Review: The Place on Dalhousie by Melina Marchetta

The Place on Dalhousie
By Melina Marchetta
Publisher: Ivy Press
Format: eBook
Source: Borrowed

To Sum It Up: Rosie Gennaro and Jimmy Hailler meet during a flood in Queensland, and their brief time together forever changes both their lives. Two years later, Rosie has moved back to Sydney and into the house on Dalhousie Street that her father, Seb, was supposed to renovate for her and her mother, Loredana. Now it’s Rosie’s stepmother, Martha, who occupies that house and whom Rosie has never accepted because Martha and Seb married less than a year after Loredana lost her battle with cancer. Meanwhile, Jimmy has also returned to Sydney and back among the school friends who are like family to him. He’s never been this close to having a family to call his own, though, and it’s Rosie who may be able to help him finally find one.

Review: First, let me say how absolutely wonderful it was to read one of the magnificent Melina Marchetta’s books again. Second, let me say that if you haven’t read any of her books, you need to fix that immediately because you’re missing out on sheer brilliance.

It’s been almost five years since I last read a Marchetta book, and that book was, fittingly, The Piper’s Son, one of two companion novels to The Place on Dalhousie. We first met Jimmy Hailler, one of the latter’s protagonists, back in the equally superb Saving Francesca. Two books later, we still didn’t know what happened to Jimmy, and finally, finally, finally, Marchetta has given us the answer. It turns out that Jimmy has been looking for his family, and this book sees him presented with the chance to truly have one that’s all his, though maybe not in the way he expected.

The Place on Dalhousie also tells the story of Rosie Gennaro, whom Jimmy meets amidst a flood in Queensland. Like Jimmy, Rosie originally hails from Sydney, where too many painful memories drove her to leave. Two years after their short time together in Queensland, Rosie finds herself back in Sydney and back in the titular place on Dalhousie Street. It’s the house her father, Seb, was going to restore for his family. Rosie’s definition of family was never meant to include her stepmother, Martha, whom Seb married eleven months after Rosie lost her mother, Loredana, to cancer. Martha lives downstairs and is considering selling the house, which infuriates Rosie even though Martha has offered to split the money from the sale with her. In Rosie’s mind, Martha has zero right to the home that was supposed to belong to Rosie, Seb, and Loredana. Selling it means losing another part of her parents.

At its core, The Place on Dalhousie is a story about family. Rosie, Jimmy, and Martha all learn that family isn’t limited to one’s parents or siblings but also includes friends and even the family of those friends. Watching the extended family in this book grow and grow as they laugh, fight, and cry together is sure to melt your heart because Marchetta’s writing makes you so invested in these characters’ lives, whether it’s Rosie or Jimmy or Martha or Rosie’s formidable grandmother Eugenia or Martha’s sort-of-boyfriend Ewan’s father, John. And don’t even get me started on how emotional I got whenever the name of a member of the St. Sebastian’s crew from Saving Francesca, where it all began, popped up.

I knew as soon as this book had referenced Game of Thrones and Elvis Costello by the end of Chapter 3 that this was going to be an amazing read. I wasn’t wrong. Sometimes reading a book is like viewing a pleasing landscape painting. You enjoy it in the moment, but it’s not especially memorable. Then you read a book like The Place on Dalhousie in which the characters have been created with the detail of a Renaissance masterpiece that lingers in your mind long after you’ve had the privilege of viewing it. The latter experience is what reading a Melina Marchetta book is like—expert storytelling and unforgettable characters.

All in All: Another stellar novel from Melina Marchetta. While I think you can skate by reading this as a standalone, I highly, highly recommend reading Saving Francesca and The Piper’s Son beforehand to get the most out of The Place on Dalhousie. After reading this, I wanted to reread the previous two companion books to relive their brilliance all over again.

Review: The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta

The Piper’s Son
By Melina Marchetta
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased

To Sum It Up: Tom Mackee’s family fractured after the death of his uncle, and Tom himself is at a low point. He’s exhausted his friends’ patience after their repeated attempts to help him have been to no avail. His family members don’t have much support to offer him, either, as they’re all dealing with various issues in their own lives. So it’s up to Tom to pull himself together—if that’s what he wants.

