There's a monster in my mirror with puffy bloodshot eyes because she stayed up most of the night, crying and reading On the Jellicoe Road. But it was worth it.

Melina Marchetta never fails to remind me why she is one of my favourite authors and, in my opinion, this is the best of her books I've read so far. It's very difficult to put into words how I feel about On the Jellicoe Road, all I can say is that my heart has been ripped out and shredded, my throat has sealed up with emotion and when I finally get some sleep, I get the feeling I'll probably dream about Jonah Griggs.

The story is of Taylor Markham, a girl who was abandoned by her mother as a young child and now resides in a boarding school for kids who are troubled, neglected or criminally inclined, her closest friend and mentor being Hannah, a woman who lives on the edge of the school grounds. Taylor is elected as a leader in the territory war games played by her school with the Townies (locals) and Cadets. She tries to balance this responsibility with her own worries about Hannah's sudden disappearance and her belief that it is connected to her own mother. On top of that is Jonah Griggs, one of the Cadets and a boy from her past, who knows her a little too much for comfort.

The biggest concern of mine is that the intended young adult audience may not fully appreciate Melina Marchetta, I know she's somewhat of a celebrity here on goodreads but she's hardly a household name... and it irks me. I want to tell everyone to read this, scream praise from rooftops, and glare with disapproval at the teens in my local library until they drop Halo and pick up these fantastic works of fiction. But it makes me sad that Melina Marchetta is probably too sophisticated a writer for the Twilight generation.

Saving Francesca, The Piper's Son, On the Jellicoe Road... every book I read seems better than the last. She creates moods that permeate the entire book so even the most simplistic scenes or conversations become deeply emotional, and Melina Marchetta plays my emotions like Jimi Hendrix played guitar. I can't think of a single book that has had me choked up more often than this one.

And Jonah Griggs, you stole my heart. Though I do think Melina Marchetta could quite easily persuade me to fall in love with a goldfish.

Basically this book is everything... beautiful, powerful, tragic without being melodramatic, and I know this wonderfully sad story will stay with me for a very long time.