NOVEMBER 2015 - AudioFile
Narrator Sarah Franco tackles middle school friendship and grief in this debut novel. After her ex-best friend dies in a drowning accident, Suzy is convinced her death was due to a jellyfish sting. Franco portrays a tender-voiced main character who is hurt and confused about the changes middle school brings. At times, her narration has a nasal quality, especially with the adults, and the various characters sometimes lack differentiation. There are also some production issues. Nonetheless, this is a touching story of friendship and the stages of grief. S.B.T. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine
The New York Times Book Review - Jacqueline Kelly
…heartfelt and fascinating…Benjamin explores the heartbreaking subject of grief in the young with dreamy, meditative and elegiac prose. She successfully captures the anxieties of middle school through Suzy's confusion and pain…The dedication of The Thing About Jellyfish reads, "For curious kids everywhere." It could also read, "For all those kids who need a gentle nudge to look closer at nature and science." Or perhaps, "For grieving kids who are struggling to come to terms with their losses, and seeking a path to peace and conciliation." There are, in other words, a lot of children who might not only benefit from this book but also find themselves deeply moved by it.
From the Publisher
*"A painful story smartly told, Benjamin's first solo novel has appeal well beyond a middle school audience."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
*"Reminiscent of works by Jennifer L. Holm and Sharon Creech, Benjamin's novel is a shining example of the highs and lows of early adolescence."—Publishers Weekly, starred review
*"Benjamin's sense of timing and delivery is extraordinary, as she blends the visceral experiences of Suzy's journey with an internal dialogue that is authentic and poignant....readers...will fully immerse themselves in this superbly written, heartfelt novel."—School Library Journal, starred review
*"Benjamin's involving novel features clean, fluid writing that is highly accessible, yet rich with possibilities for discussion.... Her highly individual, first-person narrative makes compelling reading.... An uncommonly fine first novel."—Booklist, starred review
*"This novel has it all: just-right pacing, authentic voices and characters, beautifully crafted plot, and superb writing. Readers will find that this story lingers with them after the book is closed."—VOYA, starred review
"There are...a lot of children who might not only benefit from this book but also find themselves deeply moved by it."—New York Times Book Review
"Seventh-grade narrator Suzy Swanson will win readers' hearts as she silently struggles to come to terms with her complex emotions over the death of her former best friend."—Shelf Awareness
"A heartfelt read for kids and adults."
—First for Women Magazine
starred review Booklist
*"Benjamin's involving novel features clean, fluid writing that is highly accessible, yet rich with possibilities for discussion.... Her highly individual, first-person narrative makes compelling reading.... An uncommonly fine first novel.
First for Women Magazine
A heartfelt read for kids and adults.
Shelf Awareness
Seventh-grade narrator Suzy Swanson will win readers’ hearts.”
starred review VOYA
*"This novel has it all: just-right pacing, authentic voices and characters, beautifully crafted plot, and superb writing. Readers will find that this story lingers with them after the book is closed.
Booklist (starred review)
Benjamin’s involving novel features clean, fluid writing that is highly accessible, yet rich with possibilities for discussion…An uncommonly fine first novel.”
New York Times Book Review
Benjamin explores the heartbreaking subject of grief in the young with dreamy, meditative and elegiac prose. She successfully captures the anxieties of middle school through Suzy’s confusion and pain…There are…a lot of children who might not only benefit from this book but also find themselves deeply moved by it.”
VOYA (starred review)
This novel has it all: just-right pacing, authentic voices and characters, beautifully crafted plot, and superb writing.”
NOVEMBER 2015 - AudioFile
Narrator Sarah Franco tackles middle school friendship and grief in this debut novel. After her ex-best friend dies in a drowning accident, Suzy is convinced her death was due to a jellyfish sting. Franco portrays a tender-voiced main character who is hurt and confused about the changes middle school brings. At times, her narration has a nasal quality, especially with the adults, and the various characters sometimes lack differentiation. There are also some production issues. Nonetheless, this is a touching story of friendship and the stages of grief. S.B.T. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2015-05-06
In middle school, where "Worst Thing" can mean anything from a pimple to public humiliation, Suzy "Zu" Swanson really has a reason to be in crisis: her former best friend has died unexpectedly, and the seventh-grader is literally silenced by grief and confusion. A chance encounter with a jellyfish display on a school trip gives her focus—for Zu, the venomous Irukandji jellyfish, while rare, provides a possible explanation for the "how" of Franny's death. And Zu is desperate for answers and relief from her haunting grief and guilt. In seven parts neatly organized around the scientific method as presented by Mrs. Turton, a middle school teacher who really gets the fragility of her students, Zu examines and analyzes past and present. A painful story of friendship made and lost emerges: the inseparable early years, Franny's pulling away, Zu's increasing social isolation, and a final attempt by Zu to honor a childhood pact. The author gently paints Zu as a bit of an oddball; not knowing what hair product to use leaves her feeling "like a separate species altogether," and knowing too many species of jellyfish earns her the nickname Medusa. Surrounded by the cruelty of adolescence, Zu is awkward, smart, methodical, and driven by sadness. She eventually follows her research far beyond the middle school norm, because " ‘Sometimes things just happen' is not an explanation. It is not remotely scientific." A painful story smartly told, Benjamin's first solo novel has appeal well beyond a middle school audience. (Fiction. 12 & up)