Review: The Piper’s Son is unique in a couple of ways. First, it’s not quite a sequel to Saving Francesca, although characters from the latter make appearances. The Piper’s Son takes place five years after Saving Francesca and focuses not on Francesca Spinelli this time but on one of her friends, Thomas Mackee.

Tom is 21, which I suppose technically makes him a few years older than the typical YA protagonist, but then, I think Melina Marchetta’s novels transcend intended audience age groups anyway. Another intriguing aspect of The Piper’s Son is the narration, which occasionally shifts from Tom’s POV to that of his 42-year-old aunt, Georgie (although the entire novel is written in the third person). If you asked me to nearly categorize this book, I couldn’t, and that’s a huge part of what makes it stand out.

I will admit to not immediately finding the love for The Piper’s Son that I have for some of Marchetta’s other books, including Saving Francesca. It’s hard to say why, too, other than I just wasn’t feeling it for a while. It’s not that Tom, Georgie, and the rest of the Finch-Mackee clan, whose complicated relationships form the heart of the novel, aren’t compelling. Marchetta digs deep into this family, good and bad times alike, and it’s an intricate, mesmerizing portrait painted with the finest detail. When it comes to breathing life into the characters on a page, Marchetta is in a class by herself.

Returning to the question of why this book needed some time to grow on me, well, I’m still working that out. I mean, I couldn’t wait to start it after finishing the superb Saving Francesca. I don’t know. But, The Piper’s Son did grow on me. I started finding myself thinking about it when I wasn’t reading it, a sure sign that it had made quite the impression on me. Would Tom ever forgive his father for leaving him? Would Georgie ever forgive the father of her unborn child from breaking her heart years before? Would Tom ever see Tara Finke, another figure from his St. Sebastian’s days, again? I developed an investment in these characters that pitted my brain, which needed to know how the book ended, against my eyelids, which very badly wanted to close from exhaustion. (My brain also said that Will Trombal, one of my favorite characters from Saving Francesca, might very well be in those last 60 pages; I managed to stay awake.)

In the end, I think all this book needed was a little patience from me to allow it to tell its story at its own pace. And it turned out to be a powerful story, one that I won’t be forgetting soon, especially since I’ve officially run out of Melina Marchetta books to read. A sad day, indeed.

All in All: Another brilliant character study from Melina Marchetta. I found it slightly slow moving compared to Saving Francesca, but the novel’s final impression is well worth any wait. I also highly recommend reading Saving Francesca first to maximize your experience reading The Piper’s Son.

Review: Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta

Saving Francesca
By Melina Marchetta
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased

To Sum It Up: Francesca Spinelli wishes that she didn’t have to attend St. Sebastian’s, a former all-boys school where Francesca is completely without her friends from her old school. Life becomes even more tumultuous for Francesca when her mother falls into a severe depression and is unable to even get out of bed. It’s school that becomes Francesca’s unlikely haven, as friendships gradually develop between her and some of her St. Sebastian’s classmates.

Review: Add Saving Francesca to the ever-growing list of books I should have read much, much sooner. Melina Marchetta is only one of my favorite authors, and here I allowed one of her works to languish on my bookshelf for nigh on two years. How did that even happen?!

With every Melina Marchetta novel I read, the more awestruck I am by her writing. Contemporary can be a tough genre for me sometimes, but not with Marchetta’s books. I think it’s a combination of her realistic characters and expertly crafted storytelling. Marchetta’s dialogue is also razor sharp, both in terms of wit and sounding natural, not labored. There’s a magic to her prose that I just adore, and I can’t articulate my love for it any better than that.

How could I not love a book that references Colin Firth’s Mr. Darcy, Les Misérables the musical, and Macbeth? But I also loved Saving Francesca because it’s funny, sad, sweet, and resonant. My heart broke for Francesca as her outspoken mother, Mia, fell into a deep depression that left the rest of the family at a loss to help her. At the same time, my heart warmed to see Francesca find friendship among a group of individuals who, at the beginning of the book, you don’t quite picture ever hanging out together. There’s the Marchetta magic at work yet again: not only does she bring these characters together, but she does it effortlessly and makes you fall in love with them and their little quirks, too.

