Hannah has been Taylor's saving grace since the day Taylor's mother left her at the 7-11 in Jellicoe. The last thing Taylor needed this year was for Hannah to up and disappear without a simple good bye. As Taylor is struggling to care for the girls in her House at the Jellicoe School, she has bigger problems demanding her attention. For one, she's been selected to lead the Jellicoe School underground unit in a decades long war for territory against the Townies and Cadet units, all the while attempting to avoid a coup from her unsatisfied House leaders. Second, the leader of the Cadets happens to be, Jonah Griggs, the boy who helped her run away three years ago to find her mother, but never explained why he called home behind her back calling off the whole trip. Thirdly, who is the boy in the tree haunting her dreams; who was the Hermit who whispered "Forgive me," before killing himself in front of her; who is the serial killer kidnapping kids by the pairs these past few years; and why do they all seem to have something in common with Hannah's novel? Hannah's story is just a story, right? Or do the five best friends in those tearful pages hold more truth than Taylor is prepared to know?
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| "Jellicoe Road" by M. Matchetta. PHOTO. Megan Bryant. |
RATING: (4 out of 5)
This novel was heart-wrenching and kept me guessing around every corner. Taylor's story drew me in and Marchetta's story crafting is powerful. For a teen mystery I found this text exceptionally well written and multi-layered; I was continually uncovering secrets hidden throughout the text revealing themselves piece by piece. This text is really emotional, though, and handles heavy material not appropriate for some adolescents, which is why I'm noting giving this a five star blessing. Overall, I believe this is a must read when readers are ready, and I hope it touches their hearts regarding the joys and pains of relationships between family, friends, and lovers.
TO PARENTS:
As I mentioned, this text deals with some very mature and difficult topics. These topics include teen sexual relationships and pregnancies, children recalling and describing moments of abuse (as children by adults), drug and alcohol (influence/destruction in family), suicide and homicide. These are not described in great detail but with enough that the reader gets the gist. There are also several moments of language during emotionally intense conflicts, (I believe the F* bomb appears less than five times--I forgot to count; all the same it appears). I heavily suggest reading this novel with or before your young reader to prepare for any questions, as well as to determine whether this is a good fit for them. I think this is a moving story and subtle enough for many high school students. I would not hand this to middle school students unless you are certain they are prepared and confident handling such a read.
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