Jonah Mother Effing Griggs. What can I say? He's arguably Melina Marchetta's most popular hero. A teenage army cadet and leader of one "gang" in On the Jellicoe Road, he's tough and at times brutal, but he's also incredibly brave, caring and passionate. I pictured him as Liam Hemsworth.
Swoon-worthy Quotes
“How does Jonah Griggs get to be a ten? He sits on a
train with me when we’re fourteen and he weeps, tearing at his hair,
bashing his head with the palm of his hand, self-hatred pouring from him
like blood from a gut wound in a war movie, and for the first time in
my whole life I have a purpose.I am the holder of the grief and pain and guilt and
passion of Jonah Griggs and as we sit huddled on the floor of the
carriage, he allows me to hold him, to say ‘Shh, Jonah, it wasn’t your
fault.’ While his body still shakes from the convulsions, he takes hold
of my hand and links my fingers with his and I feel someone else’s pain
for the first time I can remember.”
“When I turn around, he cups my face in his hands
and he kisses me so deeply that I don’t know who is breathing for who,
but his mouth and tongue taste like warm honey. I don’t know how long it
lasts, but when I let go of him, I miss it already."
“'If you weren’t driving, I’d kiss you senseless.' I tell him
He swerves to the side of the road and stops the car abruptly.
'Not driving anymore.'”
“I don't want to let go, because tonight I'm not looking for anything
more than being part of him. Because being part of him isn't just
anything. It's kind of everything.”
-Jonah Griggs from On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta, a fiercesome army cadet with a damaged past and a tender heart (le sigh). Played in my head by Liam Hemsworth.
-Jacob Coote from Looking For Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta. Another rough-around-the-edges-but-deep-down-really-sweet guy (they seem to be a MM speciality!), he's a walking contradiction. A totally swoon-worthy one. Played by Kick Gurry in the movie.
My choices
Pash: Jonah. I love his passion. And his hotness. But he's one of those characters that is so obviously meant for another (Taylor) I just couldn't interfere. Much.
Pick: Tom. Maybe it was being in his head for half of The Piper's Son, but I feel more connected to him than the others. Once he gets his shit together I reckon he'd make a pretty decent pick.
Pass: Sorry, Jacob, you were my first MM love, and I'll always have a special place in my heart for you but... you've been eclipsed.
Come on MM fans, you know you want to play! Who would you pash, pick and pass?
Oh boy. I’ve been putting off writing this review, partly because I just don’t think I’ll be able to do justice to this wonderful book. And also…
Seriously. So many emotions. To the point
where every time I’ve tried
to write this review in my head*, I’ve been unable to form coherent sentences. I just have all these
FEELINGS. All I can think is… oh, the
heartbreak! The pain! The love! The awesomeness! The flashbacks!
The mystery! The beautiful, beautiful language! The characters! Raff! Taylor! WEBB!
FITZ! JONAH MOTHER EFFING GRIGGS!
So, yeah, that’s what’s been
going on with me. I’m going
to try to be slightly more articulate, but please forgive me if every so often
I resort to crying in the corner.
I didn’t know a helluva lot going into On the Jellicoe Road, other than the fact that it’s supposed to be freaking awesome and
Jonah Griggs is amazeballs, if the blogosphere is anything to go by (which it
totally is, natch). I knew it centred around a girl who’d been abandoned at a 7/11 by her mum, that it involved some kind of
territory wars, and that it told two stories simultaneously – one in the past
and one in the present. I have to say, not knowing any more than that was a
really good thing. While it was initially a little disconcerting to have no
idea what was going on, it made the mystery and the final revelations all the
more powerful. One of the best parts of On
the Jellicoe Road was the way the plot was slowly unraveled and everything
began to click into place, as the events of the past and present converged.
There are so many amazing twists in the plot, and the way they’re revealed in a non-linear manner is
very effective – and totally heartbreaking.
Ahem. Yes, this book is incredibly sad. But
– importantly - it’s not
depressing. There's a big
dose of tragedy in there, but it’s also filled with hope, healing and even a touch of humour. The
very reason it’s so sad
is also part of its warmth, as there's a strong sense of connection with the characters. Like all Marchetta’s novels, On the Jellicoe Road features chracters who are extremely strong, realistic, unique and, well,
downright amazing. I loved them all – but I especially adored the five in Hannah’s story. It was so interesting to see
the way they were intertwined with Taylor’s story. And did I mention it was heartbreaking?
This is one of those books that stays with
you for days after finishing it (and possibly longer – I’ll keep you posted). Partly because of
the characters. Partly because of all the twists and turns in the plot. But
mostly because everything is so bloody perfect.
Rating:
5/5
*Random side note: Does anybody else write
things out in their head before putting anything on the page/screen?
Spoilery
talking points
I was shocked at what happened
to Webb. SUCH a good twist. Poor Fitz! I really want to know how/when he
figured out what actually happened. Sob.
I’m so glad that, by pure coincidence, I read To Kill a Mockingbirdimmediately before On the Jellicoe Road. It’s not a prerequisite, but it did make the references to the Mrs
Dubose situation all the more meaningful.
I loved the way everything was
connected – even seemingly random things turn out to be deliberate and tie in
perfectly, but not in a forced way. Like Taylor’s dream boy, the serial killer, the postman in Yass, the tunnel, the
purple book… sigh.
Eye candy
Marchetta has written the film script for Jellicoe (squee!) and Cathy Randall is attached to direct, but there's no word yet on the cast. I pictured Marny Kennedy as Taylor and Liam Hemsworth as Jonah.
Related
I'll never hear 'Flame Trees' in the same way again. I know Webb would've been listening to the original by Cold Chisel, but I love Sarah Blasko's version.
Fine Print
Genre: Young Adult Published: 2006, Penguin Get It:Abe Books