At a bit less than 250 pages, Saving Francesca is quick read, but that’s also because it’s such an engrossing one. Don’t let its size mislead you, either; there’s a substantial story, as well as substantial characters, packed into those pages. It’s not often that I find myself wholeheartedly recommending contemporary novels, but there’s so much to love about this one. Like . . . everything.

All in All: I savored every page of this book, and it still ended way too quickly!

Review: Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta

Looking for Alibrandi
By Melina Marchetta
Publisher: Ember
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased

To Sum It Up: Seventeen-year-old Josephine Alibrandi is in her final year of high school at St. Martha’s and planning to study law. It’s not just her imminent passage into adulthood that’s weighing on her mind, though. There’s her complicated relationship with her tradition-minded grandmother, who’s such a domineering presence in the lives of both Josephine and Josephine’s mother. There’s also the sudden appearance of her father, who’s been absent all her life until now. Finally, there’s Jacob Coote, a public school student who literally drives Josephine crazy at times. Although she knows it’s going to be a challenging year, there are still some unexpected events that nothing can prepare her for.

Review: I’ve fangirled big time over Melina Marchetta’s novels on a few occasions now, so it’s a no-brainer for me to want to read everything she’s ever written. Originally published in 1992, Looking for Alibrandi is Marchetta’s debut. When I first found out the publication year, I had to laugh a little because waaayyy back in 1992, I was a Catholic high school student, just like the book’s protagonist and narrator, Josephine Alibrandi. Even at the old age I am now, I couldn’t help but feel a bit thrilled to share something in common with a Melina Marchetta character. Geeky? Yes, I know I am.

Despite heading into this book feeling like I already had a connection with the main character, I didn’t find Looking for Alibrandi to be on the same level as Marchetta’s The Lumatere Chronicles or Jellicoe Road, the other Marchetta contemporary that I’ve read. I feel like I just committed the ultimate sacrilege in saying that, but I couldn’t find the pure love for this novel that I have for some of her other ones. I don’t want to give you the wrong impression here, especially if you’re a huge Marchetta fan like I am. Looking for Alibrandi is nowhere near being a bad book; I just don’t think it’s quite as seamless as her later works are.

Sometimes it seemed to me that Looking for Alibrandi couldn’t figure out exactly what its focus should be. Sure, it’s a character-driven novel and Marchetta’s characters are as expertly constructed as ever, but I didn’t always find the transition from one plotline to another to be smooth. There were a few times when I started a new chapter and felt as though I had missed something from the previous one. I thought the strongest story lines revolved around Josephine’s evolving, and occasionally stormy, relationship with her very traditional grandmother and the tentative one that develops between Josephine and the father who’s been a total stranger to her for seventeen years. Marchetta is at her best in depicting both how complex family ties can be and how powerful the love that comes from those same ties can be. I wish I could say I was as keen on Josephine’s relationship with Jacob Coote, her on-again/off-again love interest. These two have a serious love/hate thing going on, and I just found it more frustrating than endearing.

Josephine is a rather selfish character with a mouth that often doesn’t know when to keep quiet, but those are the qualities that make her so real. I can never emphasize enough how multi-faceted Marchetta makes her characters. They’re not perfect, but that’s why you love them. Their flaws make them human. I didn’t really care for Josephine’s grandmother for a long while because I found her overbearing, but you discover later on that there’s so much more to her than her stories about her life when she first arrived in Australia from Sicily. I wanted to hug this woman by the end of the book and tell her that I misjudged her. Yet again, Marchetta’s characters surprised me.

While Jellicoe Road remains my Marchetta contemporary of choice, Looking for Alibrandi isn’t without its merits. The character development is brilliant as usual, and the writing itself is sharp. The sometimes choppy pacing and abrupt switching between plotlines kept this from becoming an instant favorite of mine, but I can say with absolute certainty that these are not issues I encountered while reading Marchetta’s later novels.

