Book Review: The Thing About Jellyfish 

By Ali Benjamin 

4 Stars 

The Thing About Jellyfish is a novel about a middle school girl who has recently been grieving from the loss of her childhood friend. Unexpectedly, her friend drowned in the shallow ocean even though she was a fantastic swimmer. The protagonist, Suzy, is unable to comprehend the death of her late best friend, which results in no longer speaking. Suzy's parents try to put her in therapy and hope she will open up and speak, but she is young and finds it intimidating. I love how the story progresses while she is at school. Everything starts with her class trip to the aquarium. She wanders off and finds the jellyfish exhibit. A special jellyfish catches Suzy's eye. She goes home and researches it, and she comes to the conclusion that her friend must have been stung by that jellyfish. At school, her science teacher assigns a research project in partners, which gives Suzy the opportunity to research the jellyfish and specialists, as well as have someone to socialize with even if she doesn't want to speak. What I liked about this book was the build-up. The aura of the book fully immerses you in the elementary lifestyle. How Suzy feels and her thoughts are very clear since her head voice is dominant, as she is not speaking. I love the flashbacks she has. It gives more information about the friendship dynamic they had. It feels like we got to know her as well, and it wasn't just a character that we had never known. I would recommend this book to a younger audience. Approximately grades 4-8. It is definitely for a middle school age bracket. It is definitely a good read and worth the journey.   

Reviewed by Lillian 

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