanding through reading the other story thread, which eventually converges with her own. Through dreams and flashback, this book makes the reader re-examine the glimpses of memory, which are contextualized and reinterpreted through different eyes over time, to seek the truth of SELF. Are we a product of our experiences or the interpretation of those experiences? Can we understand ourselves if we do not understand the motivations of those who have hurt or helped us?

Complex but accessible, this book is appropriate for teenagers coming into a realization of identity. It is, however, just as poignant and engaging to a mature reader who may be tired of "typical" YA fiction. The author does not "dumb down" the concepts or complex relationships to cater to an I-want-it-now teenage culture looking forward to the upcoming movie-version. But these action-oriented folks will appreciate the building of suspense, multiple conflicts and layers, and engaging story-line. It's a quick and endearing read that isn't always easy to put down at bed-time.

Jellicoe Road is an engaging read, and I flew through it, but upon reflection I have several qualms. The first is that the book begins so confusingly. Yes, there is pay off for the obscurantist beginning, but it was far from the most engaging way to begin the book. I found the flashback storyline that starts in the prologue is told in a (possibly deliberately) confusing and difficult to follow way. However, I did unravel the book's mystery about halfway though, long before Taylor, the protagonist, ever did, and she had a lot more information than I did. Made me wonder why a character depicted as so sharp was so dense when it came to this matter. Marchetta gives her selective amnesia about her past, but I found that rather ham handed and contrived.

My main issue with the book, then, was all the secrets. Why not level with Taylor about her family? Why keep the kid in the dark about who her father is and how he died, who her aunt is, just exactly what her mother is up to, and who the Brigadier is? She was obviously tormented by the mystery, but instead of telling her, her beloved Hannah just disappears, nary a word. Her mother had also abandoned her, and no one tells her anything. These adults, who we are to believe love her and each other so much, lie to her for years through omission despite her burning need to know, so deep that she ran away to try to get some answers when she was 14. None were forthcoming. Do people really treat children they love this way? And to what end? She knows that everyone around her has more information than she does, and they just dole it out in little dribbles, surely a technique that it meant to serve the plot more than it is to serve as realistic character development.

I felt like, in the end, Marchetta created and perpetuated a mystery for the sake of a big, dramatic reveal-- and it was, and it was moving, but as I often find with YA lit and movies, the adults behave badly, keep secrets for no good reason, all for the sake of the author's darling, the big cathartic ending. At least Jonah Griggs has the decency to hate Hannah for her deceit.

I could also mention that every single childhood trauma imaginable is thrown into this plot (dead, unknown parents, absent guardian, child molestation, kiddie porn, child abuse, patricide, cat drowning, child abandonment, teen suicide, a child witnessing a suicide, a huge fire, a junkie prostitute mother, etc)... Yeah. And it still got 3 stars from me, so go figure.

Jellicoe Road is a beautiful example of an emotional coming-of-age story that focuses on loss, love, support, and all the things that can go wrong in life, and how one can overcome even the toughest of times. The story begins a bit confusing but begins to explain itself as the tale progresses, weaving an intricate narrative of past and present. The story is real and raw in its heart breaking emotions, and includes hints of the magic and the wonders of life that we can never fully understand but should always take time to appreciate.

The cast of characters in Jellicoe Road is well-developed and filled with amazing and heart-wrenching backstories, though it almost seems ridiculous how much tragic background stories can exist in one book. Even so, the characters stir emotions as they come to terms with their personal histories and how that’s shaped them into who they are and who they want to become. Taylor, the main character, is stand-offish and resentful of the world around her, but as she begins to open up and regard each person around her with more understanding, the result is a beautiful story of growth and finding good in the world; no matter how bad things may or might have been. Adding in an interesting collection of friends, adults, and a wonderful love-interest, the characters move this story and provide a lot of its beauty.

The writing is powerful and captures raw emotions and feelings not easily expressed with expert detail. Marchetta’s characters are believable if not a bit much, and the story progresses elegantly as Taylor and those around her change for the better. Jellicoe Road is a marvelous story that tells of life, loss, and the strength of human spirit, a must for any fan of contemporary or coming-of-age tales.