All in All: To put it simply, I liked this, but I didn’t love it. And believe me, it’s so tough for me to say that I didn’t love a Melina Marchetta novel. This one fell a tad short for me, but it’s definitely still worth reading if you’ve enjoyed her other books.

Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta: A Reaction

* This post contains spoilers for Melina Marchetta's Finnikin of the Rock. *

Hosted by A Novel Idea & Bookish Whimsy

If I had to describe Melina Marchetta's Finnikin of the Rock to someone who's never read it before, I think I'd sum it up like this: Must. Read. Why? It's a beautifully crafted, superbly written fantasy that will win your heart as well as break it. It will make you shed more than a tear or two on behalf of these unforgettable characters, both when they're in pain and when they find happiness. The emotions this book conjures—I just can't even . . . .

I first read Finnikin last year, and 1) I can't believe I missed so many things the first time around, and 2) the review I wrote back then doesn't even begin to do the book a semblance of justice. In fact, I could probably never come up with a review that properly captures the gem that is this novel. I finished reading the series about two months ago, and revisiting it from the beginning gave me chills. I knew very early on the first time that I picked up Finnikin of the Rock that I held a very special book in my hands, and knowing what happens in the rest of the series has done nothing to diminish the impact of the Prologue, which includes that pivotal scene in which Finnikin, Balthazar, and Lucian pledge to protect Lumatere and seal their pact in blood. If anything, having read all three books in The Lumatere Chronicles has given me an even greater appreciation for them.

Once again, I've been blown away by the path Finnikin takes across its pages, from its bleak opening about a people who've basically lost everything and are barely clinging to their identity, to its hopeful ending. Picking a favorite moment or favorite aspect of the novel is next to impossible. I want to say, "everything!" but I'll try to narrow down my choices here. I love Evanjalin's strength and determination to lead the Lumaterans home, and how she's not at all the meek novice she appears to be at the novel's start. I love Finnikin's reunion with his father, Trevanion. I love the reunion of the King's Guard (Perri the Savage—you are awesome!). I absolutely love the story of Lady Beatriss saving a young Finnikin, Balthazar, and Isaboe from an angry bull and her priceless line to Trevanion: "Was that functional enough for you, Captain?" Now that I've mentioned them, can I just say how much I love Beatriss and Trevanion? Theirs is truly a story that cuts to the soul. The scene in which the two are at the graveside of their baby daughter who died and Beatriss's daughter, Vestie, helps Trevanion plant one of the seeds she'd been sprinkling around the grave utterly guts me. It's one of the most moving scenes I've ever read in a novel; simply thinking about it makes me misty-eyed.

A lot of us probably have a list of favorite books that we feel everyone needs to read. This one is on mine (along with its sequels, Froi of the Exiles and Quintana of Charyn). Seriously, go locate a copy of Finnikin of the Rock ASAP if you haven't read it yet. It's the type of book that you find your mind returning to time and time again because it leaves that much of an impression on you. Once you step into this world that Melina Marchetta has so ingeniously created, you'll never want to leave it.

A HUGE thanks to Paola of A Novel Idea and Charlene of Bookish Whimsy for hosting this wonderful event!

Review: Quintana of Charyn by Melina Marchetta

* This review may contain spoilers for the previous book, Froi of the Exiles. *

Quintana of Charyn (The Lumatere Chronicles #3)
By Melina Marchetta
Publisher: Candlewick Press

To Sum It Up: After holding off their attacking pursuers and taking several arrows so Quintana and her unborn child could escape, Froi needs to recover from his injuries as quickly as possible and find her. As he searches frantically for her, he’s reunited with some familiar faces, often in places where he least expects to meet them. But it’s Quintana whom Froi is most desperate to see again, and he races from one part of Charyn to another, hoping he’ll reach her before those who want to control the kingdom’s future heir do. Quintana is extremely clever, though, and she’s chosen to hide somewhere that not even Froi suspects.

