Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta (HarperTeen, 2008 )
I can’t think of the Mississippi River without imagining Huck Finn on his raft. Jellicoe Road is like that. It’s a name and a place that I will forever associate with Taylor, Briggs, Santangelo, Raffy, Jessa, Narnie, Jude, Webb, Fitz and Tate. If I could get to Australia soon, I would visit it, and I would look for the poppies planted on the side of the road, and of course the club house.
Melina Marchetta, author of Saving Francesca, has written a novel so stunning that I’m sure I was really there on Jellicoe Road through the tragedy and the hard-earned triumphs. There’s a lot going on at first, and it is a bit confusing with alternating narratives, a large cast of characters, and clues that only seem to point to more clues.
When Taylor Markham’s mother abandons her at age 11, Taylor is brought to the Jellicoe school. Now 17, Taylor is her dorm’s leader and ready to engage in the annual territory wars against the “townies” and the “cadets.” But then the one adult who has been a constant in her life disappears. While searching for clues to Hannah’s disappearance, Taylor reads more of the story that Hannah has written. Somehow, the story is connected to Taylor’s past. And she crosses the boundaries of the territory wars, getting to know Santangelo and his family. And Briggs. Things aren’t always what they seem, and Taylor gradually uncovers the mysteries surrounding her past and present. (Christie, The Loft)
