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4.22 AVERAGE
4.22 AVERAGE
I mention quite a few pivotal plot points and I'm just too lazy to tag the spoiler parts because it's all over the review so beware of spoilers! Don't spoil the book if you haven't read it because it really is an amazing book and the few mysteries that I give away might take the effect of the book away from you.
The friendship in this book is something I've never experienced and it sounds stupid till you read the whole book. Okay the characters I loved, absolutely loved the original 5: Webb, Narnie, Tate, Fitz and Jude. Though Webb was the one emphasized on to be the amazing person, he left a big impact on me as the boy in the tree. Narnie I was never annoyed with her suicide attitude and she proved herself over and over especially the story about how she didn't move for 4 hours so that Webb wouldn't have to seen their mother that flew through the window without her head and died instantly. Fitz he had this spark but in the end he was probably one of the most heartbreaking characters and his reasons were really left for interpretation. Jude, the boy who wanted to fit in and wanted it so badly he wanted to be part of their tragedies, who was thought to be a serial killer at first by his surrogate daugther. Tate, well I never gave much thought to her till Webb disappear and then I felt for her because she and Webb were like one person they had one heart beating for them and you can't live with half a heart. The current 4: Taylor, Raffy, Santangelo and Griggs. Taylor, the past was very interesting and intertwined with everything so perfectly well. Raffy, I have a big place in my heart for her, she was like this every babbling, smart, optimist, I can only hope that I get to have someone like her in my life. Santangelo, love what he and Raffy have and love his bromance with Griggs, and brother thing with Taylor. Griggs I loved him so much, like everyone in this book he had a huge heartbreaking thing in his past I was surprised that he was there to kill at the train station himself the day he meet Taylor, it puts a whole new perspective on his runway trip with Taylor. Jonah Griggs had some of the best lines in the whole book.
I loved that the book kept me guessing, making try and find out everything, fit the puzzle pieces together and the whole who's who with the side story by Hannah included trying to put puzzle pieces that didn't fit and then trying again. The book always left enough hints for you to guess and then a little after or sometimes a lot after they were confirmed. You get almost all the answers in the end even the little ones to questions you forgot about. The only thing that was never cofirmed was how Webb died, how it came to be that Fitz missed his shot and what state Taylor actually was when she thought she was dreaming after she fainted, they never said if she was awake or talking with ghosts or something like that. There is no what happens after even though there is an epilogue but that is more to end the story the way it started, the full circle or whatever, I think there was not what happens after because we know they'll all finally be happy with one another's company, the grief and pain and sorrow won't consume them anymore because they have others to lean on to. The writing in this book is pretty much flawless and it just consumes you. There is so much more I want to say about the couples and everything that made my heart break or made me smile or made my jaw drop but people have to read the book for themselves to really understand because really I can't type everything about this book, there just too much to say, an endless stream of words about On The Jellicoe Road. Oh and one thing ignore the blurb it's shit and explaining and getting you to read the book, read the quotes instead.
This is one of the ones I don't really understand. Yet.
This quote isn't important to the book in anyway but it's important to me because it was the reason I read this book.
Well there are loads more but these are just a few to get you started on.
