Common Sense Media Review
By Andrea Beach
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Beautiful, grief-tinged, coming-of-age story has it all.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 4 parent reviews
Based on 21 kid reviews
Kids say this book is a captivating coming-of-age story, praised for its educational value and relatable themes of grief, friendship, and growing up. However, some readers find it poorly written and confusing, expressing disappointment with excessive detail and a lack of emotional impact.
- captivating story
- educational value
- themes of grief
- relatable characters
- mixed reviews
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
Just before the start of seventh grade, Suzy Swanson learns that her best friend has drowned. But her friend was an excellent swimmer, and Suzy can't accept the idea that it's just a random event. Worse still, the last time they saw each other, Suzy and Franny were in a big fight. Suzy feels terrible about the way things were left between them, and she needs to find out how and why Franny died so she won't feel like the villain of Franny's life anymore. As she starts to learn about jellyfish, she thinks it's possible Franny drowned after being stung by a particularly venomous kind. To prove her theory correct, Suzy learns everything she can about jellyfish, and as she retreats into herself and her grief she becomes obsessed with consulting a jellyfish expert who lives on the other side of the world.
Is It Any Good?
Beautifully written, lovingly constructed, deeply touching, and thoroughly engaging, this gem of a debut from Ali Benjamin delivers tremendous emotional depth with remarkable grace and restraint. Suzy Swanson is an engaging, quirky, utterly believable, often lyrical narrator whose unique voice will appeal to independent readers of any age. Life and death; science and heart; and in-between just trying to get through seventh grade all are on display in THE THING ABOUT JELLYFISH, structured and voiced in a way that feels unique, authentic, and universal all at once.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about grief. What do you think of the way Suzy's friend's death changes her? Is it realistic?
Thinking and talking about death can be hard. How can reading about it help? Do you feel differently about it after reading this book?
What is the thing about jellyfish?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Coming of Age
- Topics : STEM , Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Little, Brown and Company
- Publication date : September 22, 2015
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 352
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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