Review: I know I’ve said this before, and multiple times, but it’s especially applicable here: the most challenging reviews for me to write are for those books that I loved so completely that I’m grappling for the proper words to describe my feelings. And I have many, many, many feelings after reading this simply beautiful conclusion to a series that has become beloved to me. Yep, there are probably going to be a lot more italicized, bolded, and capitalized words ahead because if ever there was a series that deserved them, it’s The Lumatere Chronicles.

Final books in a favorite series are such bittersweet things; you want, nay need to know how it all ends, yet at the same time, you don’t want it all to end. Froi of the Exiles left its title character in a state that made me want to cry and smash the book against the nearest wall. Only the knowledge that I could begin reading Quintana of Charyn immediately prevented me from having some sort of breakdown over what happened to Froi. That second book in the trilogy was such a tidal wave of revelations and emotions, and the momentum carries over in its entirety to this book. It’s not so much that I was surprised that Melina Marchetta weaved yet another phenomenal tale with these characters and this world; this is Melina Marchetta we’re talking about. It’s more like awe at how an already perfect series could possibly get any better. The answer is: this book.

I’ve savored every page I’ve read in this series, but I tried to take even more time to fully appreciate this final chapter in the lives of these characters whom I’ve grown to love. Although Finnikin of the Rock began with Lumatere’s story, the series has become as much about Charyn’s tale and the ties that exist between the two kingdoms despite the bloodshed that has also taken place. One of the most powerful aspects of this particular book is the way in which Marchetta creates a parallel look at Isaboe, Lumatere’s queen, and the novel’s namesake, Quintana of Charyn. With the death of her father the king in the previous book, Quintana is now Charyn’s queen, but she’s on the run from the power-hungry Charynites who want to rule through the child she will give birth to. Isaboe is adored by her people while Quintana is considered mad by hers and expendable once she breaks Charyn’s curse and produces their long awaited heir. These two incredibly strong young women face each other in a heart-stopping confrontation rather early on in the novel and once more later on under circumstances that may leave you sobbing. Isaboe and Quintana are so different, yet alike in their unyielding determination, and I love both characters for being who they are. They also share one very important link: Froi.

Thinking back on the Froi I met in Finnikin of the Rock, it’s simply astounding to see the character he has become, from an orphaned boy thief to a courageous, respectable son, father, and man. He’s virtually unrecognizable from the Froi who could barely utter a sentence in Lumateran in Finnikin, and that’s just the way Marchetta works her writing magic. You may start out with a certain opinion of a character, but by the time you’ve finished reading one of her books, you’re almost guaranteed to see that character in a totally different light because that’s how layered all of her characters are. Since this is the last book, I feel I can take the time (and space) to express my love for each and every one of the following: Finnikin, Isaboe, Froi, Quintana, Trevanion, Beatriss, Perri, Tesadora, Lucian, Phaedra, Lirah, Gargarin, and last but certainly not least because his speed with a quip probably made me laugh the most, Arjuro.

Obviously, I found this conclusion to the series beyond rewarding. The Lumatere Chronicles is just a superb YA fantasy series, and Melina Marchetta is one of my absolute favorite authors. I truly, truly hope she decides to write another fantasy because with this trilogy, she’s demonstrated how ingenious she is at writing the genre.

All in All: I. Loved. This. Book. That is all.

Review: Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta

* This review may contain spoilers for the previous book, Finnikin of the Rock. *

Froi of the Exiles (The Lumatere Chronicles #2)
By Melina Marchetta
Publisher: Candlewick Press

To Sum It Up: Three years have passed since the curse on Lumatere was broken, and its people continue to rebuild their kingdom. Froi seems to have found a home at last, and he’s more than willing to do anything to protect Lumatere. His mission to the arcane kingdom of Charyn is extremely dangerous, but Froi plans on accomplishing his single task and getting out. Many surprises await him in Charyn, however, the biggest one of which may be its enigmatic, and possibly insane, princess, Quintana.

