Review: The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin

Charming, expertly written novel that you’ll devour in one sitting.

The Thing About Jellyfish summary

After her best friend dies in a drowning accident, Suzy is convinced that the true cause of the tragedy must have been a rare Jellyfish sting – things don’t just happen for no reason.

Retreating into a silent world of imagination, she crafts a plan to prove her theory – even if it means travelling the globe, alone.

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The Thing About Jellyfish review

This book is so, so beautiful to read. I raced through it on a Sunday morning and didn’t get out of bed until I’d finished it. 13-year-old Suzy’s desperate story will tug on your heartstrings and really make you think about how the loss of a friend can affect a human, particularly children and teenagers.

Suzy just can’t accept that Franny died whilst swimming on a family holiday, because she was always such a great swimmer. She chooses not to speak unless absolutely necessary as she goes on a mission to show everyone that Franny’s tragic death wasn’t as straight forward as it seemed. It just seems so unfair for a good swimmer to drown, so Suzy is determined to prove that a sea creature caused her death instead.

What I loved about this book is that, despite the lack of conversation in this novel due to Suzy’s selective speaking, Suzy is one of the most chatty, funny and charming characters I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading about. She narrates this story and fills it with fascinating facts that manage to enhance the story rather than distract from it, and I completely adored it.

Ali Benjamin’s writing style is perfect, and I would recommend The Thing About Jellyfish to everyone, particularly parents and teachers.

My rating

***** 5/5 stars

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