Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta Book Review

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: August 28, 2006
419 pages
Rating: 5 stars
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“My father took one hundred and thirty-two minutes to die."
― Melina Marchetta, Jellicoe Road

Synopsis
Abandoned on Jellicoe Road by her mother at the age of eleven, Taylor Markham is now the reluctant leader of her boarding school dorm at age seventeen. Hannah, the closest thing Taylor has to family and her House coordinator, disappears. And Taylor's confronted by the past when Jonah Griggs comes back to town as leader of the Cadets, making the territory wars all the more difficult with his intense stare. 

With each clue Taylor finds, she has more questions, such as where has Hannah disappeared to, why did her mother dump her, what did the Hermit whisper in her ear before he killed himself, why does Jonah affect her so, and who are the five teenagers in Hannah's manuscript? As she uncovers the secrets of the past, she learns more about herself than she ever knew. 

My Thoughts
So, I finally got around to reading this. Wow. Just wow. I've read Marchetta before, and while I was less than impressed with Froi of the Exiles, I loved Finnikin of the Rock, and Jellicoe Road was my favorite of all. Despite all the recommendations and positive reviews for this book, I originally read the plot synopsis and thought this isn't my type of book. But I love when I'm proven wrong! Jellicoe Road was a phenomenal read, and there were shivers going down my spine when I finished. 

While the book started off slow and a little confusing, Marchetta masterfully developed the tension between the feuding territories and the chilling mysteries of Jellicoe Road. I liked how the story sort of eased into itself, and it wasn't long before I couldn't put this book down. I was fascinated by Taylor's haunting story and eager to find answers. Every chapter was written beautifully, and the story flipped smoothly between Taylor's POV and Hannah's manuscript. Hannah's story was reminiscent of The Breakfast Club, with a group of close friends tested by tragedy, and it was touching and poignant. I found myself loving each and every one of the characters. All of the mysterious five in Hannah's manuscript, Jessa, Raffy, Ben, Santangelo, Santangelo's dad, Hannah, and the Brigadier. And can't forget Chairman Meow. No one was hanging in the background, fading into insignificance, because everyone played their role. 

Taylor and Jonah were my favorite characters. The romance was wonderfully set up because it was realistic. Both of them were broken and haunted by their pasts, and it took them some time to trust in each other. There were no rainbows or puppies, but their relationship just worked so well and developed naturally. Nonetheless, there were some sweet, touching moments shared between them. I just couldn't get enough of these two together. 

I'm still a bit confused about the schooling system in Australia, as this story takes place near Sydney. But it didn't confuse me enough to interfere with my enjoyment. I loved how they spelled curb kerb and how French kissing is pashing. The territory wars were so entertaining to read about, and there were some hilarious scenes that I enjoyed so much. Plus, the connection between all of the students at Taylor's school was adorable and heartwarming. 

As for the mystery, it was wonderful how every element was beautifully interwoven. Everything came together in such a surprising, clever way. It was genius. Which explains my shivers at the ending. 

Jellicoe Road is a new favorite! I'm in love with this incredible, awe-inspiring book! 

And here's Fat Cat again because she read Jellicoe Road too! She gave it one out of five tails because she was confused. She's not a big fan of mystery, but she loved Chairman Meow. 

Happy reading, 

Courtney 

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman Book Review

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Release Date: July 10, 2012
467 pages, Seraphina series
Rating: 4 stars
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“The world inside myself is vaster and richer than this paltry plane, peopled with mere galaxies and gods.” 
― Rachel Hartman, Seraphina

Synopsis

Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.

Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.

In her exquisitely written fantasy debut, Rachel Hartman creates a rich, complex, and utterly original world. Seraphina's tortuous journey to self-acceptance is one readers will remember long after they've turned the final page. (Goodreads)

My Thoughts

I was really excited for Seraphina. I expected it to be a new fave, but I was disappointed when I first started reading. It took me awhile to really immerse myself in the story. I was bogged down by all the detail and, honestly, a little confused. There was just so much to digest, and I think the beginning could have started off smoother. There was a lot of stuff that needed clarifying. When I finished, I was still unsure about some of the saints, like St. Ogdo, and what the Tanamoot was. Maybe I just missed some key details. I'm not sure. The glossary helped a lot and I finally found out some stuff I wanted to, but that was at the end of the book so I finished before realizing it was there. 

It took me till almost halfway through, but I did eventually enjoy the book. Very much so. It was slow-paced in the beginning so I read slower. But once I reached about halfway, I couldn't put it down. I loved hearing about the religion and culture of Goredd. The festivities and the worshipping of different Saints was so intriguing. Goredd was described beautifully, and I found myself falling in love with all of its eccentricities: the Countdown Clock and the beehive skep, Quighole and Treaty Eve.  The inclusion of the psalters and philosophy also really added to the story. Prince Kiggs and Seraphina quoted philosophers frequently, and the language was beautiful. 

The music had a central theme throughout. At first, I was reminded of band concerts and my flute lessons, of band camp and so many awkward memories trying to play my open holed flute. But then the music built upon itself, growing in strength and meaning throughout the book. It flows wonderfully and it has such a strong place in the book, almost a character itself. I loved how the songs communicated mood and a longing for the past. The song lyrics were amusing at times and poignant at others. I found myself drawn into songs I couldn't even hear, and Seraphina's love for music worked well with the plot. 

I loved Seraphina. She was outspoken, sweet and lovable. She really proved her bravery, even though she did not believe in herself. Plus, her abilities were so unique and her mind so strange. I liked it. I loved Prince Kiggs. He was adorable. And even Glisselda who could be very clever, when she wasn't high maintenance, and there was something so endearing about her, how oblivious she was to awkwardness. How she could crumble in despair and then be authoritative in the next second. Plus, Abdo, Dame Okra, and Lars and well, I loved so many characters. Orma especially! He's probably my favorite, or Kiggs, or Abdo. All of them were so awesome. I found the dragons could be funny without even meaning to be. Hartmann did a great job with character development. I cracked up every time the scrawny sackbut player was mentioned. 

Despite the slow beginning, I did come to love Seraphina and I will continue reading the series in the future. The dragons were unique, and I liked how the story added a new twist to dragon mythology. 

Happy reading, 

Courtney 

P.S. Fat Cat Reads A Lot - Seraphina Review

Fat Cat aka Pudgy aka Callie decided to read Seraphina with me this week. She purred during the romance scenes. Hissed at the drama. Her review: 

Meow meow dragons. Meow meow fantastic. 

She gave it 3 tails out of 5. She was upset there were no cats.