I fucking loved this book. In fact, I had that “just finished an awesome book buzz” for at least an hour afterwards. To me that buzz feels rather like the “Wheee!” Liesel makes after kissing Rolf the future Nazi in the gazebo, only I don’t really squeal - I just want to tell everyone I see about this really good book I just finished. Sorry about that, still on a “Sound of Music” kick apparently. Done now, no more references. But hey, thank goodness for Forever Young Adult’s Swoonworthy Couples list, for introducing me to classic YA novels I might have missed.
Marchetta has crafted haunting, beautiful story that reads like a mystery but is in fact only a mystery to the protagonist. You’re on the journey with Taylor Markham as she slowly puts the missing pieces of many shattered lives back together. “Jellicoe Road” has the best elements of YA, the fine art of teenage group dynamics and language, personal growth and first love. I enjoyed the romantic elements, of course. Who doesn’t love a really solid hero winning over a gun-shy girl? Jonah and Taylor forge a mature relationship that is simultaneously intense and surprisingly age-appropriate. However, ‘Jellicoe Road” is more than a love story between two people; it’s a story of friendship – encompassing two interwoven generations and the power of bonds formed through tragedy.