Review: If I could change the past and fix the most egregious book-related mistake I’ve ever made, it would be this one: waiting over a year—yes, a year—to read Froi of the Exiles, the sequel to Melina Marchetta’s Finnikin of the Rock. What makes this total failure in judgment even more glaring is that I bought a copy of Froi very, very soon after I’d read Finnikin. And then that copy proceeded to sit, unread and unloved, on my shelf until I finally got around to picking it up. I think I was on page 2 of Froi when I wanted to take the book and repeatedly hit myself over the head with it for choosing to read all those other books before it. Seriously, I don’t know what drives my reading selections sometimes.

I’d already thought Melina Marchetta was a genius before reading this, and now . . . . There are no adequate nouns or adjectives to describe her brilliance with words. Page after page, sentence after splendid sentence reminded me how much I adore her writing and worship her as an author. I keep a notebook of my favorite book quotes, and with this novel, I just wanted to copy down every. Single. Line. Lines loaded with awe-inspiring wisdom. Sarcastic lines that made me laugh. Heart-shredding lines that reduced me to tears. Every. Single. Line.

While the book continues to follow the Lumaterans as they carry on rebuilding their lives three years after the curse that trapped some of their people inside the kingdom’s walls and forced those outside into exile was broken, a significant amount of the novel takes place in Charyn, whose invasion nearly destroyed Lumatere. It seems that the Charynites are living under a curse of their own that can only be lifted by their princess, Quintana, around whom rumors of madness swirl. Charyn is a kingdom shrouded in mystery, and it is to this place that Froi, the former thief from Finnikin of the Rock, journeys on a covert mission.

Froi. His character growth from the previous book is nothing short of stunning. The boy who once could barely speak Lumateran has proven to be an excellent student under the tutelage of Lumatere’s priest-king and has found a home among both the Queen’s Guard and the family of Lord August and Lady Abian. Despite coming so far, Froi is as quick-tempered as ever, as well as still haunted by the incident that passed between him and Queen Isaboe, to whom he’s pledged his undying loyalty. And that’s what’s so fantastic about Marchetta’s characters—they’re so real, so human, because they’re flawed. Even the most contemptible characters can demonstrate flickers of light, and even the more noble ones have their faults. These characters love, hate, fear, and show steel-like courage. They inspire you, they make you angry at times, but above all, you care about them like they were living people.

Just in case it wasn’t apparent from the gush-fest that is this review (and it was destined to be this way from the second I finished the book), Melina Marchetta’s novels have an unbelievably powerful effect on me, and Froi of the Exiles was no exception. This is a mesmerizing fantasy in which the blood of a people sings to one another, some individuals are touched by the gods, and the spirits of the departed are sung home. Truly, truly the pure beauty of reading this novel is watching plot revelation after plot revelation unfold and realizing the immense amount of planning that must have gone into creating a saga of such breathtaking complexity. If you loved Finnikin of the Rock, prepare to be just as captivated by the stories of Froi, the twin brothers Gargarin and Arjuro, Lirah, Phaedra, and, of course, Quintana. Also be ready to gasp and scream and laugh and maybe cry a few times because reads don’t get much more emotional than this one.

All in All: All the stars in existence aren’t enough for this book. If you plan on reading it, you MUST have a copy of Quintana of Charyn, the finale to the series, ready to go. You will regret it otherwise because trust me, you’re going to desperately want to know what happens next once you’re done reading Froi of the Exiles.

Review: Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta

Finnikin of the Rock (The Lumatere Chronicles #1)
By Melina Marchetta
Publisher: Candlewick Press

To Sum It Up: At the young age of nine, Finnikin and his two closest friends, Lucian and Prince Balthazar, draw their blood, pledging themselves to their kingdom, Lumatere. Despite their blood oath, during the five days of the unspeakable, the royal family is massacred, leaving Lumatere under the mercy of a false king. Lumatere’s despair crescendos when a powerful witch, Seranonna, curses Lumatere as she is burned at the stake under the false king’s orders. The curse leaves those inside Lumatere’s walls trapped within, while those who managed to escape are locked outside of their beloved kingdom. They are left to wander as exiles, with no land or property to their name. Finnikin manages to escape just before the curse steals over the kingdom.

