Melina Marchetta

Josephine Alibrandi is seventeen, and in her final year of school. Dealing with her mum and the ways of her Nonna are daunting enough as she prepares for her exams. But Josie is about to discover real life gets in the way of her carefully-made plans. Winner of Children's Book Council Queensland BILBY Awards: Older Reader 2000.

Looking for Alibrandi

madeleine

During her senior year in a Catholic school in Sydney, Australia, seventeen-year-old Josie meets and must contend with the father she has never known.

Zahra

4.5/5

I liked this so much! I loved character-driven, coming-of-age type of books and Looking For Alibrandi was just both. It was culturally rich and I loved reading about the Italian culture parts. The only problem was (view spoiler)[Josie and Jacob drove me crazy with their dramas and push-and-pull nature of their relationship at times. (hide spoiler)]

Annika Arguemore

If you would judge this book with only its premise, you wouldn't be interested at all. If you read it all, you'd be hooked, but not right away.

The first few chapters were a little difficult to traverse due to the painful attitude of the protagonist, but I assure you as the novel goes on, her perspective would be less painful to read. And it all gets better with every chapter.

As the story progresses, the story exhibits more depth and you are hit in the face with a multitude of problems the protagonist has to deal with. The protagonist, thankfully, grew with the story. That's what this book is, basically. A story of growth.

This book contained some conversations that didn't feel real. Perhaps it's because the conversations were of a foreign culture? Or maybe it's just me. It doesn't really matter, honestly, because this book was a blast. It has a lot of surprises in store for you. Although all in all it'll seem boring, it's actually really not. The author rewards your patience with a buttload of plot twists that certainly made me make dying whale noises and would probably make you do those noises too.

You'll get the best feeling once everything clicks into place. In conclusion, this was a great read.

Isadora Cal

I don't think Melina Marchetta can ever let me down. It's the third book I've read and they were all fantastic. Thinking chronologically, I can see how her books are related. Saving Francesca mostly, but even a bit of On the Jellicoe Road, they are all set in the same place and they all have the same kind of focus on family. Saving Francesca and Looking for Alibrandi have A LOT in common, but it doesn't come out as if she is only repeating herself.
But back to Alibrandi: it was a book written in the '90s and still is waaay more honest and realistic than most of YA published today. What I love more about Melina Marchetta is the way she writes her teen characters. They are so so so real. But better than this, the rest of her characters are too. Adults aren't just boring people that will get in your way or teach you something. They are also complex and real and flawed and a great part of a young person's life, because let's face it: parents do have a lot of influence and importance in our lives as teenagers. Melina is so good at writing she makes you fall in love with every single character, and it's awesome how she makes you understand them as well. It reminds me of something I read on tumblr the other day, "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle" (the source is unknown, I suppose, because a lot of people claim it isn't Plato's).
I love romance in YA, because teens (usually) are so intense, and as we get older (specially if we are in a long-term relationship) we seem to lose the ability to feel the way teens feel when they are in love (also, it has all that magic from doing somethings for the first time, including falling deeply in love). So I have to admit I tend to get a little bit disappointed when the book hasn't enough romance (unless the book is clearly about something else - I know YA isn't always about romance). But Melina Marchetta does what I (but I think everyone agrees?) always thought would be perfect for YA books, but had never read one: she shows us that, yes, teens are also deep and complex and, even when madly in love and even when dramatic and intense, they have a lot more inside them. Melina Marchetta's books are like the perfect dose of things. Nothing is too much, everything is just... AWESOME! 
Also, I learned so much about racism, about Australian culture, about the '90s, about respect, about forgiveness.

If you've read the book, please answer me this:

(view spoiler)[I love Jacob! I was trying to soothe myself thinking hard that, yes, Jacob and Josie get together afterwards. I know the end was exactly what it had to be. It was the right decision and also very likely what would have happened in "real life". But then it hit me: Josie and Jacob are Francesca's parents! Josie is totally Mia, in every single possible way! And her father? Guys!!!! This is like good fanfiction! (hide spoiler)]

You can never go wrong with a Marchetta book. NEVER.

'Eat, Jozzie, eat. Oh, Jozzie, Jozzie. Look at your hair. Why, Jozzie? Why can you not look tidy?' My grandmother says that to me every afternoon. She says it with a painful cry in her voice as if she is dying. I'm not sure if anyone has ever died of the fact that their granddaughter looks untidy, but I'm sure my grandmother will one day because she'll strain her voice so much she'll choke. "So fresh and strong it bounces off the page." - Andrea Stretton, The Bookshow, SBS "a novel to rejoice in, a story from the heart" - Australian Bookseller & Publisher

Nicole

Melina Marchetta, I love your way with words.

The best way i can describe this book is its like taking a shower. before you get in you don't want to but once your in you don't want to get out.
I did like this book alot more than I expected though.
Also John deserved better, love him so much.

Jo Young

I quite liked this book. Josephine is a really vibrant character, well all the characters are actually. A good book :)

Lauren Talevski

Really good book for all the second generation wogs for Australia (aka me) so much is relevant to what happens in our lives coming from immigrant grandparents. Just thought the end was a bit abrupt, nothing was really discussed about Jacob or John or even Kaca and Kristina?

Emilia Lord

Olivera Mitić

I loved the ending because it wasn't sugarcoated, but rather so real and reflective, but there were some things Josie said that kinda rubbed me the wrong way.

Geese Fish

ghost girl in satin

I'm beginning to realise that things don't turn our the way you want them to. And sometimes when they don't, they can turn out just a little bit better. Every so often, there comes a story so brilliant and lively and moving that it cannot be left in the past. Rediscover the magic of our country's most memorable children's books in the Penguin Australia Children's Classics series of stories too precious to leave behind.

Looking for Alibrandi

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