“What do you want from me?” he asks. What I want from every person in my life, I want to tell him. More.
Abandoned by her mother on Jellicoe Road when she was eleven, Taylor Markham, now seventeen, is finally being confronted with her past. But as the reluctant leader of her boarding school dorm, there isn’t a lot of time for introspection. And while Hannah, the closest adult Taylor has to family, has disappeared, Jonah Griggs is back in town, moody stares and all.
In this absorbing story by Melina Marchetta, nothing is as it seems and every clue leads to more questions as Taylor tries to work out the connection between her mother dumping her, Hannah finding her then and her sudden departure now, a mysterious stranger who once whispered something in her ear, a boy in her dreams, five kids who lived on Jellicoe Road eighteen years ago, and the maddening and magnetic Jonah Griggs, who knows her better than she thinks he does. If Taylor can put together the pieces of her past, she might just be able to change her future.
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Sexual Content - 3/5
3/5
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Violence - 1/5
1/5
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Language - 2/5
2/5
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Drugs and Alcohol - /5
/5
Summary
Fair warning: I'm not entirely sure if this review is accurate. Jellicoe Road was my first dive into Australian literature, and clearly I have a lot to learn about the inhabitants of the Land Down Under. This book had me Googling things left and right: what's a singlet? (It's Australian underwear). What's the Australian slang for French kissing? (Pashing). When they call something a one-off, do they mean a favor? (No. It's a term for an unreoccuring event.) This book would have gotten four stars from me but for one thing: The author pulled that nasty little writing technique where flashbacks occur outside of the main story. Every other chapter there would be a flashback. Problem is, you don't know ANYTHING about what's going on in the flashback, because it hasn't happened in the story. This is confusing because you then have to remember EVERY SINGLE FLASHBACK so you get when something from them is revealed in the story. And that is a serious headache. Otherwise, this was a really fun read. The cast of characters was great, even if the main character was a bit tedious (aren't they always?), and it was one of those mysteries that has just enough coincidences in the end to be comical. The setting was by far my favorite part- the story focuses a lot on the land and the outdoors, so there was lots of pretty Australian scenery. I also liked the unusual plot, even though at times it felt slightly ridiculous. Jellicoe Road was an easy, unusual read for mystery lovers (and Aussie fans!) everywhere.
Violence-Some punching and stupid Boyfights. Also someone shot themselves, and an abusive parent.
Language-Well, Aussies swear kind of funny but I think the f-bomb was dropped a few times and a few other nasty words
Sexual-There were two mildly graphic sex scenes and some making out, also a mention of a child pedophilia incident that was cringe-worthy