Spoiler
This book. This. Book. This book was weird and confused me at first. I was thrown off by the change in narration from the prologue to chapter 1. The territory wars pissed me off I didn't understand why they took it so seriously, it was just a game to me. Taylor annoyed me, I remember reading a review and it being tagged as "heroine-unreliable". I wondered how a heroine could be unreliable and the book could still get a 5 star rating. I tired in the start so hard to understand why Taylor was like that it's the best way to describe her unreliable, I searched for a reason for her actions and feelings but this is the story of Taylor's journey of change. It's not only a story about Taylor's change its about her whole life, its about everything and nothing about Narnie, Hannah, Jude, Webb, Griggs, Fitz, Tate, Santangelo, Raffy, the Hermit, the Brigader, Taylor's mom, Santangelo's dad. Like Taylor I feel in love with the original 5 there is just something about that that makes you want to be in on this secret world only they can see. The first time I cried in this book (I have only ever cried once before because of a book and I read a good amount of books) had to with Taylor's group: her, Raffy, Santangelo and Griggs. I thought it would be the last time but I cried quite a bit in this book. There is so much joy, happiness, life, suicide, laughter, love, grief, depression, hate and so many more emotions in this book and [a:Melina Marchetta|47104|Melina Marchetta|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1277655889p2/47104.jpg] make you feel all those emotions. There were so many amazing lines in that book that I couldn't highlight all of it on my kindle. Though after a few years past or maybe a year or a lot of years I know I'm going to pick up this book and reread it because there are still things said in this book about everything that I don't understand like believing in something higher and still loving the world. More people should read this, hell this should be one of the book they get you to read in school instead of those other books because I just understood for once and I get it that I have to read it over and over to understand it more and get the message but I love this book and the rollercoaster ride it took me on and I will forever thank this book for showing me something I haven't seen or felt before. It gave me something for look for in the world.The friendship in this book is something I've never experienced and it sounds stupid till you read the whole book. Okay the characters I loved, absolutely loved the original 5: Webb, Narnie, Tate, Fitz and Jude. Though Webb was the one emphasized on to be the amazing person, he left a big impact on me as the boy in the tree. Narnie I was never annoyed with her suicide attitude and she proved herself over and over especially the story about how she didn't move for 4 hours so that Webb wouldn't have to seen their mother that flew through the window without her head and died instantly. Fitz he had this spark but in the end he was probably one of the most heartbreaking characters and his reasons were really left for interpretation. Jude, the boy who wanted to fit in and wanted it so badly he wanted to be part of their tragedies, who was thought to be a serial killer at first by his surrogate daugther. Tate, well I never gave much thought to her till Webb disappear and then I felt for her because she and Webb were like one person they had one heart beating for them and you can't live with half a heart. The current 4: Taylor, Raffy, Santangelo and Griggs. Taylor, the past was very interesting and intertwined with everything so perfectly well. Raffy, I have a big place in my heart for her, she was like this every babbling, smart, optimist, I can only hope that I get to have someone like her in my life. Santangelo, love what he and Raffy have and love his bromance with Griggs, and brother thing with Taylor. Griggs I loved him so much, like everyone in this book he had a huge heartbreaking thing in his past I was surprised that he was there to kill at the train station himself the day he meet Taylor, it puts a whole new perspective on his runway trip with Taylor. Jonah Griggs had some of the best lines in the whole book.
I loved that the book kept me guessing, making try and find out everything, fit the puzzle pieces together and the whole who's who with the side story by Hannah included trying to put puzzle pieces that didn't fit and then trying again. The book always left enough hints for you to guess and then a little after or sometimes a lot after they were confirmed. You get almost all the answers in the end even the little ones to questions you forgot about. The only thing that was never cofirmed was how Webb died, how it came to be that Fitz missed his shot and what state Taylor actually was when she thought she was dreaming after she fainted, they never said if she was awake or talking with ghosts or something like that. There is no what happens after even though there is an epilogue but that is more to end the story the way it started, the full circle or whatever, I think there was not what happens after because we know they'll all finally be happy with one another's company, the grief and pain and sorrow won't consume them anymore because they have others to lean on to. The writing in this book is pretty much flawless and it just consumes you. There is so much more I want to say about the couples and everything that made my heart break or made me smile or made my jaw drop but people have to read the book for themselves to really understand because really I can't type everything about this book, there just too much to say, an endless stream of words about On The Jellicoe Road. Oh and one thing ignore the blurb it's shit and explaining and getting you to read the book, read the quotes instead.
“Not really,” Raffaela tells them. “He’s got a girlfriend and he’s madly in love with her. She lives next door back home.”...“How did you find out all that stuff about Griggs and his girlfriend?” “It was easy. I lied.”
“You know what I’m going to do when I get back to camp, Choi?” Griggs says a bit too cheerfully. “What, Griggs?” “I’m going to write a letter to my next-door neighbour. She’s my girlfriend. We’re madly in love.”
