Jellicoe Road: an Australian journey

I had to check out On the Jellicoe Road by Malina Marchetta because of the rave reviews I was catching on the internet. It also didn’t hurt that it won the most prestigious award for young adult literature – the Michael Printz.

Its structure and prose are very, very different from most YA lit that I’ve been reading. There are two story lines and their connection is not clear until 2/3 of the way through this book. The sheer number of characters is initially overwhelming. It’s one of those books that take at least 100 pages – even longer to start coming together but eventually does so in an extremely compelling manner.

The events in the story are born out of a hideous tragedy and this loss continues to batter the characters throughout the book. The protagonist, Taylor Markham, who is hurt and distrusting and even unkind, sets out on an emotional journey that sees her grow and open and learn to resolve many of the puzzles of her life. In the process, the reader has the opportunity to identify with some of the many characters so vividly portrayed

The story takes place in Australia and centres on a boarding school whose students are enmeshed in a territorial war with the “Townies” and the cadets. Taylor is a student leader and representative who is also grappling with the disappearance of a beloved adult with property on school grounds, as well as the puzzle of her family background.

I have to warn you. It’s going to take many, many chapters to really get involved with this book. But it is well worth the wait. The richness of the story, the characters, and the ultimate ‘redemption’ make this well worth the effort.