Actual rating: 4.5 stars

When a fellow blogger said that Melina Marchetta gave her the feels, I wasn’t convinced. I didn’t know that an author named Melina Marchetta existed until I started blogging and reading a lot of awesome things about her works. But my gawd, after reading four of her books, Marchetta didn’t only gave me the feels but she always suck them dry every time I finished a book. My point is, before you dive into Melina’s books, you should fully recharge yourself with emotions. You can electrify or inject or take them orally whichever works best for you. Otherwise, the onslaught of punches will leave you hollow. It will render your insides dead like a Dementor has just kissed you.

Jellicoe Road is another Marchetta masterpiece that left me gutless. I don’t know how to describe it properly but it was amazingly unusual. It’s one of the best contemporaries I’ve read. And that’s saying something because contemporary isn’t my preferred genre. True, I had a hard time getting into this one. I endured hundreds of pages (~160 pages) to be finally enlightened. But boy, when every piece of the puzzle fell to their right places, I was breathless. At long last, I finally understand what Queen JK meant when she explained the Harry Potter epilogue, that it was her desire for the ending to be "nebulous," something "poetic," and that she wanted the readers to “feel as if they were looking at Platform 9 3/4 through the mist, unable to make out exactly who was there and who was not.” Nebulous, that is how I would describe the beginning of Jellicoe Road. Everything was so foggy that you wouldn’t know where Marchetta will take you. You just have to trust her all throughout the journey.

With Jellicoe Road, Melina Marchetta accomplished constructing a multi layered story of two different yet connected set of lives. Though the plot seemed scattered at first, Melina masterfully strung all the pieces together halfway through the book. And the result is

KABOOOM!

And before your minds start making assumptions about the romance of Jellicoe Road, just stop. I am not sure if you’d like how Melina created the romance here. For me, it was definitely charged. If you’re looking for a sickening, over-the-top romance of two teenagers then this book isn’t for you. You will not see a lot of romance here because Melina never used it to propel her stories. Just like The Lumatere Chronicles, Melina’s brand of romance is always meant for blind people… because readers are supposed to FEEL it rather than see it.

But Melina doesn’t stop with the wonderful plot. She ensured that her pawns for this awesome story were fleshed out… fleshed out to the point that you will go chasing after them crying your heart out. Taylor Markham, our main protagonist, didn’t really impress me at first. She was an insensitive, self-centered bitch who didn’t give a damn about the people around her. But as the story developed, I grudgingly gave her my heart bit by bit. Behind the veneer of b-tch-ness lies a lost and insecure soul who only dreamed of getting reunited with her mother and riding her father’s shoulders once again.

Then here comes Jonah Griggs, the love interest. The whole time I was reading the book, I kept on guessing what his true nature is. Did he really betray Taylor? Was he a coward? I had a lot of questions about his persona but when Melina dropped the bombed, I was

Ahhh. Melina, I don’t deserve this kind of emotional ordeal. I still wanna live long but my heart is so burdened with pain. Instead of giving me compassion, you’ve got the nerve to introduce me to the F---ed up Five that I just wanna pull an emo stunt right now.

When I thought that I have no more tears to shed… when I felt that my heart is beyond repair… Melina still proceeded to end the story in a fashion that’s both beautiful and bittersweet. The impact was not only bone deep but I felt my soul temporarily left my body… Perhaps to accompany Webb on his journey.

Jellicoe Road is the Center of Excellence for Contemporary YA. You, book, you.

Book, you actually deserve a 5 but I couldn’t forgive you for that nebulous beginning. But still, you earned a badge of honor from me. You're a new favorite.

There are books that you read. And then there are books that you inhabit-- that the characters sink deep into your soul and claw all your emotions to shreds.

I've read Marchetta's Fantasy, Finnikin of the Rock, and felt how she creates real, vibrant characters and then runs them through emotional wringers. Her fantasy made me think of Guy Gavriel Kay and Kristin Cashore in the way she uses death, honor, and love to teach us things about ourselves.

