#21 Book review: The Piper's Son

The Piper's Son
Genre: Young Adult
Pages: 328
Published: March 1st 2010
Author: Melina Marchetta

Summary from Goodreads:
Melina Marchetta's brilliant, heart-wrenching new novel takes up the story of the group of friends from her best-selling, much-loved book Saving Francesca - only this time it's five years later and Thomas Mackee is the one who needs saving.

Thomas Mackee wants oblivion. Wants to forget parents who leave and friends he used to care about and a string of one-night stands, and favourite uncles being blown to smithereens on their way to work on the other side of the world.

But when his flatmates turn him out of the house, Tom moves in with his single, pregnant aunt, Georgie. And starts working at the Union pub with his former friends. And winds up living with his grieving father again. And remembers how he abandoned Tara Finke two years ago, after his uncle's death.

And in a year when everything's broken, Tom realises that his family and friends need him to help put the pieces back together as much as he needs them.

My review:
Quite frankly, I have to say that I like The Piper's Son more than Saving Francesca. When I read the summary of this book, I was really excited to read what life is like for Thomas Mackee 5 years later. In Saving Francesca, Thomas was more of a prankster who loved music and also developed crush on Tara Finke, one of Francesca's friends. We also get to meet most of the characters from Saving Francesca such as Francesca, Will Trombal, Siobhan, Tara Finke and Justine. But the main focus of this story is of course, Thomas Mackee himself. This book is even more touching than Saving Francesca and it carries the theme of death, what it's like to have a family member who died, trying to keep yourself together and feeling that life is very worthless which is basically what Thomas a.k.a Tom is feeling throughout the book.


The Piper's Son is a term referring to Tom. Tom's dad is referred as The Piper by his family and so, Tom is The Piper's son. The book is told in 2 different perspectives. One from Tom obviously and one from Georgie, Tom's aunt. Basically, it's telling the story of how Tom is pretty much 'messed up' 5 years later. Why? He stepped out of Tara Finke's life, he is living with his auntie, his family is torn apart, his drunk father is staying with him in his auntie's house, his favourite uncles just died and his love for music is also torn apart. The story is also told from Georgie's perspective and it tells her story of getting pregnant to a guy called Sam, her lover who also have children from his previous marriage. Georgie is also very sad because her brother had died (Tom's uncle) and her other brother, Dominic (Tom's father) is drunk and separated from his wife because Tom's mom did not want Dominic to come back unless he can stop drinking. Tom decided to stay with his dad when his mom and his sister moved away because he did not want his father to be alone. But one day, Dominic just went away and it made Tom really angry towards his dad. He struggled so hard in his life, and also his feelings for Tara Finke. Tara moved to Dili as Red Cross worker and he never finished his 'business' with her. Besides focusing on Thomas and Georgie's story, we can also read about Francesca and Will's strong relationship, Luca (Francesca's brother)'s crush on Tom's sister and also Tara Finke's feelings for Tom.  Tom keeps on emailing Tara in the book and Tara replies him in her very normal habit but we can see that she still loves Tom. The ending was great and I am glad that things are working out very well for Tom and Georgie by the end of the book.


I am very pleased with how Tom develops in this book. He was very annoying at the beginning but I love the way he finally begins to open himself to Francesca and friends, his feelings for Tara, his relationship with his dad and aunt. Georgie is also a wonderful character. I feel sad that she has to undergo all the stress with her family when she's pregnant and although Sam is a bit cold towards Georgie, I can feel his great love for her. Georgie is also very nice, she takes Tom any time in her house and also Dominic who is very troubled. I also enjoyed reading bits and pieces of how happy Francesca is with her relationship with Will and from this book, I found out that Will truly loves Francesca. If you have read Saving Francesca, then you would know that Will studied abroad and visits once in a while. When he was about to leave after visiting, he did not want Francesca to come and send him to the airport. When Tom and Luca asked him why (they were the ones who sent him to the airport), he told them that he was not afraid of Francesca crying so hard but he cried so hard and if Francesca was here with him, he would not be able to let her go. I was very touched with Will at this moment because a guy crying for a girl? Quite rare isn't it? Probably the last time I read a book with a guy crying for a girl is Adam from If I Stay by Gayle Forman. What I really love from this book is that it's very realistic. The story of Tom and Georgie can be found in anyone's lives. We all can experience what Tom and Georgie experienced in this book. It also pleases me that the problems happening in the story is pretty much solved and Tom's life is more meaningful than it was.