“You being on that platform changed mine.” This isn’t romance. This isn’t a declaration of love or affirmation of friendship. This is something more. “I wasn’t there that day to get on the three forty-seven to Yass,” he says. “I was there to throw myself in front of it.”
“It’s bullshit,” he tells me, flicking through it. “There’s no such thing as Atticus Finch.
“What happens when she’s not my memory anymore? What happens when she’s not around to tell me about his belt leaving scars across my two-year-old brother’s face or when he whacked her so hard that she lost her hearing for a week? Who’ll be my memory?” Santangelo doesn’t miss a beat. “I will. Ring me.”
“Hold my hand,” she said, sobbing against him. “Hold my hand because I might disappear.”
Because people with that much spirit frighten the hell out of me. They make me want to be a better person when I know it’s not possible.
This is one of the ones I don't really understand. Yet.
It’s funny how you can forget everything except people loving you. Maybe that’s why humans find it so hard getting over love affairs. It’s not the pain they’re getting over, it’s the love.
“If you weren’t driving, I’d kiss you senseless,” I tell him. He swerves to the side of the road and stops the car abruptly. “Not driving any more.”
This quote isn't important to the book in anyway but it's important to me because it was the reason I read this book.
Well there are loads more but these are just a few to get you started on.
cw: suicide, suicide ideation, death; mentions of past parental/domestic abuse (physical), implied child molestation, drug addiction
Whoa. Just... Whoa. I was expecting to like this books but I wasn't expecting how MUCH I love this book.
I absolutely loved the two stories being told and their connections. It is just like "The Shadow of the Wind" and I worship that book.
The terminology would throw me off some times but it was easy to comprehend.
I absolutely loved the two stories being told and their connections. It is just like "The Shadow of the Wind" and I worship that book.
The terminology would throw me off some times but it was easy to comprehend.
Nu sunt un fan al cărților young adult. Le citesc numai atunci când am nevoie de relaxare și de vreun roi de fluturi. Cartea asta mi-a zdrobit toți fluturii. M-a scuturat, m-a prins zdravăn de gulerul cămășii și m-a luat la trântă. Aparent, este o carte simplă. O poveste despre activitățile de vară ale unor elevi, o competiție care durează de câțiva ani buni, o lecție despre supraviețuire. De parcă mai aveau nevoie de una. Dacă ai răbdare să îi îndepărtezi meticulos straturile, dai peste o carte în care singurătatea, întrebările și teama colcăie.
https://ancasicartile.wordpress.com/2018/04/16/soseaua-jellicoe-melina-marchetta-recenzie/
I really really loved this one. It was incredibly confusing at first but I loved slowly untangling what was happening. Taylor was an extremely flawed but lovable main character, and I was rooting for her the whole time. The storyline of her parents was heartbreaking in so many ways and I’m happy she and her friends got to break that cycle and begin something new. I loved that the beginning and end of the book mirrored each other and I always enjoy a book that can make me laugh and cry. This one was so fun to read and just made u feel so much
This was the perfect example of a ‘slow’ story that isn’t boring. The pacing is pretty slow, but it builds on itself and reveals information and history about the characters, their relationships, and the world. The story grows and develops and blooms. It’s a weird one - I wouldn’t think much about it when I wasn’t reading, but when I was reading it had my full attention.
Things I Liked:
I really liked the writing style. It was very much a stream of consciousness style that I found easy to read. It was easy to connect with Taylor because we get so much of her emotions and thoughts from the writing. I liked how we were discovering information alongside her. The story pulls you with it and keeps you engaged.
I really loved the flashback scenes to Narnie, Tate, Jude, Fitz, and Webb. I found the characters endearing and very lively. They had such an earnest friendship and it was great to see. We get so much history from them. I loved seeing how their relationship changed the townies, the cadets, and the Jellicoe school kids.
