The book perhaps recommended to me the most, Jellicoe Road has been on my radar for over a year. I purchased a copy months and months ago and finally decided it was time to read it. 
 As with most readers, I was very very confused for a long while in the beginning. I kept reading, waiting for things to click - and I think it actually took me longer than most. If the book hadn't received raved reviews, I likely would have given up buttttttttt. 
 As I reached the second half, I finally started to weave together the story, and that's when I was able to start to see a glimmer of why many people claim this to be their favorite contemporary. You spend so much time figuring out what's going on that you are quite invested in the characters by the end. 
 Unfortunately, I will not be declaring Jellicoe Road my new favorite - but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it. I think if I were to read it again I would connect with it even more... though I'm not much of a re-reader so I'm not sure this will happen. Melina Marchetta is certainly an excellent author, and I look forward to reading something else she has written. And I'll be keeping Jellicoe Road on my shelf just in case I get the reread feeling.