Overall: Brilliant. Realistic. Marchetta's book continues to amuse me. I have yet to read Looking for Alibrandi which was her first novel and has been made into a movie, and I have yet to read her fantasy novel: Finnikin of the Rock but after reading 3 of her books, I am very happy to say that she is my favourite Australian author. Her books are very beautifully written and very realistic while touching at the same time. Tom, you rock. You and Tara are inseparable. Your talent for music is just awesome. Francesca + Will, never ever break up. Your relationship can withstand any problems in this world. Never stop believing. Never give up.

5 Forget-me-not flowers for The Piper's Son!

Note: From now on, I will not number my book review like first, second, third, etc because it's going to be complicated for me. I'll just put #1, #2 instead!

My Nineteenth book review: Saving Francesca

Saving Francesca
Genre: Young Adult
Pages: 252
Published: April 23rd 2007
Author: Melina Marchetta

Summary from Goodreads:
Francesca battles her mother, Mia, constantly over what's best for her. All Francesca wants is her old friends and her old school, but instead Mia sends her to St. Sebastian's, an all-boys' school that has just opened its doors to girls. Now Francesca's surrounded by hundreds of boys, with only a few other girls for company. All of them weirdos, or worse.

Then one day, Mia is too depressed to get out of bed. One day turns into months, and as her family begins to fall apart, Francesca realizes that without her mother's high spirits, she hardly knows who she is. But she doesn't yet realize that she's more like Mia than she thinks. With a little unlikely help from St. Sebastian's, she just might be able to save her family, her friends, and - especially- herself.

My review:
My first Melina Marchetta book was On the Jellicoe Road. Wow, it's awesome. That would be my alltime favourite Marchetta book. I loved Saving Francesca but I still loved On the Jellicoe Road. Don't get me wrong here, they're both awesome but On the Jellicoe Road was more touching, the romance was sweeter, the story is very unique and it's just beautiful. With Saving Francesca, you get to experience a school life of what used to be an all boys school which Francesca is unfortunately enrolled in and how to deal with it.

Let's begin with a little summary of what the story's about. Francesca is enrolled in a school called St. Sebastian which used to be an all boy's school. There are only a few girls including Francesca and lots lots lots of boys. I mean LOTS! So she's always surrounded with boys who are very gross sometimes like Thomas Mackee who is very good at burping and boys who farts! Not only does Francesca have troubles in school, but she's also having troubles in her home! Her mother is falling apart, getting depressed and is not like her again. Francesca tries to deal with her troubles, but she did not expect to fall for the captain of her house, Will Trombal. That's basically it!

The thing about this book is it's so funny. I keep on laughing and smiling like crazy because I'm still a student and I can understand what it's like to be disturbed by naughty gross boys and a school life! Thomas Mackee is just one prankster! But, he has a hidden talent! He's very good at music, he can never stop listening to music, even in detentions! And if you guys know, Thomas Mackee is the main character in The Piper's Son which is set 5 years later after Saving Francesca! I also liked Francesca's friends: Tara, Justine, Siobhan, particularly Tara who seems to like Thomas! There's also this funny part where Thomas calls them all Bitch Spice, Butch Spice, Slutty Spice or Stupid Spice and they have to figure out which term is for which girl. I want you guys to find this quote, read it & guess which is which before you find out the answers! If you do read this review, please leave me a comment about your guesses and I'll read them! We must not forget aboutr Will Trombal too! He's a pretty good guy, a very smart guy who unexpectedly falls for Francesca although he had a girlfriend. He also kissed her when he's drunk in a party. Do you find this pattern similar to a guy? (Yeah, I think it's pretty similar with St. Clair a bit, although I still love St. Clair so much better!) Will was quite a sweet character who loved Francesca but his dedication to their relationship can be really proved through The Piper's Son! The way Francesca struggles to keep her brother, Luca from falling apart, relationship with her father and her mother made me twinge. I can also feel the same way about my family sometimes and I understand what it's like for Francesca to want to make things right and her family back together again. Clearly, this is a very realistic book of an average girl's life in a school and her home. One enjoyable read which is funny to make things interesting too!