This non-fantasy, contemporary fiction makes me think a comparison to John Green would be more apt. If you like his books, you'll like Marchetta's.

On the Jellicoe Road isn't an easy book to read-- and I love it for that. It throws you into the world of 5 friends, past 5 friends, and present, different 5 friends, without warning or explanation and leaves you to figure out who is narrating and slowly discover the connections between them in the same way eating a long-simmered beef stew allows you to discover layers of rich flavor.

Taylor lives in a boarding school on Jellicoe Road. She has just become the leader of the school's Houses despite everyone else thinking she's unfit for the job. The welfare (and boundaries) of the younger students are now her responsibility, when she already has issues like a mother who abandoned her when she was 11, and a foster-mother figure who has disappeared without a trace just when Taylor needs her most. Because as leader, Taylor's not only responsible for the younger students' getting assignments done, keeping a convicted arsonist in check, and dealing with homesickness, but she also must keep the boundaries safe against the Townies and the Cadets (camped there for the summer)in a traditional battle between teen age factions that started long ago.

Taylor, the Townie leader, and the Cadet leader all have a past that will lead them towards each other and to Taylor discovering the truth about who she is and how she fits into the world.

Marchetta scatters poetic bits of truth throughout the book that could take an entire book to unpack but that Marchetta just throws out in an offhand way, like in this description of girls in Taylor's House just hanging out: "What kind of a freak is this kid who's giggling histerically with the girls in the neighboring beds, each with a crush on each other for being the same age when the rest of the world seems so old?" or Taylor watching a mother-daughter moment her friend Raffy is having "It's not that I miss my mother. It's just that I miss the idea of what one would be."

So Taylor's probably a bit wise above her years, and in other books that would bug me, but in the inexplicable way that Marchetta writes Taylor never comes across as undeservedly wise above her years. She has a past that explains some of her maturity, and an aching kind of yearning that speaks to the adolescent in all of us.

There are two scenes near the end that involve a bit of sex I probably wouldn't want elementary or young middle schoolers to encounter quite yet, but the rest of the book is so rich, so full of angst and love and yearning that I can't wait until my 6th grader is old enough to read it.

Taylor was abandoned on Jellicoe Road by her mother. All she has in Hannah, a woman who has been taking care of her while she stays at a school there. Taylor wants to know where her mother is though and what made her give up on her daughter.

This book is super confusing at first. You dive right into it and there are changing story lines and hostilities and lots of other things that are just a bit much for your brain to work out at first. I wasn't even positive that Taylor was a girl for the first third of the book. Once you sort things out though you can't stop reading.

This was a beautiful and lovely book. There is just so much feeling and meaning behind everything that happens. My heart sat like a rock in my chest just waiting for something to happen. I didn't think anything bad could happen if a book started with so much death, but I knew better.

Melina Marchetta wrote a heartbreaking novel. It's just written in a way that allows you to really get to know the characters and fall in love with them. I loved the little bits from Hannah's story woven in. We get to see little bits and pieces of these characters while trying to push Taylor forward in life. This book was fun and shocking and just all the good bits.

I can't believe it has taken me so long to read this. So many people told me about how amazing it was and I didn't want to read it and have it be less than that. I was not disappointed. If you are one of those people who have been meaning to read this but haven't yet, set some time aside and devour this one. You may want to read it again right after you finish so you can see things again with all your new information. This is 100% worth the read.

First Lines:
"My father took one hundred and thirty-two minutes to die. I counted."

Favorite Lines:
"And then he told me to close my eyes. And I think I've been frightened to do just that ever since."

Why I love Jellicoe Road: It is full of heartbreak and love and it's one hundred percent real. I'm so glad I finally decided to read this book again. This was my third time reading it; though I hadn't read it since last April. Which was too far away. I had forgotten just how much I loved this book. And now I love it even more. I had forgotten how sad it is. So sad that it made me cry a few times. Which doesn't usually happen. I had forgotten how much it would make me feel. How much I would love Taylor and Jonah. <3

Because being part of him isn't just anything. It's kind of everything.

