Melina Marchetta

I was totally mystified by the first half of this novel. Best guess was that this was some sort of dystopian setting, with the Students, Townies and Cadets fighting it out for territory on a post-apocalyptic world. Another reviewer said she didn't understand what was happening for the first 100 pages, so I kept going, but it took till about page 200 before I had a grasp on this story. I have to say I don't know why this won the Printz Award, but maybe if I'd read it when it was first published...So, yeah, it was an interesting story, but not a winner for me.… (meer)

This book has an intriguing plot and does a good job of keeping suspense regarding the mysterious event that occurred to create the pretense for the books plot. It's an interesting blend of earthly medieval fantasy politics and the magical realm. It starts with a young male protagonist looking to reform a lost kingdom. Predictibly it is a young girl with mysterious powers that is the key to doing so. This book has violence and killing but is probably okay for middle teen audience and up. The perspective jumps back and forth from a male and female POV. It also has a lot of world building and the plot might get too convoluted for the average younger teen reader.… (meer)

I don’t even know where to begin with Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta. I spent the first third of the book deciding whether I was going to set it aside or not but it was interesting enough that I continued to read on as I wanted to know what was going on. Eventually I couldn’t put it down as I was totally captured by the characters, the setting and the tense atmosphere. The writer gives the reader fragments of various stories and leaves it to us to fit all the pieces together.

This Australian YA story is hard to define or describe, set in and around the grounds of a private school, part of the story is about the yearly territory battles that occur between the students of the school, the cadets that come and camp nearby and the local kids or “Townies”. Revolving around the leaders of each group, Taylor for the school, Jonah for the cadets and Santiago for the Townies, we learn of past and present relationships. There is also a story from the past, involving five young people whose legacy is still being felt, and far off, at the edge of the story, there is a serial killer who has been operating in the area for some time.

Jellicoe Road engages the reader with it’s intricate structure, nuanced writing and the interwoven lives of the characters. It is complex tale that reduced me to tears by the end of book. A well blended combination of mystery and romance, this was a very powerful story.… (meer)