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Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

3/10/2012

1 Comment

 
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Jellicoe Road
Author: Melina Marchetta
Publication Date: 8/26/08
Publisher: Harper Teen

Blurb (GR):
"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.

Review:

I don't often give books 5-star ratings. Normally these are the books that either horrify me (Unwind, The Handmaid's Tale) or delight me with superb writing (The Queen of Attolia, The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks) or awe me with imaginative world building (The Left Hand of Darkness) or make me cry (Before I Die). Jellicoe Road definitely falls into this last "made-me-weep" category.

Jellicoe Road is the location of a boarding school for kids that are often neglected or with criminal tendencies. Taylor Markham is residing in the school because her mother had abandoned her at the age of 11 at a nearby 7-Eleven. Now Taylor is 17 and unexpectedly selected to be the school's leader in the game of territory wars with the Townies (locals from a tiny neighboring town) and Cadets (who spend several weeks a year in the Australian wilderness). Taylor is not sure she can handle the responsibility. She is uneasy more than ever - her mentor and friend Hannah disappears and Taylor is sure it has something to do with her mother; Jonah Griggs, a Cadet who she has a shared past with, is back and seems to know her all too well; she is plagued by dreams of a young boy who attempts to tell her something. What follows is Taylor's journey through the past and present to uncover the reasons why and how she was abandoned by her mother.

As always, it is hard for me to explain what I like about a 5-star book, but I'll try. Melina Marchetta draws characters that are deep, complex, and real. The relationships among them are touching - more than anything I think, this book is about the power of friendship and, boy, there are some magnificent examples of friendship in this book! The book is also about grief, guilt, forgiveness and, of course, love.

If I am forced to point out any flaws in this book, I'd say the writing some might find confusing in the beginning. It takes a few pages to figure out what is a dream and what is a page from a story Taylor is reading; what is from present and what is from the past. But soon enough all pieces of the puzzle fall together and you are faced with a deep, meaningful and heartbreaking story.

Another thing that might bother readers is that some characters go through a lot of tragic events, sometimes too many. However, the story never becomes overly melodramatic or emotionally manipulative IMO.

Jellicoe Road is a remarkable work of YA fiction and rightfully deserves the Printz award it was given in 2009. I have no doubt I will read Marchetta's books in future.

5/5 stars

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YA Review: Black Heart by Holly Black

3/2/2012

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Black Heart cover
Black Heart (Curse Workers #3)
Author: Holly Black
Publication Date: 4/3/12
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry

Blurb(GR):
Cassel Sharpe knows he’s been used as an assassin, but he’s trying to put all that behind him. He’s trying to be good, even though he grew up in a family of con artists and cheating comes as easily as breathing to him. He’s trying to do the right thing, even though the girl he loves is inextricably connected with crime. And he’s trying to convince himself that working for the Feds is smart, even though he’s been raised to believe the government is the enemy.

But with a mother on the lam, the girl he loves about to take her place in the Mob, and new secrets coming to light, the line between what’s right and what’s wrong becomes increasingly blurred. When the Feds ask Cassel to do the one thing he said he would never do again, he needs to sort out what’s a con and what’s truth. In a dangerous game and with his life on the line, Cassel may have to make his biggest gamble yet—this time on love.

Review:
I was very indifferent about Red Glove – I didn’t hate it and I didn’t love it.  But I am happy to say that with this third book in the series my original enthusiasm has returned. (Is it a trilogy?  The door is left open just a crack at the end and I have to say that now I’m hoping for more!)

Everything that bothered me about Red Glove seems to be explained and/or remedied in this book.  Cassel’s constant fretting over his Wallingford Academy performance, which I originally suffered through just waiting to get to the good stuff (ie, cons, crimes, and double-crosses), now seems to make a lot more sense.  This book delves more into Cassel’s guilt and his struggle to make the “right” choices. Now his desire to maintain good grades and adhere to Wallingford’s policies seems like a simple extension of his desire to be “good” and “normal,”which I must say I didn’t fully comprehend before.

I also felt that Cassel was a lot clueless in Red Glove, ignoring obvious hints and making foolish decisions. But, I couldn’t be happier to report that he seems craftier than ever in this volume.  The Cassel that I glimpsed at the end of White Cat – one step ahead of everyone – is back for the entire book.  And he’s hilarious.  I don’t remember laughing so much in either one of the other books.

I was also really impressed by the depth given in this book to the curse-worker plight – something that was touched on in the previous books but not fully explored.  Here we get to see the full extent of this world and all the dangers it holds for new curse-workers.  The parallels to real-world bigotry, hate crimes, and human trafficking are evident and make that aspect of the book even more heartbreaking. 

The romance stays safely away from dramatic angst territory and is very nicely done; although I must say that I didn’t feel too invested in it.  It’s light and enjoyable and I did feel some small emotion for them, but I never felt gripped by it.  

But in the end, that’s just not what this book is.  It's not a dark, serious read.  It’s a funny, twisty adventure with a great male lead and little hints of darkness. The ending of this book is absolutely perfect; it’s everything that I wished for.  So if you love this series, rest assured that it ends on a high note. If you’re new to this series – it’s good all the way through.  Time to get started!

Perfect Musical Pairing
The Dears – Whites Only Party

This is definitely one of my favorites from this album, about exclusion and unjust treatment.  But the ending seems to be defiant and hopeful: "Our time will surely have to come, and life has just begun.  It's just begun."

4/5 Stars
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Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

8/1/2011

0 Comments

 
The cover of Anna and the French Kiss features a teenage girl and guy on a park bench. The Eiffel Tower is in the background with the title to the book on the bench in between them.
Anna and the French Kiss
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Publication Date: 12/2/10
Publisher: Dutton


Blurb (GR): Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris - until she meets Etienne St. Clair: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.

As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near - misses end with the French kiss Anna - and readers - have long awaited?

Review:
A Haiku
Boarding school story
Girl meets short boy with girlfriend
Cue teenage drama

Also it is in France, some of the parents are douchebags, and it is as enjoyable as cookies and milk.

4/5 stars

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