On the Jellicoe Road is a beautifully written story about a seventeen year old girl, Taylor Markham, who attends a boarding school. At the age of eleven, Taylor was abandoned by her mother on the Jellicoe road. A woman called Hannah found her there and took her to the Jellicoe school, the school where she worked.

Taylor finds out that Hannah is writing a book about five children. A series of discoveries convinces her that the five children : Tate, Webb, Narnie, Jude and Fitz are not fictional. They are real, and soon she discovers that her life is intertwined with theirs. As her history reveals itself, she learns lessons about friendship, love, grief and loss.

On the Jellicoe Road is a poignant story that shows how grief and happiness are often interconnected. The story sheds light on the complexity of human nature. Of how we wish things were back like they were in the past, while not wanting to let go of the present. This book showed how everything that happens in our life has a beautiful and an ugly side.

Melina Marchetta has done a wonderful job of blending mystery and emotion - a rare combination - and creating a beautiful and compelling story in this Printz Award winning novel.