Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
This book ... I don't even know. kristin_briana had raved about it and that's one of the reasons I picked it up in the first place. And Taylor (the main character) was so damaged and nearly broken. And I don't even think I can form a coherent review.
Last night I kept saying I'd put it down, but I didn't. I cried (ugly cried, for the record) through the last half of the book, sometimes because of sadness sometimes because of something else. When I finished the last page, I sat there, swollen eyes, runny nose, and just stared into space, completely wrung out and numb after the emotional turmoil I'd just experienced. I haven't had a book affect me so strongly and thoroughly in a long, long time.
And yet, there were times when I laughed out loud and smiled to see how these kids who, despite having some serious Issues, still managed to do normal things and fall in love and have petty rivalries and become the kind of friends that last a lifetime.
So, basically, this book was devastating and beautiful. It broke my heart and then healed it up better than before. I loved it.
Now my only problem is figuring out what book I can follow it up. 10/10