Years later, after giving up the hope of ever returning to his precious homeland, Finnikin is confronted by a silent novice named Evanjalin. She swears that Prince Balthazar is alive and insists that with the Prince’s help, they can finally break the curse that has bound Lumatere for all those years. Finnikin and his trusted mentor, Sir Topher, decide to follow the mysterious novice on her quest to find the lost prince and restore Lumatere to its former state. Finnikin once made a pledge to his kingdom, and now, after all this time, he still holds himself to it.

Review: The thing I most enjoyed about Finnikin of the Rock was the setting of the book. I’m a huge fan of the whole fantasy and Middle Ages kind of setting, and Finnikin of the Rock morphed both of these into one! Marchetta is truly creative; I give her props for creating Lumatere and its people! Everything just sounds so cool; I’d give my left leg to be able to live in Marchetta’s world. Not only is the setting realistic in the whole knights and kingdoms sort of way, but there is also a great dose of witches and magic mixed in. The book is just that cool!

Besides my love for the setting, I also loved the characters and the storyline. I really liked Finnikin; I admired his loyalty and perseverance. Sir Topher was also pretty cool. But my favorite characters hands down were Finnikin’s father, Trevanion, and the Lumateran Guard. One moment they would be poking fun at one another, and in the next, they were defending each other in battle. The soldiers were like one big happy family, and I wanted to be a part of it! I also really enjoyed the dialogue between all the characters. It was just so easy and realistic, not to mention funny at times.

The one thing, or should I say person, I did not like about Finnikin of the Rock was Evanjalin. Evanjalin was all right at first. She was mysterious, strong, and a tad bit sketchy. But that was how she was supposed to be. I even respected her and looked forward to her biting comments. Near the end of the book, however, she started to change. In my opinion, under the circumstances, I thought that Evanjalin should have been getting stronger when in actuality she was getting weaker. She was turning wimpy and whiny on me and I did not like it! This annoyed me to no end. I felt as if Evanjalin had let me down.

In the end, I did enjoy reading Finnikin of the Rock quite a bit. I loved the setting and most of the characters. Marchetta really did a fine job creating this book. The reading was fast paced—a real page turner. Finnikin of the Rock has it all: action, sarcasm, mystery, romance, you name it! This is one of those books that almost everyone can enjoy.

All in All: I have to thank Lee for recommending this book. I’m glad that I read it, and I won’t be shy when it comes to me asking her if I can borrow the sequel, Froi of the Exiles! Go Froi! :D

Review: Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Jellicoe Road
By Melina Marchetta
Publisher: HarperTeen

To Sum It Up:

At age eleven, Taylor Markham was abandoned by her addict mother at a 7-Eleven on the Jellicoe Road. Now head of her House at the Jellicoe School, where some students are wards of the state, Taylor struggles to settle into her new leadership position. Besides being head of Lachlan House, she’s also in charge of the school’s secret Underground Community, which engages in a yearly territory war with two other groups, the Townies and the Cadets. Taylor’s life becomes even more complicated when Hannah, the only constant adult presence Taylor has really known, disappears one day. Taylor’s only remaining link to her is Hannah’s manuscript, a seemingly fictional story that is more relevant to Taylor’s life than she could have ever thought possible.

Review:

Whenever I read something that is as stunning as Jellicoe Road is, I find it extremely difficult to adequately capture in words how amazing the book is. This is the best contemporary YA novel that I’ve read to date. Everything is perfect: the writing, the characters, the plotting. I loved Melina Marchetta’s epic fantasy Finnikin of the Rock and found Jellicoe Road equally impossible to put down.

One of the many things that I admire about Marchetta’s novels is the amount of depth that she gives to her characters. They’re always complex and never clichéd. Their dialogue is smart and free of cringe-inducing platitudes. I found it very easy to root for Taylor. As the story unfolds and you find out just how hard her life has been, it’s a heartbreaking realization. I got a bit teary-eyed a few times. That’s not to say that the book is one big weep-fest, though. There are plenty of snappy exchanges between the characters to make you laugh. Throughout the novel, there is always a balance between the book’s heavier subject matter and its more lighthearted moments.

