what a brilliant story! really unique and touching. the first third of this book was a bit of a slog, but getting past that was well worth it, and definitely had me captivated. this touches on a lot of really difficult stuff, but it’s all the more important for that.

This book holds a special place in my heart. It had such an impact on me when I first read it as a teenager. More than a decade later, rereading it brought back all of those same emotions. What a funny, mysterious, witty, beautiful, gut-wrenching story.

Beautiful and melancholic.

I don't have enough fingers to list the numerous tragedies this novel contains. The honesty and the brutality of these events made my heart heavy. I was sighing and shaking my head with despair, whether it was for something that happened or for something that could have happened. Because of that you might wonder: is this book not too dramatic? The answer is no. Because the author does it with finesse and cleverness.

I'm not gonna lie, the first quarter is hella confusing. We have two stories: one with Taylor and one with the Five. You don't have a clear distinction on page that tells you why a random italicized paragraph/page appears in the middle of the MC's POV nor do you have a precise timeline for it. Sometimes, these italicized bits are not even told in order. However, the more you read the more you understand the pieces. See it as a big puzzle that reveals a part of itself each time you add a new piece. Personally, I already trusted the author and simply decided to go with it without trying to understand everything at once.

I loved how a detail that, at first, seemed inconsequential turned out to be important or enlightening. I also loved the growing friendship between the characters. I have a soft spot for Chaz (his mother reprimanding her sons for swearing only to call them little shit was hilarious). Despite the dark themes, there are good moments and a magical element that counterweight the darkness.

This story and the characters moved me. The only thing that didn't make it a 5 stars was the confusion at the beginning. I feel like I missed crucial information because I didn't know what to understand. I think I would love it even more upon re-read, now that I know how everything is tied together.

I was transported to the bush, practically smelling the Eucalypts, as I unraveled Taylor’s story from the story of Narnie, Webb, Tate, Fitz and Jude.

This book is so heart wrenchingly beautiful. I didn’t want it to end. The build up is immaculate and the characters are so well constructed I feel like I know them. 

On the Jellicoe Road was the first Melina Marchetta book I encountered, though not the first one I read. My Auntie Carol bought it for me on a trip to Australia before my first year of university, and I proceeded to leave it on a shelf until a different Australian friend bought me Saving Francesca and prompted me to revisit a book I hadn’t thought about in years. 

On a first read, On the Jellicoe Road’s double narrative sweeps the reader along in exactly the same way Hannah’s manuscript carries Taylor. That it’s not immediately easy to make head or tail of the story doesn’t make the ride any less enjoyable. Even on a second read, it’s fun for the reader to piece together what they remember of the links between the two stories. It’s particularly rewarding to see the adults those kids in the eighties have become; Melina Marchetta gets to show off friendships that have actually lasted for decades, as well as ones which feel like they will. 

Taylor Markham is as good an angsty teen girl protagonist as A Deadly Education’s Galadriel, and the cast of classmates and schoolmates that surround her are just as much of a found family, if not moreso. Like Galadriel, Taylor makes herself difficult to like at times, which only makes her character development more rewarding. Taylor’s relationship and love interest are a much more integral part of the story than Francesca’s were, which is why On the Jellicoe Road gets that extra half a star! 

On the Jellicoe Road has as much character development as any of Melina Marchetta’s other novels and, on top of that, it also has more plot than most of the other Young Adult titles. The ending is big and brilliant and memorable. Even reading the book for a third time drives the reader towards it with eager anticipation. It’s not quite fair to compare On the Jellicoe Roadwith Finnikin of the Rock, because both stories are doing very different things, while sharing many Melina Marchetta’s trademark positives.

As it turns out, my Auntie Carol has spot-on taste, because On the Jellicoe Road is my favourite of the Melina Marchetta books I’ve read.