bookphilia

Sentence: I sentence Melina Marchetta to swapping stories over drinks (and possibly cookies).

Review: I know I normally spoil books to no end, but there really is nothing to spoil in this book. In fact, from the very beginning I could see things falling into place, even before it had been confirmed by the narrator. But it didn’t matter because suddenly I realized I was already invested in the outcome of my beloved protagonists.

It doesn’t even matter that there is something special about Jessa or that Taylor is more connected to Jellicoe School than she realizes. I found myself pushing past the sorrow of Taylor’s abandonment to console her with the love of her friends (even when they seem like they’re in a war) and Hannah.

I don’t believe in god (or ghosts), but the eerie coincidences and ghosts of the past (especially the boy in the tree, haunting her dreams) make me want to believe in some sort of higher power helping Taylor find herself. I can’t help but love her even when she’s pathetically moody; avoiding mentions of her and Jonah (swoon) in the same sentence; and wheezing or fainting at every TMI moment (I’m currently listening to Coward of the Country courtesy of Kenny Rogers, haha).

I cannot do Jellicoe Road any justice in this review because I am nowhere near as eloquent as Marchetta. Taylor’s story and its intricately branching history is worth the gamble