The Thing About Jellyfish

The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Suzy Swanson and Franny Jackson have been friends since they met in a swimming class when they were in Kindergarten. That first smile was the beginning of wonderful friendship that lasted until the summer after sixth grade when Suzy’s mom gave her the fateful news that Franny had drowned while swimming at a beach in Maryland. But Suzy and Franny’s friendship had been strained over the past year and Franny’s death left Suzy feeling both grief and guilt. To cope with the loss, Suzy retreated into a world of silence. Silence opened up different routes to understanding and the world of jellyfish opened up possibilities.

The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin is truly a multifaceted book. There are so many things swirling in this book that it is hard to pinpoint one main focus. The interesting part is that there is a tragic death of a child and that seems to be the least pivotal moment. Middle school is hard. Middle school is really hard. It is a rough age and this is a time when kids are changing and morphing in to creatures totally different than what they were in elementary school. Some make dramatic changes while others take their time and I think that is where Franny and Suzy where. Franny was able to enter that world of the ‘popular girls’ which required one sacrifice…Suzy. Suzy was awkward and still not letting go of childhood. That difference torn the girls apart and Suzy struggled to let her friend know there was a problem and she was hurt. After Franny’s death, Suzy stopped talking. She didn’t do it consciously, but just came to a realization that there is too much noise around and that people talk to fill a silent void. Suzy realized that a lot could be heard in the silence. The Thing About Jellyfish was a quick read and pretty good. It wasn’t my favorite, but was a good story about friendship, loss and resilience.

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