Jellicoe Road is also a fantastic story of unwavering friendship, which is epitomized by the characters from the manuscript within the book. Tragedy brings them together, and an unbreakable bond forms between them. I also really liked Taylor’s friend, Rafaella. She struck me as the type of person who’s there for you no matter what, which is exactly what Taylor needs.

A note about the previously mentioned manuscript: Jellicoe Road has a book-within-a-book thing going on with this manuscript, which Taylor’s mother figure, Hannah, has been working on. At first I was a little confused by the manuscript excerpts which were interspersed with the main storyline. Their relevance quickly becomes clear, though, and when everything comes together, the payoff is immense. I urge anyone who reads this book to stick with it even if it sometimes seems as though the story is jumping around. You’ll be richly rewarded for your efforts.

All in All:

I should know better by now than to borrow Melina Marchetta’s books from the library. As soon as I finished the copy of Finnikin of the Rock that I borrowed, I bought my own copy. The same thing happened with Jellicoe Road: I borrowed it from the library, then ended up buying my own copy. Note to self: in the future, just BUY all of Melina Marchetta’s books from the get-go!

Review: Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta

Finnikin of the Rock (The Lumatere Chronicles #1)
By Melina Marchetta
Publisher: Candlewick Press

To Sum It Up: As young boys, Finnikin and his friends Prince Balthazar and Lucian pledge to protect the kingdom of Lumatere, sealing their vow with their blood. Little do they know that Lumatere is about to be torn apart during the five days of the unspeakable. The tragedy begins with the brutal murder of the royal family, followed by the seizure of the throne by the dead king's cousin. Finally, a curse traps everyone within Lumatere’s walls forever. Those outside become exiles, often dying in fever camps.

Ten years later, Finnikin receives a message that Balthazar is alive. Together with his mentor, Sir Topher, Finnikin journeys west, where they meet a mysterious novice named Evanjalin. She claims that she can walk the sleep of those still inside Lumatere and can lead them to Balthazar. At first Finnikin is wary of her assertions, but he gradually begins to believe that returning home to Lumatere might not be impossible.

Review: This book. Was. Amazing. I’m still recovering. It is hands down the best book that I’ve read so far this year. There were bawl-your-eyes-out-sad moments. There were triumphant moments. I laughed. I almost cried. I need to find a copy of the next book in the series ASAP.

Where do I begin with the gushing? Finnikin of the Rock is a superb piece of epic YA fantasy. Once you enter this world, you don’t want to leave. Ever. The writing is phenomenal; it captivates you from the first sentence of the prologue and never flags. The characters, especially the female ones, are masterfully crafted. They’re so real that it’s very easy to forget that they’re fictional. The dialogue is sharp, fluid, and vibrant. If I hadn’t been so obsessed with finding out what happened next, I would have taken more time to write down my favorite quotes.

It’s really difficult for me to choose what I liked best about the book. If I absolutely had to, I’d say it was the relationships between the characters. Whether the bonds are romantic, familial, or of friendship, they are all depicted with stunning depth and realism. There’s no love-at-first-sight here, which suited me just fine. Even when characters are reunited after years apart, the scenes are not always fairytale perfect; they can be awkward and tense, too. I liked this unflinching approach. The relationships in this book are refreshingly complex instead of cookie-cutter simple.

Although I adored all of the characters, I have to give Evanjalin a special mention. Throughout the book, she kept me guessing about what motivated her actions. I loved how she went from a seemingly meek novice who had taken a vow of silence to a fierce, determined, kick-ass heroine. Evanjalin is a shining example of how to write a strong, female literary character. I really admire Marchetta for that.

Even if you’re not into fantasy, Finnikin of the Rock is an engrossing, inspiring, and sometimes heartbreaking read with a fully realized world, a brilliantly plotted story, and unforgettable characters.

All in All: I originally borrowed this from the library. A few chapters into the book, I knew that I had to own a copy of this, so I bought one. It now sits happily on my bookshelf, where it will always have a place.