Overall: Hillarious and realistic! Really enjoyed reading this one. As usual, Marchetta never stops to amuse me. All her books are just so beautifully written. I can say I'm very proud to live in Aussie and to be able to read her books!!! Highly recommended to read it before The Piper's Son. Why? Because characters from that book appears in The Piper's Son 5 years later although it's not a must.

5 Forget-me-not flowers for Saving Francesca!

Once again, if you can guess who Thomas is referring to for this quote: "Bitch Spice, Butch Spice, Slutty Spice or Stupid Spice" which I read over and over again because it was so funny, leave a comment please!" So each girl would have one title either Bitch Spice, Butch Spice, Slutty Spice or Stupid Spice! 


If you're wondering about The Piper's Son, I think I'll post a review on that book tomorrow so please come back again if you're really interested in reading the book!

My seventeenth book review: On the Jellicoe Road

On the Jellicoe Road
Genre: Young Adult
Pages: 300
Published: June 26th 2007
Author: Melina Marchetta

Summary from Goodreads:
My father took one hundred and thirty two minutes to die.

I counted.

It happened on the Jellicoe Road. The prettiest road I’d ever seen, where trees made breezy canopies like a tunnel to Shangri-La. We were going to the ocean, hundreds of kilometres away, because I wanted to see the ocean and my father said that it was about time the four of us made that journey. I remember asking, “What’s the difference between a trip and a journey?” and my father said, “Narnie, my love, when we get there, you’ll understand,” and that was the last thing he ever said.

We heard her almost straight away. In the other car, wedged into ours so deep that you couldn’t tell where one began and the other ended. She told us her name was Tate and then she squeezed through the glass and the steel and climbed over her own dead – just to be with Webb and me; to give us her hand so we could clutch it with all our might. And then a kid called Fitz came riding by on a stolen bike and saved our lives.

Someone asked us later, “Didn’t you wonder why no one came across you sooner?”

Did I wonder?

When you see your parents zipped up in black body bags on the Jellicoe Road like they’re some kind of garbage, don’t you know?

‘Wonder dies.’

My review:
So my last review was Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley which is an Aussie author. And now I'm going to review my fist Melina Marchetta's book, On the Jellicoe Road. She is also an Aussie author who won a Printz award for this book. The summary intrigued me a lot and I've checked out many positive reviews on this book and bloggers who love it, including a guy from the book called Jonah Griggs. I wanted to read Marchetta's first book, Looking for Alibrandi but somehow, this book intrigued me more than her first book. This book is just spectacular. Aussie authors sure have their way to create beautiful books, so touching, romantic and funny at the same time!


On the Jellicoe Road tells the story of Taylor Markham, a girl who was found on the Jellicoe Road and goes to the boarding school there. I'll make it brief so that it won't spoil anything. Taylor is chosen to be the school's leader for a war territory with the Townies and Cadets. She finds herself finding more about her past, developing friendship and falling in love.


This book is really beautiful. I find myself laughing, crying and smiling the whole time. I can understand Taylor's pain of being left by her mother on the road so sudden that she didn't understand why. The territory war is also very interesting. Taylor finds herself building friendships wih the Townies and Cadets. She also falls in love with Jonah Griggs, a Cadet who shared a past with her. What a breath-taking book. I enjoyed every single word. The book progressed slowly, telling the story of Taylor and her life in the boarding school. As you get to the middle, it becomes really exciting and there are also some stories from the past. These stories will help readers understand more about Taylor and the Jellicoe Road. 


My favourite character in this book would be Jonah Griggs. I've seen him featured in some blogger's My Book Boyfriend meme and the quotes they picked made me very intrigued with him. And boy, he is such a good character! He is a sweet character who's also strong at the same time. Taylor is a perfect match for him. The past they share made them even more meant to be together. 


My favourite quotes from the book:
'What do you want from me?' he asks. What I want from every person in my life, I want to tell him. More.

'Never,' he tells me in a tone full of ice, 'underestimate who or what I care for.'


What a short review. The thing is I don't know what to write. I'm too speechless to write about this book because it's perfect. Really. I rarely say this word to a book but it is.There's not a single thing I don't like from this book.


Overall: I'm in love with this book. I don't know why it took me so long to read this. I'm going to make a month dedicated to read Melina Marchetta's book. My next to read is Saving Francesca. I'm also proud to say that my first Marchetta's book is awesome! This is a MUST-READ. Oh, and Jellicoe Road actually exist in Sydney! 

5 Forget-me-not flowers for On the Jellicoe Road!