I'm trying to think of what I'm going to share about this book with you all. I want to share all of it. And I want to share none of it. Mostly I just want you all to go read this book. To go read it and love it and then come back and tell me. Which you now must do. But I will share a few things about Jellicoe Road today. I won't talk too much about the plot. Will just mention some of my love for it. My love for the characters. And there are a lot of characters to love in this book. First, the writing is simply gorgeous.

Jellicoe Road is told from the point of view of Taylor Markham. Whom I adored. She is such an amazing character. And we get to know her so well yet I always wanted to know more about her. I loved reading about her past. Because it is heartbreaking and mean and so real and honest. I loved reading about her mother who left her when she was eleven. I know that I didn't like her. But I still couldn't fully hate her or totally blame her. But that does not mean that I approved of the things she did. Which I did not. Sigh.

Though the book is from Taylor's point of view, we also get to read some stories about five other teenagers, many years back. Narnie, Tate, Webb, Fitz and Jude. I will not say much about them. Just that they are all adorable and I loved reading about their friendship and their lives and I could not get enough of them. Would have loved to know more. Their story is heartbreaking. And so real. It is just so sad and beautiful and it's done so well. Sigh. I think Narnie was my favorite of them all. Most likely.

There are so many characters in this book. So many that I loved to pieces. There is Taylor's best friend, Raffy. Though at first they aren't really hanging out that much. But it changes. And I adored Raffy. I loved seeing her kind of relationship with Chaz. And I adored reading about him too. And ack. I just want them together, hih. Then there is also Ben. Whom is just this adorable guy. One of the best things about this book is that there is no love triangle. Not at all. No kisses with other people. Thank god, hah.

But there is romance. Oh, how there is romance in Jellicoe Road. Because there is this boy. Jonah Griggs. And he is kind of everything. I loved reading about him. So so much. His past is just the saddest. Well, he and Taylor both have the saddest pasts. But his killed me a little. Like what almost happened three years ago. Sniffs. Anyway. I adore Jonah. I adore him to pieces. I loved reading about him. And the slow romance between him and Taylor. It was everything. It was perfect. It was beautiful.

"No," I say, looking up at Griggs. "It's actually because my heart belongs to someone else." And if I could bottle the look on his face, I'd keep it by my bedside for the rest of my life.

There is so much I love in this book. I love getting to know Taylor. I love getting to know the school she goes to. And all the kids there. Like small Jessa. She was kind of annoying most of the time, but I also ended up adoring her. She was pretty cute. And I loved how Taylor didn't truly like any of them in the beginning. How she kept her distance. And then getting to see her open up and become more for them all. I loved how much Taylor grows in this book. Because it is beautiful to watch. And I loved it so much.

I'm trying not to say too much about this book. But I think I'm failing in that. I know I have said a lot of this before, and that I'm not saying everything that I said before, but that's okay. I don't feel like sharing the entire plot. But I do feel like saying that the story in Jellicoe Road is stunning. It is interesting and fun and just all kinds of awesome. I loved reading about the territory wars. About the gorgeous friendships. I loved reading about all of it. Okay, I loved reading about Jonah and Taylor the most. <3

I take deep breaths, looking at the town stretched in front of me. When I turn around, he cups my face in his hands and kisses me so deeply that I don't know who is breathing for who, but his mouth and tongue taste like warm honey. I don't know how long it lasts, but when I let go of him, I miss it instantly.

I have so many favorite parts in this book. Okay, the entire book is my favorite. But I loved the times we get to know about Taylor's past. About when she used to live with her mom. How broken her mom was. How she didn't fully take care of Taylor. What happened when she was eleven, to her and Sam. It was heartbreaking. And yet so perfect too and so real and honest. I loved reading those moments. And I would love to know more about her past. Though I'm sure it would break my heart that much more.

The ending for this book is perfect. Okay, it is beyond heartbreaking in some ways. Yet it is also the perfect ending. Though I really want to know what happens next. I'm so curious about it all. Mostly I just want to read more about Jonah and Taylor. <3 I need more of their gorgeous romance. Sigh. It's just so beautiful. And omg. There will be a Jellicoe Road movie. And I am dying for more news about it. I think it will be perfect. Sure, I'm worried about how they will make it. But I'm also so excited about it.

I am done talking about this book now. Hopefully this post made sense at all. I just loved this book so, so much. It means so much to me. And it made my heart to funny things. I'm so glad I finally read it again. <3 And I cannot wait to read it even more times. It is the kind of book you can read again and again and never tire of it. Which is why you all need to read it if you have yet to do so. It's worth it. Also, I'm sharing a bunch of quotes in this post of mine. I love them all. And I hope you do too. <3

These people have history and I crave history. I crave someone knowing me so well that they can tell what I'm thinking. Jonah Griggs takes my hand under the table and links my fingers with his and I know that I would sacrifice almost anything just to keep this state of mind, for the rest of the week at least.

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Jellicoe Road was read for the first time on December 26th 2012. My review from then: http://carinabooks.blogspot.no/2012/12/review-jellicoe-road-by-melina-marchetta.html
Jellicoe Road was read for the second time from April 6th to 7th 2013. My book recommendation from then: http://carinabooks.blogspot.no/2013/04/book-recommendation-jellicoe-road-by.html
Jellicoe Road was read for the third time from August 18th to 19th 2014. New post here: http://carinabooks.blogspot.no/2014/08/jellicoe-road-by-melina-marchetta.html

I thought I had experienced the brilliance of Melina Marchetta's writing when I read Saving Francesca, a stellar novel that reduced me to an aching mess. That was nothing compared to the emotional wreckage that came with reading Jellicoe Road. It is a beautiful novel, well deserving of its high praise, and it is at once a heartbreaking tale but also one that will warm your heart, down to the dark depths of it.

It's not the easiest book to get into, especially because the beginning is hard to understand, at least it was for me until the third attempt to start it. But it is well worth that initial struggle.

This is the story of Taylor Lily Markham, a girl with no parents. A girl with a past that she doesn't even understand. The story of love, loss, family, and the beautiful power of relationships.

"See, I remember love."

She is a part of a long tradition in her town, the border skirmishes that involve the three parties of the Townies, the Jellicoe School kids, who include herself, and the Cadets. The Cadets who include Jonah Briggs. It isn't a laughing matter, but a serious one that encompasses an old set of rules and bloodshed.

This year, now that Taylor is the leader, things are going to be different. But facing Jonah, who is the leader of the Cadets, is another story altogether. With a shared past, Jonah Briggs is the last person Taylor trusted, before things went horribly wrong. I don't want to give much away but there is a story behind every past, and theirs is the kind that elicits the urge to hug the characters.

Jonah Briggs, let's say he and I didn't get off on the right foot. I was unsure of whether I was going to love him or not, but I should have had faith. By the halfway point in the book I was utterly in love with this boy. This book isn't quite a romance but the part of the book that was, I wholeheartedly loved, especially the way it unfolded.

Beside Taylor are lovable side characters, the other Jellicoe School kids, each with an endearing face that will make you long to be with them. It's impossible not to fall in love with them and the cherish the bond that holds the characters together. In particular, Raffy and Ben are the ones that feature the most and in whatever universe they truly exist, I wish them the best.

" 'I believe in you, Taylor Markham.' "

And there is the question of Taylor's past, how Hannah, the one adult that Taylor can trust, features in it and so much more. It is truly a journey to travel with her, through the heartbreaking joy and tragedy that follows her.

A vital part of this story is about five characters whose intertwining lives are the heart of this story. To divulge anymore would be a crime, but all I can assure you of is that by the time all is revealed I was earnestly sobbing over them. Without them and the fateful incident on Jellicoe Road, this book would have been lost and I am eternally grateful that Melina Marchetta has the mind to write such a beautiful book.

"...who set out on their separate journeys that day not realizing the tragic ironies and joys of that collision of worlds on the Jellicoe Road."

I don't often think this, but if any young adult book should be featured in english classes in high school, it would be this book. It was truly an honor to read this.