The Thing About Jellyfish (National Book Award Finalist)

The Thing about Jellyfish, is a novel by Ali Benjamin. This book shows a relationship between two friends that always stick together, but while this book goes on they go on separate paths. A quote that goes through this book is: “Sometimes things just happen,” but Suzy doesn’t want to look at it this way, especially after the tragic that happened. This book will target someone who likes mysteries and The Thing about Jellyfish is a book with a mystery that you would really want to know more about.Suzy and Franny are best friends. There’s a popular girl named, Aubrey that Franny never wants to be like: “Shoot me if I ever become like that. Send me a signal… a secret message. Make it big.” As Franny once said to Suzy. One day Franny did become like Aubrey and Suzy tried to fix it and make that “secret message,” but it didn’t work. Franny got new best friends and is becoming the opposite of the way she really is. Suzy grows and learns new thing every day and going from not talking to talking again little by little. That’s the way the author develops Suzy’s character. Franny grows somewhat negatively and goes on opposite roads with Suzy: ”Why do you have to be so weird ?” Franny hisses. ”Your just.So.Weird.” Franny says, and you turn around and storm out of the cafeteria and the other girls follow.” .It’s always important to keep your close friends by your side, because friends come and go, but if you hold on tight they’ll stay with you.The author shows how friends are important to stay by, for an example, Suzy and Franny are good friends, but they don’t go down the same paths. Franny goes down a road with her new friends and Suzy goes down a road with learning and discovering out the tragic drowning of her best friend that is not by her side anymore. The message that the author is trying to shout out is, to always keep your true friends by your side and don’t let go.This book is written in an interesting way, that the author back flashes in her writing, that it’s like Suzy is talking with Franny even though she’s not directly there, and the author is doing it like a memory is coming to Suzy’s brain. I really like the way Ali Benjamin writes this book, and how the book is structured. The book is an easy read and it’s a great story as well to how it’s written. “Tiny species, move through an invisible field, the way a pair of boots moves through mud, getting heavier as they go.” This imagery is showing that, things drift away and it’s hard to handle.The Thing about Jellyfish, is a great read. What is good about this book is the way the characters grow and it shows lots of character development and it’s a great thing. The way Suzy grew throughout the book was amazing. She went from not talking to talking step-by-step and showing her inner voice. This book is a great mystery that needs to be answered and is an amazing book to read and to enjoy!“Sometimes when we feel most alone, the world decides to open up in magical ways.”-Ali Benjamin.

I picked this up on a recommendation from the author Ashley Herring Blake on Twitter for good middle grade reads. I don't read a ton of middle grade but I have a mini obsession with jellyfish so without even reading the description I picked it up. It's been on my shelf for awhile and I had no clue what I wanted to read tonight at work so I grabbed it and I am so happy I did. I was thrilled with this story, it was a delightfully emotional read that I was not expecting. First off the writing is fun, the story is emotional and caused me a ton of tears but the writing had me hooked, it was informative and carried the story so well. Suzy the main character who is going through a a lot of grief due to her best friends death, has stopped talking and doesn't know what to do with life. She loves to learn, she wants all the facts, she wants to know how the world works around her and it made for an interesting character. She didn't care what others thought of her and didn't see the world they way everyone else always did and with the death of Franny she is just trying to make it through the year. Her class takes a trip to an aquarium and she learns about a jellyfish with a deadly venomous sting that she decides is what killed Franny and she becomes obsessed about learning all she can about them. It was a story of over coming grief, forgiving ourselves and those around us, learning and growing, there was so much to dig into to. I loved her parents being there for her and trying to help her even they don't know what's going on. I loved the ending, I cried tears of happiness and of love for this book. There are very few middle grades I've read that dealt with such emotional situations and this one handled it so well. The relationship Suzy had with her science teacher was also a delight, I had a science teacher in high school who I probably wouldn't have graduated without. She made sure everything was okay even if it wasn't and helped out so many kids when she really didn't have too. I enjoyed that character because teachers are so often demonized in kids and ya books and that's not the case with the majority. I adored this book all around. It was a joy to read and I'd probably sit here and read it again at work if I could!