July 31, 2012

Journey (Through the Past) • Jellicoe Road

Jellicoe Road book cover
Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
Publisher: Harper Teen
Publication Date: March 9, 2010
Source/Format: Bought || Paperback

This absorbing, award-winning novel is part love story, part family drama, and part coming-of-age story in one compelling tale. If Taylor Markham can put together the pieces of her past and present, she might just be able to change her future.



When it comes to the books that you fall completely, head over heels in love with, sometimes, it's incredibly hard to express how much you love them and why you do.  JELLICOE ROAD is a book that has been around for a while, but I only read it fairly recently - and it blew me away to an extent I couldn't foresee. It's been days since I finished this gorgeous novel by MELINA MARCHETTA but I find that my thoughts still linger on it. 

Overall, the novel is haunting, peppered with sadness and pinches of joy. This book managed to take my heart in, crush it into a million pieces, sweep the pieces up and put them back together again. Seriously, this novel just made me feel everything so intensely. As I said to my friend Magan, it's like I wish I could just bottle up this feeling, call it Jellicoe Road and shove it into people's hands so they'd understand what I'm trying to say.

I actually liked being thrust into the action and the two simultaneous stories right from the beginning. Though it took a while for things to be cleared up, I felt like I was immediately tuned in to the story and anticipating what would happen next. I honestly felt like I was reading a film - everything played out cinematically, mostly because of the incredibly poetic and descriptive writing style.

And I fell in love with these characters - Taylor, Raffy, Santangelo, Jessa, Jonah, Narnie, Tate, Webb, Jude and Fitz. It was hard not to fall in love with each individual, even more so with their friendships and their own stories of love, loss, longing and joy. You all already know that I love a good character and this book had plenty of them to offer to me.

MELINA MARCHETTA is a wonderfully talented writer, with the ability to use words to evoke scenes and bring characters to life. Reading JELLICOE ROAD was an amazing experience, and my first time reading it is something that I will find very difficult to forget for the rest of my life. 

So yes, if you haven't read it yet, please do. It's amazing, amazing, amazing.

This review was posted as part of Rewind & Review.


Rewind & Review is a great monthly feature started by Ginger of GReads! and Lisa of Lisa is Busy Nerding. Each month, participants will set aside some "older" titles to read and review on their blogs. This feature is the perfect opportunity to get around to reading that title you've been eyeing for years or that book that's been in your TBR for what feels like forever. For more information, you can visit this post.

10 Comments:

  1. Such a perfect review for such an AMAZING book. It really is the kind of book that stays with you and I wish the feeling of this could be bottled too, best feeling.

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  2. Haunting - perfect description. I get goosebumps just thinking about it. And Jonah Griggs. <3333 *fangirls over Marchetta*

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  3. Lovely book and lovely review! I have to admit that it took me a while to get into Jellicoe Road, but when I did? I was a goner. It's the kind of book that sinks into you. I definitely need to give it a re-read at some point.

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  4. Beautiful review, Alexa! I am thrilled that you loved this so much :)

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  5. Oh my gosh, yes, your entire second paragraph!

    When I started this book, another blogger friend made me PROMISE not to give up on it because she told me up front it was confusing but that it would work itself out. And it does. I never wanted to give up on it, but I can't BELIEVE how beautifully Melina Marchetta crafted this one.

    This is my only MM book so far, and I'm sad about that, but I have two others on my Kindle and NEED to get to them. I NEED TO. AAAHHH not enough time.

    But I LOVE your thoughts on this one because you said it perfectly. YAY for award winning books and YAY for Jonah Griggs! YAY!

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  6. I have this book and I need to read it soon! I know it won a lot of YA awards and I've heard nothing but good things.

    Kate @ Ex Libris

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  7. I love it when other people love Jellicoe Road like I do :'')

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  8. AHHH! I just finished this yesterday and I LOVED it! I never cry at books or movies, but this one had me bawling! It was so good! I didn't read your review because I'm not done writing my own review and I don't want to accidentally plagiarize your review, but I did see that you thought it was amazing and I had to comment and agree! :D

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  9. I know EXACTLY what you mean, and I would bottle that feeling in a second. I still have a bit of a book hangover for this one, which I read before attending Melina Marchetta's even in the city. It's impossible to put into words how this book makes you feel, but like you said, it's impossible not to fall in love with all of the characters therein.

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  10. I really need to read this one, it's been on my to-read shelf forever!

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