I also really loved the dynamic that developed between Griggs, Taylor, and Santangelo. As the chosen leaders of the cadets, the Jellicoe school houses, and the townies respectively, it was nice to see their interactions change and evolve over the course of the story. The learn more about each other and their history and they evolve naturally. I really loved the bonding at the Prayer tree, it felt so genuine that I became completely invested in these three characters.
Things I Didn’t Like:
I didn’t really care about Raffaela at all. She felt pretty useless as a character to me. I know she has some kind of history with Santangelo that was supposed to cause drama or at least bring her into the core group, but we don’t get any information to actually make me care. The side characters in general all receive virtually no information, but that’s really ok because the story is more about the core group and their history and the history of Jellicoe road. But Raffaela is integrated as part of the core group, but I don’t think we get enough of her to establish her on her own.
The serial killer side plot fell completely flat to me. There wasn’t enough information to establish is and it didn’t have much closure either. It never went anywhere, it was just brought up now and again with no history or development. It was really just unnecessary and didn’t add anything at all to the story.
This was an enjoyable and engaging read, that builds and creates this hazy world of nostalgia and mystery. I really liked how the answers revealed themselves naturally and organically. The characters and the world are ethereal, while still being incredible grounded in emotion and humility.
Things I Liked:
I really liked the writing style. It was very much a stream of consciousness style that I found easy to read. It was easy to connect with Taylor because we get so much of her emotions and thoughts from the writing. I liked how we were discovering information alongside her. The story pulls you with it and keeps you engaged.
I really loved the flashback scenes to Narnie, Tate, Jude, Fitz, and Webb. I found the characters endearing and very lively. They had such an earnest friendship and it was great to see.
Spoiler
I also loved that Hannah’s book was about these flashback characters we meet and that the story was her story. The story of her and her friends, it paralleled Taylor, Griggs, Santangelo and the other characters beautifullyI also really loved the dynamic that developed between Griggs, Taylor, and Santangelo. As the chosen leaders of the cadets, the Jellicoe school houses, and the townies respectively, it was nice to see their interactions change and evolve over the course of the story. The learn more about each other and their history and they evolve naturally. I really loved the bonding at the Prayer tree, it felt so genuine that I became completely invested in these three characters.
Things I Didn’t Like:
I didn’t really care about Raffaela at all. She felt pretty useless as a character to me. I know she has some kind of history with Santangelo that was supposed to cause drama or at least bring her into the core group, but we don’t get any information to actually make me care. The side characters in general all receive virtually no information, but that’s really ok because the story is more about the core group and their history and the history of Jellicoe road. But Raffaela is integrated as part of the core group, but I don’t think we get enough of her to establish her on her own.
The serial killer side plot fell completely flat to me. There wasn’t enough information to establish is and it didn’t have much closure either. It never went anywhere, it was just brought up now and again with no history or development. It was really just unnecessary and didn’t add anything at all to the story.
This was an enjoyable and engaging read, that builds and creates this hazy world of nostalgia and mystery. I really liked how the answers revealed themselves naturally and organically. The characters and the world are ethereal, while still being incredible grounded in emotion and humility.
Gosh, this so far exceeded my expectations. It is highly probable that Melina Marchetta will become one of my favorite authors. This is an Australian contemporary about a high school girl finding her place in the world, spanning eighteen years and two generations, and the mysteries found on the Jellicoe Road...beautiful and heartbreaking in turn, this story will sweep you along for the ride, and you'll enjoy every minute.
The beginning was a bit confusing until I got used to the voice and the setting, but it was well worth the small wait.
The beginning was a bit confusing until I got used to the voice and the setting, but it was well worth the small wait.
Oh my goodness. This book was so lyrical and flowing and beautiful. It took a while to get everyone straight, but the story was compelling in its darkness. Jellicoe Road is a truly wonderful story.
A very sweet journey of self discovery and all the emotions that come along with being a teenager — to with a lot more going on than most. All the characters leapt off the pages and were rich counterbalances to an already strong narrator. There were a few characters who got lost tired the end who I missed, but either way I highly recommend this book.