Melina Marchetta’s coming-of-age novel is a refreshingly mature young adult adventure that captures the feeling on the crux of growing up and watching all that was familiar with the world shift into something new.
On the Jellicoe Road transports the reader to a world caught between the dreams of childhood and the horrors of reality, a boarding school where the students wage war with the Cadets and Townies, and the teachers never stick around long enough to stop them. In her last year at the school, Taylor Markham is given responsibility she never wanted, and must decide where her priorities lie when the truth about her identity and the people she thought she knew start to unravel.
The novel switches between two timelines, which are beautifully balanced. Taylor’s story is the main focus, and the reader is guided into the second timeline in a way that feels organic and doesn’t detract from either side. The two stories overlap and weave through each other without blatantly pointing out the connections, instead allowing the reader to come to their own conclusions. The payoff for the links between the timelines is incredibly rewarding, something that was carefully planned by Marchetta.
Marchetta succeeds in creating a setting vivid enough that it feels like its own world, but is still tethered in reality. While the Jellicoe School isn’t the happiest place, there’s a certain warmth of homliness attached to it that disappears the instant Taylor ventures into the outside world. Even in different timelines, the atmosphere of the school is as tangible as ever, making it easy to get lost in the Jellicoe Road.
Taylor stands out as a protagonist. She is incredibly strong and opinionated, and watching her grow and mature is extremely satisfying. But what really defines this novel is the theme of kids having to deal with things far beyond what should be expected of them, and the impact it has on them. The majority of the characters in On the Jellicoe Road have suffered great losses or gone through terrible ordeals, and what this novel does so well is explore the different ways people cope with trauma. No one is without flaw, but everyone is capable of improvement, and On the Jellicoe Road shows that it’s never too late to change.
Melissa Keil’s The Secret Science of Magic is a unique and compelling twist on the typical romance novel. Shift away from the typical “quirky” star-crossed lover archetypes, Keil has created the kind of relatable and complex character that exist in real life, but rarely ever play a starring role in the media. Sophia is so …
Skulduggery Pleasant – Playing with Fire is the second novel in Derek Landy’s Skulduggery Pleasant series. Following on from the events of the first novel (if you have not read the first novel, or do not want spoilers, please STOP reading right now), the novel picks up a few months after Skulduggery and Valkyrie defeated …
The Conference of the Birds offers readers with a fifth dive into Ransom Rigg’s world of the much-adored literary peculiars. In this novel, which carries on directly from ‘A Map of Days’–released as the fourth book in 2019–Jacob and his peculiar friends return to uncover the mystery surrounding their newest companion Noor, most namely piecing …
A heartwarming and honest read, Finding Nevo is a charming story of self-discovery and love. The memoir deals with some complex and relevant issues such as sexuality and gender identity, and while these kinds of stories tend to take on a tragic or depressing tone, Nevo keeps it light and relatable, making it an enjoyable read …
Courtney Summers’ well-written murder mystery is a modern take on the genre. Following the sister of a missing girl and the journalist trying to find her, Sadie’s format is unique, if a little confusing at times. The chapters written from Sadie’s perspective are in first person, but every second chapter is written as a script …
Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series played a huge role in my love of Greek mythology – the modern take on heroes and myths make them easier for a young audience to understand, and there are plenty of Easter eggs for those who already know their myths. The Lightning Thief kicks off the series wonderfully, introducing …
Book Review – On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
On the Jellicoe Road transports the reader to a world caught between the dreams of childhood and the horrors of reality, a boarding school where the students wage war with the Cadets and Townies, and the teachers never stick around long enough to stop them. In her last year at the school, Taylor Markham is given responsibility she never wanted, and must decide where her priorities lie when the truth about her identity and the people she thought she knew start to unravel.
The novel switches between two timelines, which are beautifully balanced. Taylor’s story is the main focus, and the reader is guided into the second timeline in a way that feels organic and doesn’t detract from either side. The two stories overlap and weave through each other without blatantly pointing out the connections, instead allowing the reader to come to their own conclusions. The payoff for the links between the timelines is incredibly rewarding, something that was carefully planned by Marchetta.
Marchetta succeeds in creating a setting vivid enough that it feels like its own world, but is still tethered in reality. While the Jellicoe School isn’t the happiest place, there’s a certain warmth of homliness attached to it that disappears the instant Taylor ventures into the outside world. Even in different timelines, the atmosphere of the school is as tangible as ever, making it easy to get lost in the Jellicoe Road.
Taylor stands out as a protagonist. She is incredibly strong and opinionated, and watching her grow and mature is extremely satisfying. But what really defines this novel is the theme of kids having to deal with things far beyond what should be expected of them, and the impact it has on them. The majority of the characters in On the Jellicoe Road have suffered great losses or gone through terrible ordeals, and what this novel does so well is explore the different ways people cope with trauma. No one is without flaw, but everyone is capable of improvement, and On the Jellicoe Road shows that it’s never too late to change.
Related Posts
Book Review – The Secret Science of Magic by Melissa Keil
Melissa Keil’s The Secret Science of Magic is a unique and compelling twist on the typical romance novel. Shift away from the typical “quirky” star-crossed lover archetypes, Keil has created the kind of relatable and complex character that exist in real life, but rarely ever play a starring role in the media. Sophia is so …
Book Review – Skulduggery Pleasant Book 2, Playing with Fire by Derek Landy
Skulduggery Pleasant – Playing with Fire is the second novel in Derek Landy’s Skulduggery Pleasant series. Following on from the events of the first novel (if you have not read the first novel, or do not want spoilers, please STOP reading right now), the novel picks up a few months after Skulduggery and Valkyrie defeated …
Book Review – The Conference of the Birds by Ransom Riggs
The Conference of the Birds offers readers with a fifth dive into Ransom Rigg’s world of the much-adored literary peculiars. In this novel, which carries on directly from ‘A Map of Days’–released as the fourth book in 2019–Jacob and his peculiar friends return to uncover the mystery surrounding their newest companion Noor, most namely piecing …
Book Review – Finding Nevo by Nevo Zisin
A heartwarming and honest read, Finding Nevo is a charming story of self-discovery and love. The memoir deals with some complex and relevant issues such as sexuality and gender identity, and while these kinds of stories tend to take on a tragic or depressing tone, Nevo keeps it light and relatable, making it an enjoyable read …
Book Review – Sadie by Courtney Summers
Courtney Summers’ well-written murder mystery is a modern take on the genre. Following the sister of a missing girl and the journalist trying to find her, Sadie’s format is unique, if a little confusing at times. The chapters written from Sadie’s perspective are in first person, but every second chapter is written as a script …
Book Review – Percy Jackson Series by Rick Riordan
Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series played a huge role in my love of Greek mythology – the modern take on heroes and myths make them easier for a young audience to understand, and there are plenty of Easter eggs for those who already know their myths. The Lightning Thief kicks off the series wonderfully, introducing …