Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

I'm trying something new, so be sure to tell me whether you like it or not in the comments!

"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.


My Thoughts/Review:

What I love the most about this story is the lyrical, emotional way that is written. I think I've never read something that beautiful, and probably never will again. Except, of course, when I read this again. It gives you the background story along with a mystery, explaining the most complex human relationships that have possibly ever graced the pages of a book. Miss Marchetta's writing had real depth, and I'm kind of sad that I put off reading it for so long. Which goes to show you, the cover and the blurb aren't always the most accurate representations of a book. Taylor really grew throughout the book, and it was great to read that. And may I just say, Griggs is completely swoon-worthy. And he is filled-To the Brim-with real, amazing emotions. So is Taylor. That being said, I cried. But I laughed too, so that makes up for the angst.


                                    I give this Book Four Stars.


"What's with what your wearing?" Griggs asks while we stand outside waiting for the others.
 "It's pretty hideous, isn't it?" I say.
 "Don't force me to look at it," he says. "It's see-through." That kills the conversation for a couple of seconds.


                          Oh, and here's a good one.

He stops and looks at me. "I'm here because of you. You're my priority. Your happiness, in some fucked way, is tuned into mine. Get that through your thick skull. Would I like it any other way? Hell yes, but I don't think that will be happening in my lifetime."
"Wow," I say sarcastically. "That's way too much romance for me today."
"If you want romance, go be with Ben Cassidy. Maybe he'll fawn all over you or play a beautiful piece of violin music. I never promised you romance. And stop finding a reason to be angry with me. I didn't redevelop this place. I just asked if you ate at restaurants."