Sunday, September 25, 2011

A Reader's Ramble- Jellicoe Road

Wow, I haven't done one of these in a while. But for this Reader's Ramble I will be reviewing Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta.

Page count- 419

In this lyrical, absorbing, award-winning novel, nothing is as it seems, and every clue leads to more questions.
At age eleven, Taylor Markham was abandoned by her mother. At fourteen, she ran away from boarding school, only to be tracked down and brought back by a mysterious stranger. Now seventeen, Taylor's the reluctant leader of her school's underground community, whose annual territory war with the Townies and visiting Cadets has just begun. This year, though, the Cadets are led by Jonah Griggs, and Taylor can't avoid his intense gaze for long. To make matters worse, Hannah, the one adult Taylor trusts, has disappeared. But if Taylor can piece together the clues Hannah left behind, the truth she uncovers might not just settle her past, but also change her future.

Plot- Wow, oh my goodness, where do I begin? This story just blew me away. The whole mystery of it, was just wow. I loved the writing style. It was so lyrical and it flowed really well. As I read the last page of this  few minutes ago, I just sat there stunned. Like, how could it end? How did I not read this story before? How is Melina Marchetta such a genius? How did she ever come up with this story? Gah! It all was just so interesting and hooking. 
The romance! Even with all the mystery and action, there was even an adorable romance! 
The plot is actually where my only complaints are. And they are minor. The beginning was really, really confusing. I was confused up until about page 200. But I guess in a way in has to be confusing, I don't know.
But this book has a great ending and it will leave you in shock after you finish reading it. You will want to live on the Jellicoe Road. Marchetta's writing is just so mesmerizing. I loved it! I mean, the beginning hooks you in right away, check out the first couple lines-


"My father took one hundred and thirty two minutes to die. I counted. It happened on the Jellicoe Road. The prettiest road I'd ever seen, where the trees made breezy canopies like a tunnel to Shangri-la.  We were going to the ocean, hundreds of miles way, because I wanted to see the ocean and my father said that it was about time the four of us made that journey. I remember asking, "What's the difference between a trip and a journey?" and my father said, "Narnie my love, when we get there, you'll understand," and that was the last thing he ever said." 
Epic, right? 


Setting- In Australia in some town I don't know on the Jellicoe Road. The setting just has such significance in the story, it was brilliant. I can't go too in depth about it but it's just great. You'll love it. 


Characters-All of them were so wonderful. And in a way, they were all connected. They all were so real. I wanted to know them all and have them in my life. They all had their own problems and unique pasts. I loved all of the characters, they were pretty much the best part. Every single on of the characters was important in some way, and there were a lot of them. 
Taylor, the main character was just so amazing. Her past was a rough one but she turned out all right, and if it wasn't for her past this story would not have taken place. She is very strong and brave. She was just a great MC and I wish she and all the other characters existed. 


Jonah Griggs... my goodness.. he is just a fabulous character too, with such a past. Taylor and him are connected in more ways than just romantically. They changed each other's lives even if they didn't realize it. 
Loved all of them. Narnie, Tate, Webb, Jude, and Fitz, too. Wow, just wow. 


Cover- I didn't understand why there was a flower on the cover when I first got this book. And I thought, "Wow, a flower, woop dee doo." But now that I've read this I realize why they chose this certain flower and I love it. I don't like the color orange however and I don't like the font of the title, but I love the flower. I don't know if I would randomly pick this up off a shelf, but I'm so glad I read it. 


Overall- Overall, this is one heck of a book. So tragic, heart-breaking, interesting, bewildering, mysterious, lyrical, romantic, and wonderful. I think I'll be reading it again some time in the future. This is one of those books where you figure out the mystery on your own before they actually tell you, and that's exactly what I did. I was so happy because I was actually right about everything I guessed! I felt smart, haha. 
I highly recommend this read. This took me a long time to finish because of how confusing it was at first, and that made me reluctant to read it. But now I'm so happy I did. It all began to piece together eventually. I'm still confused on some things though..


I give Jellicoe Road 5/5 stars, it is one of my favorites and you all need to read it!



My next Reader's Ramble will be on Amy & Roger's Epic Detour! 

1 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ooh, this book sounds fabulous! I know Marisa liked it, too. I'll have to see if it's at the library... I'm glad you enjoyed it! Don't you love when you figure out the mystery and feel all smart? ;)