This book was given as a recommendation to me on goodreads.com…as I’m sort of on a young adult fiction kick right now. Yes, I’m 23, and I’ve graduated university…but somehow YA fiction is my genre of choice (preferably fantasy or dystopian YA fiction but throw in a little teen romance and I’m hooked!)
Now, I’m the kind of person who reads a series like Harry Potter or the Hunger Games and finishes them feeling very empty. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely adored both series, however, once they were over I was left longing for more and so the search began for some new series to come along and fill the void left behind. With that being said, I’m not a book slut. I can’t just easily jump from one book to the next without constantly thinking about my past love. So I have to be very particular in the next book I choose to read. I need a rebound book. A light book, that will capture my interest, pull at my heart strings, but not leave me with an open ending. I can NEVER commit to a new series right after finishing with one. So it is important that my rebound book does not have a sequal.
And ‘On the Jellicoe Road’ (or ‘Jellicoe Road’ as any non-australian reader will find the book titled) is my latest rebound book. It’s a light read, and not part of a series so there’s no long-term committment, but all the same it left me completely satisfied.
This is my first Melina Marchetta novel, and after reading ‘Jellicoe Road’ I wouldn’t be surprised to pick up another one of her novels down the road. It hooked me from the very first lines:
“My father took one hundred and thirty-two minutes to die. I counted.”
With such a powerful opening, I just had a great feeling about this book from the start. And let me tell you, without any spoilers, that I felt like it delivered. Now this book isn’t action packed, or a nail biting page turner, but it keeps you interested through its confusing yet, intriguing way of unravelling a mystery.
Now if you start reading this book, and get confused, and you most likely will, PLEASE, don’t give up on it. Keep reading, and I promise it will all come together and start to make sense. It just takes a bit of patience.
As mentioned above, I’m probably a little too old for YA fiction. And should no longer be reading or interested in the lives of teenagers… however, if written well, I can still find myself lost in the drama and romance. And let me tell you, that this book has teenage relationships down pat. Melina Marchetta is in her late 40’s, but boy does she tap into the emotional state of a teenager. I couldn’t help but swoon over Jonah Griggs and the fantastically written chemistry going on between him and Taylor. Never a dull moment with those two. And this isn’t a mushy novel, with constant kissing and such, its tastefully done. I’m not gushing over cheesy lines and puppy love, but two characters with a ruff exterior that are drenched in this underlying emotion and sexual tension for one another. When I see Jonah Grigg’s name appear on the page I literally get excited for another encounter between the two of them.
Overall I really enjoyed this book, as the mystery started to reveal itself, it’s hard not to guess where the book was headed, but even though I guessed the ending, there were still parts I didnt have quite just right, and I was still very sastified none the less.
So to anyone looking for a great rebound book…. or just a good light read, I would highly recommend ‘Jellicoe Road’.
If you’ve read it, please let me know what you thought! If you haven’t, I hope that this post has inspired you to track down this book and read it.
andyousmiled 
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