Review- Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Goodreads Summary:

"What do you want from me?" he asks. What I want from every person in my life, I want to tell him. More.

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 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 then and her sudden departure now, 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 might just be able to change her future. 

REVIEW:

I am tempted to say that Tanja forced me to read Melina Marchetta's Jellicoe Road. I am also tempted to say that she bullied me into reading it. But I won't say it. Because after Tanja read a few books that I recommended her, it was about time that I gave Melina Marchetta, an author Tanja swears by, a try. And trust me, Tanja knows her stuff. Don't ever mess with her. Don't ever doubt her. Because one point that is absolutely clear to me now is that Tanja will recommend books that will make you cry and in the end, those are the best books. 

It wasn't easy for me to get into Jellicoe Road. The story is confusing as hell, and there were times when I had no idea what I was reading but I just kept reading because, 1) I had to do this for my girl who 2) kept motivating me to go on with it. But even if I didn't have reason number two, I would have still continued reading because Melina Marchetta created magic with her writing and just the flow of words had me wanting to turn the pages. The confusing shift between past and present was difficult to understand at first, but once I got the connection between the two, it became incredible. 

I guess with books like Jellicoe Road, it's not so much about understanding as it is about feeling. And I felt. I am unable to pinpoint exactly what I felt, but I felt that pull in my heart that made me want to hug the characters. It was towards the last 15% of the book that I really got into the story and started feeling, but that's okay, because those last few chapters were so damn stunning. So even though 85% is huge, I forgive it, because the last bit was where everything came together, all dots were connected and life went on. 

So to conclude, I will just say that Jellicoe Road is difficult to understand and confusing to read, but you don't you dare give up, because there are very few books that bring tears to your eyes, and this is one of those books. While I do not love this book as much as Tanja and Glass do, I still want to thank them both for making me read it. You girls owe me now. But first, thank you. Thank you for making me read this heart-breaking yet fulfilling story about what matters the most- family and roots. 

Don't forget to check out Tanja and Glass' reviews of the book. 

P.S: There is so much more I wanted to say, but for now, this should be enough. 

RATING: