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The Thing About Jellyfish
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Middle Grade & Children's (2015)This stunning debut novel about grief and wonder was an instant New York Times bestseller and captured widespread critical acclaim, including selection as a 2015 National Book Award finalist!
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 traveling the globe, alone. Suzy's achingly heartfelt journey explores life, death, the astonishing wonder of the universe...and the potential for love and hope right next door.
Oddlot Entertainment has acquired the screen rights to The Thing About Jellyfish , with Gigi Pritzker set to produce with Bruna Papandrea and Reese Witherspoon.
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 traveling the globe, alone. Suzy's achingly heartfelt journey explores life, death, the astonishing wonder of the universe...and the potential for love and hope right next door.
Oddlot Entertainment has acquired the screen rights to The Thing About Jellyfish , with Gigi Pritzker set to produce with Bruna Papandrea and Reese Witherspoon.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published August 18, 2015
About the author
Ali Benjamin
9 books552 followersAli Benjamin has written for the Boston Globe Magazine, Martha Stewart's Whole Living, and Sesame Street. She is the co-writer for HIV+ teen Paige Rawl's coming-of-age memoir, Positive, which will be a lead title for Harper Teen this coming Fall, and which will feature an introduction by Jay Asher. She is a member of the New England Science Writers. - See more at: http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titl...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 5,397 reviews
November 8, 2015
"If people were silent, they could hear the noise of their own lives better. If people were silent, it would make what they did say, whenever they chose to say it, more important. If people were silent, they could read one another's signals, the way underwater creatures flash lights at one another, or turn their skin different colors."
After her best friend dies in a drowning accident, Suzy refuses to speak, and she is determined to discover the true cause of why the unthinkable happened. As she processes her grief and the journey at the point from when she and her friend first met, until her tragic death, Suzy begins to learn more about the complexities of friendship, and of the beauty and heartache in life.
This is a beautiful, middle grade novel that happens to be a great read for all ages, and especially meaningful if you have undergone the loss of a loved one. It is not depressing, but is instead hopeful, with many moments of humor. Scientific facts involving jellyfish are woven in with a lyrical writing style that is so moving and powerful, and that provide parallels to daily life. At times, I was smiling through my tears...this book brought back memories of a time when wonder, excitement, and the ability to believe are foremost in your mind...
A special mention to Neil and his inspiring review of this lovely book.
After her best friend dies in a drowning accident, Suzy refuses to speak, and she is determined to discover the true cause of why the unthinkable happened. As she processes her grief and the journey at the point from when she and her friend first met, until her tragic death, Suzy begins to learn more about the complexities of friendship, and of the beauty and heartache in life.
This is a beautiful, middle grade novel that happens to be a great read for all ages, and especially meaningful if you have undergone the loss of a loved one. It is not depressing, but is instead hopeful, with many moments of humor. Scientific facts involving jellyfish are woven in with a lyrical writing style that is so moving and powerful, and that provide parallels to daily life. At times, I was smiling through my tears...this book brought back memories of a time when wonder, excitement, and the ability to believe are foremost in your mind...
A special mention to Neil and his inspiring review of this lovely book.
February 8, 2022
The Thing About Jellyfish, Ali Benjamin
The Thing About Jellyfish is a 2015 children's novel written by Ali Benjamin, her fiction debut.
The book follows Suzy Swanson, the protagonist and narrator, who theorizes the death of her friend, Franny Jackson, was caused by a jellyfish sting. Suzy has just started the seventh grade, which is the second year at Eugene Field Middle School in fictional South Grove, Massachusetts.
During their sixth grade year, Franny became interested in boys and started to join a more popular social circle than the sometimes awkward Suzy, who had been best friends with Franny starting shortly after they met, when they were both five years old. After the two had a falling out in the sixth grade year, Franny died during the ensuing summer before they had a chance to heal their friendship.
عنوانهای چاپ شده در ایران: «شاید عروس دریایی»؛ «عروس دریایی»؛ «گناه عروس دریایی»؛ نویسنده: الی(علی) بنجامین؛ تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز سی و یکم ماه ژانویه سال2017میلادی
عنوان: شاید عروس دریایی؛ نویسنده: الی بنجامین؛ مترجم: آرزو قلیزاده؛ تهران، نشر پرتقال، سال1395؛ در288ص؛ شابک9786008111474؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان بریتانیا - سده21م
عنوان: عروس دریایی؛ نویسنده: الی بنجامین؛ مترجم: کیوان عبیدی آشتیانی؛ تهران، افق، سال1395؛ در264ص؛ شابک9786003532380؛
عنوان: گناه عروس دریایی؛ نویسنده: الی بنجامین؛ مترجم: شهناز صاعلی؛ تهران، پیدایش، سال1395؛ در306ص؛ شابک9786002964564؛
سوزی بهترین دوستش «فرنی» را از دست داده؛ «فرنی» در دریا غرق شده، در حالیکه همه می‌دانند بهترین شناگر مدرسه بوده است؛ «سوزی» نمیتواند این رویداد را بپذیرد؛ او که دختری بسیار کنجکاو است، و برای هر چیزی به دنبال دلیل است، نمیتواند بپذیرد که «بعضی چیزها همین طوری اتفاق می‌افتند» او به دنبال دلیلی است تا بتواند مرگ کسی را که زمانی بهترین دوستش بود درک کند؛ او از معلمش خانم «ترتون»، آموخته است که «وقتی اتفاقی می‌افتد که توضیحی برایش پیدا نمی‌کنید، یعنی به نقطه ای برخورد کرده اید که دانش بشری جوابگویش نیست؛ به همین دلیل دانش اهمیت خاصی دارد؛ دانش فرآیندی است که طی آن می‌توانید توضیحی برای چیزهایی پیدا کنید که هنوز جوابش را پیدا نکرده اید.»؛ روزی که او به همراه همکلاسی‌هایش برای بازدید علمی به آکواریوم رفته، می‌فهمد که نوعی عروس دریایی وجود دارد که سمش بسیار کشنده است و حدس می‌زند که ممکن است علت مرگ «فرنی» همین باشد؛ «سوزی» برای این که مطمئن شود شروع می‌کند به تحقیق کردن درباره عروس‌های دریایی؛
نقل از پشت جلد کتاب: (بعضی از قلب‌ها فقط چهارصدودوازده میلیون بار می‌تپند؛ ممکن است زیاد به نظر برسد، اما در حقیقت، این عدد تنها می‌تواند یکی را تا دوازده سالگی برساند؛ «سوزی سوانسون» همیشه چیزهایی می‌داند که بچه های هم‌سن و سالش نمی‌دانند؛ مثلاً اینکه هر سال، عروس‌های دریایی به طور میانگین، یکصدوپنجاه میلیون بار نیش می‌زنند؛ یا هر بچه مدرسه ی راهنمایی، حدوداً بیست میلیارد اتم شکسپیر در وجودش دارد؛ اما با این‌همه هوش، وقتی با بهترین دوستش مشکلی پیدا می‌کند، و پیش از اینکه بتواند دوباره با او دوست شود)»؛ پایان نقل از پشت جلد کتاب
نقل نمونه از متن: (کاش همدیگر را می‌دیدیم و می‌توانستیم راجع به نیش و زهر، و آغاز و پایان، و همه ی موجوداتی که دیگران آن‌ها را درک نمی‌کنند صحبت کنیم...؛ ذهن «سوزی» پر از پرسشه و با تمام وجود تلاش میکنه، تا بفهمه چرا بهترین و صمیمی‌ترین دوستش «فرنی»، در دریا غرق شد؛ آخه «فرنی» شناگر ماهری بود، آخه دقیقن در زمان غرق شدنِ «فرنی»، اونها با هم قهر بودن، و آخه «سوزی» هنوز منتظره، تا حرفهاش رو به «فرنی» بزنه، تا با هم آشتی کنن...؛) پایان نقل از کتاب
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 28/12/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 18/11/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
The Thing About Jellyfish is a 2015 children's novel written by Ali Benjamin, her fiction debut.
The book follows Suzy Swanson, the protagonist and narrator, who theorizes the death of her friend, Franny Jackson, was caused by a jellyfish sting. Suzy has just started the seventh grade, which is the second year at Eugene Field Middle School in fictional South Grove, Massachusetts.
During their sixth grade year, Franny became interested in boys and started to join a more popular social circle than the sometimes awkward Suzy, who had been best friends with Franny starting shortly after they met, when they were both five years old. After the two had a falling out in the sixth grade year, Franny died during the ensuing summer before they had a chance to heal their friendship.
عنوانهای چاپ شده در ایران: «شاید عروس دریایی»؛ «عروس دریایی»؛ «گناه عروس دریایی»؛ نویسنده: الی(علی) بنجامین؛ تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز سی و یکم ماه ژانویه سال2017میلادی
عنوان: شاید عروس دریایی؛ نویسنده: الی بنجامین؛ مترجم: آرزو قلیزاده؛ تهران، نشر پرتقال، سال1395؛ در288ص؛ شابک9786008111474؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان بریتانیا - سده21م
عنوان: عروس دریایی؛ نویسنده: الی بنجامین؛ مترجم: کیوان عبیدی آشتیانی؛ تهران، افق، سال1395؛ در264ص؛ شابک9786003532380؛
عنوان: گناه عروس دریایی؛ نویسنده: الی بنجامین؛ مترجم: شهناز صاعلی؛ تهران، پیدایش، سال1395؛ در306ص؛ شابک9786002964564؛
سوزی بهترین دوستش «فرنی» را از دست داده؛ «فرنی» در دریا غرق شده، در حالیکه همه می‌دانند بهترین شناگر مدرسه بوده است؛ «سوزی» نمیتواند این رویداد را بپذیرد؛ او که دختری بسیار کنجکاو است، و برای هر چیزی به دنبال دلیل است، نمیتواند بپذیرد که «بعضی چیزها همین طوری اتفاق می‌افتند» او به دنبال دلیلی است تا بتواند مرگ کسی را که زمانی بهترین دوستش بود درک کند؛ او از معلمش خانم «ترتون»، آموخته است که «وقتی اتفاقی می‌افتد که توضیحی برایش پیدا نمی‌کنید، یعنی به نقطه ای برخورد کرده اید که دانش بشری جوابگویش نیست؛ به همین دلیل دانش اهمیت خاصی دارد؛ دانش فرآیندی است که طی آن می‌توانید توضیحی برای چیزهایی پیدا کنید که هنوز جوابش را پیدا نکرده اید.»؛ روزی که او به همراه همکلاسی‌هایش برای بازدید علمی به آکواریوم رفته، می‌فهمد که نوعی عروس دریایی وجود دارد که سمش بسیار کشنده است و حدس می‌زند که ممکن است علت مرگ «فرنی» همین باشد؛ «سوزی» برای این که مطمئن شود شروع می‌کند به تحقیق کردن درباره عروس‌های دریایی؛
نقل از پشت جلد کتاب: (بعضی از قلب‌ها فقط چهارصدودوازده میلیون بار می‌تپند؛ ممکن است زیاد به نظر برسد، اما در حقیقت، این عدد تنها می‌تواند یکی را تا دوازده سالگی برساند؛ «سوزی سوانسون» همیشه چیزهایی می‌داند که بچه های هم‌سن و سالش نمی‌دانند؛ مثلاً اینکه هر سال، عروس‌های دریایی به طور میانگین، یکصدوپنجاه میلیون بار نیش می‌زنند؛ یا هر بچه مدرسه ی راهنمایی، حدوداً بیست میلیارد اتم شکسپیر در وجودش دارد؛ اما با این‌همه هوش، وقتی با بهترین دوستش مشکلی پیدا می‌کند، و پیش از اینکه بتواند دوباره با او دوست شود)»؛ پایان نقل از پشت جلد کتاب
نقل نمونه از متن: (کاش همدیگر را می‌دیدیم و می‌توانستیم راجع به نیش و زهر، و آغاز و پایان، و همه ی موجوداتی که دیگران آن‌ها را درک نمی‌کنند صحبت کنیم...؛ ذهن «سوزی» پر از پرسشه و با تمام وجود تلاش میکنه، تا بفهمه چرا بهترین و صمیمی‌ترین دوستش «فرنی»، در دریا غرق شد؛ آخه «فرنی» شناگر ماهری بود، آخه دقیقن در زمان غرق شدنِ «فرنی»، اونها با هم قهر بودن، و آخه «سوزی» هنوز منتظره، تا حرفهاش رو به «فرنی» بزنه، تا با هم آشتی کنن...؛) پایان نقل از کتاب
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 28/12/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 18/11/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
September 11, 2018
Update: Kindle $2.99 special today. Its wonderful!!!
This is THE BEST YOUNG ADULT BOOK ....
If you want a book to feel uplifted and inspired ... this is a terrific choice... written by very bright talented author!'
Thank you 'Little Brown Young Readers', Netgalley, and a 'new favorite' author--
*Ali Benjamin* for the opportunity to read this.
Ali Benjamin wrote a book to be very proud about... she makes science come alive --and has us fall deeply in love with our young narrator.
Middle School years are challenging years for kids. My own 34year old daughter says they were the most painful years of her life. -- we've read books on the theme before about 'The awkward years'.... Or 'the bully'...,, or 'friendships falling apart' ....... But you've never read any of them that with the marvels of the jellyfish. You'll be surprised how much you'll learn...'fascinating'!!! You'll read about the scientists
Jamie Seymour, and Diana Nyad's historic swimming from Cuba to Florida.
The entire last half of the book I was completely 'mush'.... crying all the way through!
Suzy delivers an oral science report to her class ..,on Jellyfish...
She teaches her class about jellyfish lifecycles – – – "jelly start off on us as a plant, cleaning to the bottom of the sea, and how in that phase of life, they are a planula. But that when they are grown up, when they break away from the seafloor and are free to pulse through the ocean, they have taken the form of a medusa." She has so much more to say...( this is the first time she has spoken at all since before the beginning of the school year) ... She has a message she desperately wants to get across--- but her teacher stops her...they have run out of time... She lets her continue - a little-.but she still never finishes...
"Jellyfish don't get logged down by drama, by love or friendship, or sorrow. They don't get stuck in any of the stuff that gets people in trouble."
Suzy's best friend, Franny, since kindergarten, died - the summer before 7th grade. There is more to this story... which will have any young readers looking at their own friendships and School community connections. Parents will question themselves -- wondering 'what might they have done to help prevent some of the painful lessons child face on their own. Where do we as parents step in--- and where do we back off?
Suzy - (short for Suzanne- called 'Zu', by her mother, Suzy Q, by her brothers partner, and 'Belle' by Justin), .......is the most bright-lovable-12 year old girl you could ever want to meet.
I miss her already!
If I could fly to Boston and visit the touch tank, jellies exhibit and giant ocean tank...I would. If I ever 'do' get to Boston, (one of my wishes), The aquarium is one of first places I want to visit.
This book, and Ali Benjamin, opened my interest deeper. I'm fully inspired!
Oh....and for more fun information...did you know that jellyfish are immortal? A jellyfish called
Turritopis Nutricula can grow younger --which is something no other creature on earth can do.
Pretty cool, don't ya think?
A jellyfishy- lovely book!!!!
This is THE BEST YOUNG ADULT BOOK ....
If you want a book to feel uplifted and inspired ... this is a terrific choice... written by very bright talented author!'
Thank you 'Little Brown Young Readers', Netgalley, and a 'new favorite' author--
*Ali Benjamin* for the opportunity to read this.
Ali Benjamin wrote a book to be very proud about... she makes science come alive --and has us fall deeply in love with our young narrator.
Middle School years are challenging years for kids. My own 34year old daughter says they were the most painful years of her life. -- we've read books on the theme before about 'The awkward years'.... Or 'the bully'...,, or 'friendships falling apart' ....... But you've never read any of them that with the marvels of the jellyfish. You'll be surprised how much you'll learn...'fascinating'!!! You'll read about the scientists
Jamie Seymour, and Diana Nyad's historic swimming from Cuba to Florida.
The entire last half of the book I was completely 'mush'.... crying all the way through!
Suzy delivers an oral science report to her class ..,on Jellyfish...
She teaches her class about jellyfish lifecycles – – – "jelly start off on us as a plant, cleaning to the bottom of the sea, and how in that phase of life, they are a planula. But that when they are grown up, when they break away from the seafloor and are free to pulse through the ocean, they have taken the form of a medusa." She has so much more to say...( this is the first time she has spoken at all since before the beginning of the school year) ... She has a message she desperately wants to get across--- but her teacher stops her...they have run out of time... She lets her continue - a little-.but she still never finishes...
"Jellyfish don't get logged down by drama, by love or friendship, or sorrow. They don't get stuck in any of the stuff that gets people in trouble."
Suzy's best friend, Franny, since kindergarten, died - the summer before 7th grade. There is more to this story... which will have any young readers looking at their own friendships and School community connections. Parents will question themselves -- wondering 'what might they have done to help prevent some of the painful lessons child face on their own. Where do we as parents step in--- and where do we back off?
Suzy - (short for Suzanne- called 'Zu', by her mother, Suzy Q, by her brothers partner, and 'Belle' by Justin), .......is the most bright-lovable-12 year old girl you could ever want to meet.
I miss her already!
If I could fly to Boston and visit the touch tank, jellies exhibit and giant ocean tank...I would. If I ever 'do' get to Boston, (one of my wishes), The aquarium is one of first places I want to visit.
This book, and Ali Benjamin, opened my interest deeper. I'm fully inspired!
Oh....and for more fun information...did you know that jellyfish are immortal? A jellyfish called
Turritopis Nutricula can grow younger --which is something no other creature on earth can do.
Pretty cool, don't ya think?
A jellyfishy- lovely book!!!!
December 22, 2016
The Thing About Jellyfish is the heartrending tale of Suzy Swanson, a little girl who just encountered the Worst Thing: death. To make sense of her grief, Suzy turns to the wonders of the universe and the dazzling expanse of her imagination.
Suzy's take on the world is both academic and poetic, despite her young age. She has one of the most romantic worldviews yet encountered in a children's book:
I liked the way patterns repeated themselves in this universe, the way a solar system could resemble an atom, or a mountain range seen from outer space could look just like a fern leaf covered with frost. I liked the thought that three billion bugs fly over my head in a single month in summer or that an inch of soil might contain millions of creatures from thousands of different species.
This book is targeted at a middle grade audience, yet it offers several profound life sentiments:
Sometimes you want things to change so badly, you can't even stand to be in the same room with the way things actually are.
In the end, Suzanne," [she] continued, "it's a gift to spend time with people we care about. Even if it's imperfect. Even if the time doesn't end when, or how, we expected. Even when that person leaves us."
Even Suzy's musings on people and social behavior give the reader something to think about:
If people were silent, they could hear the noise of their own lives better.
What my dad wanted, I suspect, was the thing everybody seems to want: small talk. I don't understand small talk. I don't even understand why it's called that - small talk - when it fills up so much space.
The Thing About Jellyfish is a beautifully crafted tale about beginnings stemming from pain and blooming into a life worth cherishing.
Suzy's take on the world is both academic and poetic, despite her young age. She has one of the most romantic worldviews yet encountered in a children's book:
I liked the way patterns repeated themselves in this universe, the way a solar system could resemble an atom, or a mountain range seen from outer space could look just like a fern leaf covered with frost. I liked the thought that three billion bugs fly over my head in a single month in summer or that an inch of soil might contain millions of creatures from thousands of different species.
This book is targeted at a middle grade audience, yet it offers several profound life sentiments:
Sometimes you want things to change so badly, you can't even stand to be in the same room with the way things actually are.
In the end, Suzanne," [she] continued, "it's a gift to spend time with people we care about. Even if it's imperfect. Even if the time doesn't end when, or how, we expected. Even when that person leaves us."
Even Suzy's musings on people and social behavior give the reader something to think about:
If people were silent, they could hear the noise of their own lives better.
What my dad wanted, I suspect, was the thing everybody seems to want: small talk. I don't understand small talk. I don't even understand why it's called that - small talk - when it fills up so much space.
The Thing About Jellyfish is a beautifully crafted tale about beginnings stemming from pain and blooming into a life worth cherishing.
April 7, 2024
نمره فقط به علت آمیختگی با خاطرات مشترک.
November 25, 2015
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
WARNING: SPOILER-ISH
^^^That’s a boldface lie. I read this book months ago, but I suck at keeping up with reviews so I’m just now getting around to saying something about it. First things first – this is a MIDDLE GRADE novel. (In case you’re wondering – I rate books according to how I feel they hold up when compared with others in their genre.) That being said, this is a very important middle grade story and y’all can just color me impressed.
At surface level The Thing About Jellyfish is the story of Suzy – a young girl who is informed that her best friend died in a drowning accident. Convinced that could not be the case because said friend was a good swimmer, Suzy believes the “drowning” must have really been an altercation with a jellyfish and becomes determined to meet the world’s foremost expert on the creatures in order to prove it . . .
This story was so much deeper than that, though. It was an amazing journey through the grief process – not only through the death of Suzy’s friend, but also when the story cut through the first layer to talk about the changes that happen as children morph from elementary schoolers to pre-teens and middle graders. It tackled the issue of finding yourself “on the outs” with your former bestie, of finding yourself in general, and was chock-full of sage advice . . . in disguise:
“Having venom doesn’t make a creature bad. Venom is protection. The more fragile the animal, the more venom it needs. So the more venom a creature has, the more we should be able to forgive that animal. They’re the ones who need it most.”
Highly recommended to youngsters (and their oldster counteparts).
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!
WARNING: SPOILER-ISH
^^^That’s a boldface lie. I read this book months ago, but I suck at keeping up with reviews so I’m just now getting around to saying something about it. First things first – this is a MIDDLE GRADE novel. (In case you’re wondering – I rate books according to how I feel they hold up when compared with others in their genre.) That being said, this is a very important middle grade story and y’all can just color me impressed.
At surface level The Thing About Jellyfish is the story of Suzy – a young girl who is informed that her best friend died in a drowning accident. Convinced that could not be the case because said friend was a good swimmer, Suzy believes the “drowning” must have really been an altercation with a jellyfish and becomes determined to meet the world’s foremost expert on the creatures in order to prove it . . .
This story was so much deeper than that, though. It was an amazing journey through the grief process – not only through the death of Suzy’s friend, but also when the story cut through the first layer to talk about the changes that happen as children morph from elementary schoolers to pre-teens and middle graders. It tackled the issue of finding yourself “on the outs” with your former bestie, of finding yourself in general, and was chock-full of sage advice . . . in disguise:
“Having venom doesn’t make a creature bad. Venom is protection. The more fragile the animal, the more venom it needs. So the more venom a creature has, the more we should be able to forgive that animal. They’re the ones who need it most.”
Highly recommended to youngsters (and their oldster counteparts).
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!
August 6, 2016
I liked the narrative voice, and at first I was intrigued by the connections drawn to jellyfish. But there were a LOT of jellyfishy facts, and I kept wondering why I didn't feel anything for this story of a girl who's so traumatized by her former best friend's death that she will no longer speak.
Then I finished it, and found the author's note at the end, which says that the story was born from "failure:" because it started out as a nonfiction essay about her fascination with jellyfish. That made a lot of things click into place for me, because the alternating chapters with the actual story that told of Suzy's fractured friendship with Franny were much less emotional, which is a weird thing to experience.
I did like the realistic way that the author handled certain things, including the family (especially Suzy's relationship with her brother and his boyfriend), and the ending to her quest . But this was not the touching, compelling read I thought it would be--though certainly proclamations of "a stunning novel about grief and wonder" can be hard to live up to.
Par for the course with me, though--I rarely seem to connect with the contemporary fiction titles that are the most popular/bestselling. I just read a bunch of rave reviews for this, and I guess I must have a heart of stone.
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for this review.
P.S. This is upper middle grade, though frankly I'm surprised that the character was presented as a seventh grader. Many of her actions, and the framework, made it seem like she was younger.
Then I finished it, and found the author's note at the end, which says that the story was born from "failure:" because it started out as a nonfiction essay about her fascination with jellyfish. That made a lot of things click into place for me, because the alternating chapters with the actual story that told of Suzy's fractured friendship with Franny were much less emotional, which is a weird thing to experience.
I did like the realistic way that the author handled certain things, including the family (especially Suzy's relationship with her brother and his boyfriend), and the ending to her quest . But this was not the touching, compelling read I thought it would be--though certainly proclamations of "a stunning novel about grief and wonder" can be hard to live up to.
Par for the course with me, though--I rarely seem to connect with the contemporary fiction titles that are the most popular/bestselling. I just read a bunch of rave reviews for this, and I guess I must have a heart of stone.
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for this review.
P.S. This is upper middle grade, though frankly I'm surprised that the character was presented as a seventh grader. Many of her actions, and the framework, made it seem like she was younger.
October 16, 2015
"There's no single right way to say goodbye to someone you love. But the most important thing is that you keep some part of them inside you."
The Thing About Jellyfish is a heartfelt and touching story of grief, acceptance, friendship, family and fitting in. A profound novel with a plausible voice of a girl who grieved of her loss and sought for the answers at the same time.
It is a middle-grade novel that centers to Suzy Swanson and her mission to unravel the mystery (or prove her theory) behind her ex-best friend's death. She can't accept the idea of "sometimes, things just happen"-- that her ex-best friend died of drowning when she's a good swimmer. She didn't believe in this. During a school trip in an park full of aquatic animals, she learned about invisible jellyfish. And she assumed that maybe her best friend has been killed by a jellyfish sting.
What I loved about this book is how believable Suzy's voice and feelings were. The way she narrated the story is gripping and at the same time, flowing smoothly. Her thoughts of the past-- some of them sends a fluttering joy in me but most of them later on tug and linger at the deepest part of my heart. It's heart-aching. Her thoughts of the present, however, reminds me of how sad and painful losing a loved one.
This book obviously is about jellyfish, too. It offers knowledge and facts about these animals and opens a new perspective about jellyfish and the way we see things. It shows how people are so much invested with big things and sometimes forgot to acknowledge the small things around them. Small things that matter, too. Small things that also can bring change if one knows where to look.
November 22, 2015
Review also on
“But a person doesn’t always know the difference between a new beginning and a forever sort of ending.”
Suzy Swanson stopped talking when her best friend Franny died in a drowning accident. Channeling her lingering guilt over her last encounter with Franny and grief, Suzy turns to silence and science. Refusing to take her mother's stoic explanation that things just happen, Suzy shuts everybody out and obsessively works out a grandiose plan to prove that a jellyfish sting is the real reason for her best friend's death.
I hate to say this, but we've all been or will be Suzy Swanson at some point in our lives. We all have our first times with grief. I remember mine at twelve years old when I lost a cousin in a drowning accident, just like Franny, so reading The Thing About A Jellyfish deeply resonated with my own experiences. Grief isolates,it makes you think that no one understands what you're going through, and your brain becomes an endless stream of whys and what ifs. Ali Benjamin perfectly captured this sense of isolation in The Thing About A Jellyfish.
Suzy Swanson is an oddball; she likes science and statistics, she spouts animal facts about bodily fluids like nobody's business and, more often than not, misses social cues. The story is told through her POV and her voice is authentic and heartbreaking. Being most comfortable with science for explanations, Suzy attempts to bring structure to her grief by focusing her energy on jellyfish facts and statistics, and on planning to get her theory about the real cause of Franny's death validated by a jellyfish expert.
Through Suzy's quest to prove her theory, the reader is treated to a handful of fascinating facts about jellyfish. I now know that jellyfish don't have brains, that some species can clone themselves and the various fatal effects of a jellyfish sting. I am sure my new found jellyfish expertise will come in handy someday, but for now they're just making me paranoid of swimming in open water. No more swimsuits for me.
Lookit these graceful bastards swimming like they own the ocean
“Maybe this is what happens when a person grows up. Maybe the space between you and the other people in your life grows so big you can stuff it full of all kinds of lies.”
Suzy's drastic vow of silence puts a strain on her relationship with her family. While in school, Suzy is all too painfully aware that she's considered that weird kid who has no friends and doesn't talk. The Thing About Jellyfish poignantly explores the pains of social anxiety and the general awkwardness of puberty.
This book is meant for middle schoolers, and despite the delicate topics explored, Ali Benjamin's introspective prose remains middle-school appropriate. My only issue is that even after all the build-up for Suzy's closure doubling as a grand adventure, the denouement felt somewhat rushed and all too convenient.
To sum it up, despite being out of middle school for more than ten years, I loved this wonderfully pensive book about grief and coming to terms with it.Highly recommended with a side of Sesame Jellyfish.
“But a person doesn’t always know the difference between a new beginning and a forever sort of ending.”
Suzy Swanson stopped talking when her best friend Franny died in a drowning accident. Channeling her lingering guilt over her last encounter with Franny and grief, Suzy turns to silence and science. Refusing to take her mother's stoic explanation that things just happen, Suzy shuts everybody out and obsessively works out a grandiose plan to prove that a jellyfish sting is the real reason for her best friend's death.
I hate to say this, but we've all been or will be Suzy Swanson at some point in our lives. We all have our first times with grief. I remember mine at twelve years old when I lost a cousin in a drowning accident, just like Franny, so reading The Thing About A Jellyfish deeply resonated with my own experiences. Grief isolates,it makes you think that no one understands what you're going through, and your brain becomes an endless stream of whys and what ifs. Ali Benjamin perfectly captured this sense of isolation in The Thing About A Jellyfish.
Suzy Swanson is an oddball; she likes science and statistics, she spouts animal facts about bodily fluids like nobody's business and, more often than not, misses social cues. The story is told through her POV and her voice is authentic and heartbreaking. Being most comfortable with science for explanations, Suzy attempts to bring structure to her grief by focusing her energy on jellyfish facts and statistics, and on planning to get her theory about the real cause of Franny's death validated by a jellyfish expert.
Through Suzy's quest to prove her theory, the reader is treated to a handful of fascinating facts about jellyfish. I now know that jellyfish don't have brains, that some species can clone themselves and the various fatal effects of a jellyfish sting. I am sure my new found jellyfish expertise will come in handy someday, but for now they're just making me paranoid of swimming in open water. No more swimsuits for me.
Lookit these graceful bastards swimming like they own the ocean
“Maybe this is what happens when a person grows up. Maybe the space between you and the other people in your life grows so big you can stuff it full of all kinds of lies.”
Suzy's drastic vow of silence puts a strain on her relationship with her family. While in school, Suzy is all too painfully aware that she's considered that weird kid who has no friends and doesn't talk. The Thing About Jellyfish poignantly explores the pains of social anxiety and the general awkwardness of puberty.
This book is meant for middle schoolers, and despite the delicate topics explored, Ali Benjamin's introspective prose remains middle-school appropriate. My only issue is that even after all the build-up for Suzy's closure doubling as a grand adventure, the denouement felt somewhat rushed and all too convenient.
To sum it up, despite being out of middle school for more than ten years, I loved this wonderfully pensive book about grief and coming to terms with it.Highly recommended with a side of Sesame Jellyfish.
June 27, 2020
This was an okay read. I’m seeing everywhere online that this is going to be a movie?... to be honest, I feel like it’s going to be one of those rare times when the movie ends up being better than the book..... 🤷🏼♀️ Zu is a 12 year old girl who struggles to fit in. When her BFF drowns while on vacation, they’re not on the best of terms. Zu kinda loses it. 🤭 She’s convinced her BFF got stung by a jellyfish. There are tons of facts about jellyfish in this book. 🤔 In fact, I kinda felt like the facts about facts were in fact the fact about jellyfish facts in fact.... annoying... right?! 😤 The jellyfish facts overpowered the story for me. 😬 There is a sad little story about grief in there- which I’d assume could be portrayed better through film. 🙂
December 20, 2015
The thing about this book, The Thing About Jellyfish, is that it didn't quite turn out to be as good as I expected it to be. The story was not original, that is one thing for sure. There are several other novels which I've read belonging to the same brotherhood, blindly following the same storyline, the central character working on some sort of a science project, dealing with death and dark demons and yada yada.
Initially, I felt that the facts about jelly fish weren't properly stitched into the fabric of the novel. They were just stated plainly and I felt as though I was reading a scientific research work. Additionally, the characters were sketchy and the chemistry between Franny and Suzy was also average. The sole reason for which I did not DNF this book was because I very much appreciate learning a word or two while reading fiction.
Hence, for me this novel was just okay-ish.
Initially, I felt that the facts about jelly fish weren't properly stitched into the fabric of the novel. They were just stated plainly and I felt as though I was reading a scientific research work. Additionally, the characters were sketchy and the chemistry between Franny and Suzy was also average. The sole reason for which I did not DNF this book was because I very much appreciate learning a word or two while reading fiction.
Hence, for me this novel was just okay-ish.
November 25, 2015
Brilliant. This book was everything.
March 9, 2016
The Thing About Jellyfish is a beautifully written middle grade novel about the evolving nature of friendship, the labyrinth of discovering one's true identity, and the search for explanations to the mysteries of life. Being a science nerd wannabe, I relished all of the scientific facts in this book and how the book's parts were divided into the parts of the scientific method. I also enjoyed the author's anecdote in the acknowledgment section about how this book was born from the failure to get her essay about jellyfish accepted for submission.
Suzy and Franny had been the best of friends since they met in swim class at the age of five. However, during the process of adjusting to the land mine known as middle school, a rift forms between the two girls. Then the summer before the seventh grade, Franny drowns while swimming in the ocean. Suzy refuses to accept that it was a mere accident and becomes obsessed with finding out the truth about her friend's death.
Serendipitously, I found this book displayed at my local library two days before a planned Sunday family outing to the aquarium. I was mesmerized by the jellyfish exhibit and was able to impress my kids with my newfound "expertise" on jellyfish. For example, 17,000 stings occur worldwide every hour. "One, two, three, four, five. Another twenty-three people."
Memorable quotes:
Most of all, I don't understand why small talk is considered more polite than not-talking.
If people were silent, they could hear the noise of their own lives better. If people were silent, it would make what they did say, whenever they chose to say it, more important.
Suzy and Franny had been the best of friends since they met in swim class at the age of five. However, during the process of adjusting to the land mine known as middle school, a rift forms between the two girls. Then the summer before the seventh grade, Franny drowns while swimming in the ocean. Suzy refuses to accept that it was a mere accident and becomes obsessed with finding out the truth about her friend's death.
Serendipitously, I found this book displayed at my local library two days before a planned Sunday family outing to the aquarium. I was mesmerized by the jellyfish exhibit and was able to impress my kids with my newfound "expertise" on jellyfish. For example, 17,000 stings occur worldwide every hour. "One, two, three, four, five. Another twenty-three people."
Memorable quotes:
Most of all, I don't understand why small talk is considered more polite than not-talking.
If people were silent, they could hear the noise of their own lives better. If people were silent, it would make what they did say, whenever they chose to say it, more important.
May 16, 2017
On a Sunday evening a couple of weeks ago I met three friends for drinks and tapas at a favorite wine bar in town. We're writers, the three of us, one with nearly two dozen novels published—she and I are launching our next releases together in September, her 19th, my 2nd. Another will celebrate her debut, a literary fiction psychological thriller, in early 2018. And the third friend is in the agent query trenches with a novel that could be adult literary fiction or YA, depending on the spin and the audience. Knowing what a crazy-gifted writer she is, we offered our support and wisdom, assuring her it was a matter of time before the right agent fell in love with her story.
In the course of conversation about the crossover between YA and adult fiction, we talked about recent YA books we loved, we adults who read voraciously, but very, very choosily. And THE THING ABOUT JELLYFISH was one of the first books to enter the conversation. While the others swooned over its beauty, I made a mental note to pick up a copy.
And once I did, the very next day at the literary fiction writer-friend's bookstore she owns with her poet-husband, I could not put it down.
Suzy "Zu" Swanson is a misfit. Wiry, tangled hair when the fashion is sleek and straight, a brain that blurts out unfiltered bits of information when the situation calls for giggles and small talk. She just can't get it right. But it hardly matters when her best friend Franny is by her side. Jam and Bread. Peas in a pod. BFFs that get each other without having to question or explain. Until Franny begins to pull away, aligning herself with the social elite at their middle school, leaving Zu isolated and bewildered. The harder she tries to win Franny back, the more Zu stumbles and pushes her away. The very girls they once vowed they'd never let the other become are those who welcome Franny into their fold, while ostracizing the awkward Zu.
Then tragedy strikes and the once-chatterbox Zu shuts down, refusing to speak, retreating into her sorrow like a turtle tucking into its shell. But her wiry brain continues apace, a young woman sifting through the mysteries of life, searching for logic in the inexplicable. And she finds what she believes to be the answer in the world of jellyfish. These ghostly creatures give her something tangible to hold onto in her grief. Ali Benjamin weaves Zu's jellyfish research, her exploration into the scientific method, and her deft plotting and planning into the narrative in a seamless way. The story is age-appropriate but sophisticated enough to hold young and older readers' attention with Zu's smart, aware, eager voice- one that she cannot use in the world, but that is offered to readers in warmth and curiosity.
In a heartbreaking scene, Zu attempts to travel to Australia to meet a jellyfish expert. Her plan is that together, they will present to the world an explanation that will absolve her of the burden of her own grief, a burden far too great for a girl of twelve to bear.
THE THING ABOUT JELLYFISH is a luminous portrait of friendship and grief, of the cruelty of youth and the resiliency of the human spirit. Younger readers will find solace in Zu's determination and big heart; older readers will marvel at the sensitivity and deep truths of a finely-wrought narrative. This is an exquisite novel.
In the course of conversation about the crossover between YA and adult fiction, we talked about recent YA books we loved, we adults who read voraciously, but very, very choosily. And THE THING ABOUT JELLYFISH was one of the first books to enter the conversation. While the others swooned over its beauty, I made a mental note to pick up a copy.
And once I did, the very next day at the literary fiction writer-friend's bookstore she owns with her poet-husband, I could not put it down.
Suzy "Zu" Swanson is a misfit. Wiry, tangled hair when the fashion is sleek and straight, a brain that blurts out unfiltered bits of information when the situation calls for giggles and small talk. She just can't get it right. But it hardly matters when her best friend Franny is by her side. Jam and Bread. Peas in a pod. BFFs that get each other without having to question or explain. Until Franny begins to pull away, aligning herself with the social elite at their middle school, leaving Zu isolated and bewildered. The harder she tries to win Franny back, the more Zu stumbles and pushes her away. The very girls they once vowed they'd never let the other become are those who welcome Franny into their fold, while ostracizing the awkward Zu.
Then tragedy strikes and the once-chatterbox Zu shuts down, refusing to speak, retreating into her sorrow like a turtle tucking into its shell. But her wiry brain continues apace, a young woman sifting through the mysteries of life, searching for logic in the inexplicable. And she finds what she believes to be the answer in the world of jellyfish. These ghostly creatures give her something tangible to hold onto in her grief. Ali Benjamin weaves Zu's jellyfish research, her exploration into the scientific method, and her deft plotting and planning into the narrative in a seamless way. The story is age-appropriate but sophisticated enough to hold young and older readers' attention with Zu's smart, aware, eager voice- one that she cannot use in the world, but that is offered to readers in warmth and curiosity.
In a heartbreaking scene, Zu attempts to travel to Australia to meet a jellyfish expert. Her plan is that together, they will present to the world an explanation that will absolve her of the burden of her own grief, a burden far too great for a girl of twelve to bear.
THE THING ABOUT JELLYFISH is a luminous portrait of friendship and grief, of the cruelty of youth and the resiliency of the human spirit. Younger readers will find solace in Zu's determination and big heart; older readers will marvel at the sensitivity and deep truths of a finely-wrought narrative. This is an exquisite novel.
February 2, 2020
Amor-Ódio e Medusas
A amizade , quando íntima, não raras vezes funciona como uma balança amor-ódio:
Há períodos rosa, com tudo a flutuar à nossa volta, em alternância contínua com outros mais negros. Partilha-se o Céu! Partilha-se o Inferno!...É assim agora e sempre, amen!...
Imagine-se agora um caso de perda que sucede num desses períodos mais obscuros.
Duas jovens são melhores amigas e uma delas perece num acidente, numa fase mais assanhada da sua relação. Como reagirá aquela que fica?...
É uma situação deste tipo que esta estória se propõe explorar.
Quanto a mim satisfatoriamente, pois oferece-nos um caminho...uma receita de sobrevivência, por assim dizer!...
E fala-nos também de medusas, sobre as quais iremos aprender bastante:
A medusa é um daqueles animais aos quais não convém fazer muitas festas pois arriscamo-nos a uma picadinha mortal!
Não obstante, fiquei com alguma vontade de adquirir uma. São excelentes no que toca a defesa pessoal. Os que morarem em vivendas poderão até afixar cartazes nos respectivos portões — avisos do tipo "Cuidado Com A Medusa" serão certamente úteis para afastar visitantes indesejáveis 😉
A amizade , quando íntima, não raras vezes funciona como uma balança amor-ódio:
Há períodos rosa, com tudo a flutuar à nossa volta, em alternância contínua com outros mais negros. Partilha-se o Céu! Partilha-se o Inferno!...É assim agora e sempre, amen!...
Imagine-se agora um caso de perda que sucede num desses períodos mais obscuros.
Duas jovens são melhores amigas e uma delas perece num acidente, numa fase mais assanhada da sua relação. Como reagirá aquela que fica?...
É uma situação deste tipo que esta estória se propõe explorar.
Quanto a mim satisfatoriamente, pois oferece-nos um caminho...uma receita de sobrevivência, por assim dizer!...
E fala-nos também de medusas, sobre as quais iremos aprender bastante:
A medusa é um daqueles animais aos quais não convém fazer muitas festas pois arriscamo-nos a uma picadinha mortal!
Não obstante, fiquei com alguma vontade de adquirir uma. São excelentes no que toca a defesa pessoal. Os que morarem em vivendas poderão até afixar cartazes nos respectivos portões — avisos do tipo "Cuidado Com A Medusa" serão certamente úteis para afastar visitantes indesejáveis 😉
September 13, 2015
The Thing About Jellyfish is a touching tale about a young girl whose best (and only) friend drowns while on holiday. As the story progresses we discover that Suzy’s grief is much more than just the loss of her friend, but frustration at something happening without apparent reason, and regret about the things that took place between them before her friend died. Such a lot for a young soul to carry. I finished this last night, but I’m still feeling emotional about it. I’m so pleased I discovered this book.
I feel like I’ve just had a life changing lesson in jellyfish, amongst other important things, from a very smart 12 year old. I liked her outlook on life, the world and the people around her. I admired her strength and confidence, despite not being popular at school. There was something special within her that I wish I’d had when I was being bullied at school. Perhaps I did have it, but didn’t realise it at the time. I had very frizzy hair too, and I wanted to tell her, it’s okay Frizz Ease and hair straighteners will become your best friends once you’re a little older. You can control the frizz.
I suspected this book was going to make me cry before I even started it, I just didn't realise I'd need a whole box of tissues. What a beautiful, delightful, yet emotional tale.
Although I enjoy religious and spiritual books, I loved how this had the same emotional impact on me without the religious aspect. I was surprised how learning scientific facts about jellyfish, with a bit of philosophical thought thrown in, could be so emotional and thought provoking.
This is like Stephen King’s Carrie for kids!
The Thing About Jellyfish is a great story for older children, young teenagers, and it seems this 37 year old girl very much enjoyed it too.
I would like to thank the publisher, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for allowing me a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I feel like I’ve just had a life changing lesson in jellyfish, amongst other important things, from a very smart 12 year old. I liked her outlook on life, the world and the people around her. I admired her strength and confidence, despite not being popular at school. There was something special within her that I wish I’d had when I was being bullied at school. Perhaps I did have it, but didn’t realise it at the time. I had very frizzy hair too, and I wanted to tell her, it’s okay Frizz Ease and hair straighteners will become your best friends once you’re a little older. You can control the frizz.
I suspected this book was going to make me cry before I even started it, I just didn't realise I'd need a whole box of tissues. What a beautiful, delightful, yet emotional tale.
Although I enjoy religious and spiritual books, I loved how this had the same emotional impact on me without the religious aspect. I was surprised how learning scientific facts about jellyfish, with a bit of philosophical thought thrown in, could be so emotional and thought provoking.
This is like Stephen King’s Carrie for kids!
The Thing About Jellyfish is a great story for older children, young teenagers, and it seems this 37 year old girl very much enjoyed it too.
I would like to thank the publisher, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for allowing me a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Shelved as 'don-t-count'
May 31, 2019Is that they're jerks. That's all you need to know.
November 7, 2021
Read this for class, but it’s beautiful. READ THIS BOOK!
December 18, 2023
داشتم فکر میکردم، به قبل، گذشته، قدیم، اون دوردورا.
تمام احساساتی که سوزی توی این چند صفحه بیان کرد به شدت برام آشنا بود.
سوزی 12ساله دوستش فرنی رو از دست داده. فرنی مرده و حالا سوزی سعی میکنه بااین موضوع کنار بیاد. سوزی فقط 12 سالشه ولی داخل گردبادی افتاده بود که بیرون اومدنش به شدت سخت بود. گردباد غم. چون قبل از اینکه دوستش، فرنی، بمیره اون رو از دست داد و بعد از اینکه اون مرد، اون رو دوباره از دست داد.
مگه یه آدم چند دفعه میتونه کسی که دوسش داره رو از دست بده؟ از دست دادن آدمهایی که دوستشون داریم چه نشونه‌ای میتونه داشته باشه؟
تمام احساساتی که سوزی توی این چند صفحه بیان کرد به شدت برام آشنا بود.
سوزی 12ساله دوستش فرنی رو از دست داده. فرنی مرده و حالا سوزی سعی میکنه بااین موضوع کنار بیاد. سوزی فقط 12 سالشه ولی داخل گردبادی افتاده بود که بیرون اومدنش به شدت سخت بود. گردباد غم. چون قبل از اینکه دوستش، فرنی، بمیره اون رو از دست داد و بعد از اینکه اون مرد، اون رو دوباره از دست داد.
مگه یه آدم چند دفعه میتونه کسی که دوسش داره رو از دست بده؟ از دست دادن آدمهایی که دوستشون داریم چه نشونه‌ای میتونه داشته باشه؟
June 23, 2016
4.5 /5
Kitap daha doğrusu Suzy o kadar içime işledi ki. 12 yaşında bir çocuk nasıl böyle bir kederin içinde olabilir aklım almadı. Ama kitabın en başında Suzy'nin diğer çocuklar gibi olmadığını anlıyorsunuz. Arkadaşını kaybetmiş olmanın onun üzerinde yarattığı etki o kadar güzel işlenmişti ki, kalbinin kırıklığını ben kalbimde hissettim.
Suzy, Franny öldükten sonra geçmişi telafi etmek için onun asıl ölüm sebebini bulmaya kafayı takıyor ve peşine düşüyor. Franny'nin boğulduğuna bir türlü inanmayan Suzy onun bir denizanası sokması sonucu olduğunu düşünüyor ve bunu kanıtlayarak hem kötü biten arkadaşlıklarını telafi etmeyi hem de kendini huzura kavuşturmayı düşünüyor.
Bence kitap aldığı ödülleri sonuna kadar hak ediyor. Bu küçücük kızın yüreğindeki bu kocaman yük eminim ki sizi de etkileyecek. Çok severek okudum gerçekten :')
Kitap daha doğrusu Suzy o kadar içime işledi ki. 12 yaşında bir çocuk nasıl böyle bir kederin içinde olabilir aklım almadı. Ama kitabın en başında Suzy'nin diğer çocuklar gibi olmadığını anlıyorsunuz. Arkadaşını kaybetmiş olmanın onun üzerinde yarattığı etki o kadar güzel işlenmişti ki, kalbinin kırıklığını ben kalbimde hissettim.
Suzy, Franny öldükten sonra geçmişi telafi etmek için onun asıl ölüm sebebini bulmaya kafayı takıyor ve peşine düşüyor. Franny'nin boğulduğuna bir türlü inanmayan Suzy onun bir denizanası sokması sonucu olduğunu düşünüyor ve bunu kanıtlayarak hem kötü biten arkadaşlıklarını telafi etmeyi hem de kendini huzura kavuşturmayı düşünüyor.
Bence kitap aldığı ödülleri sonuna kadar hak ediyor. Bu küçücük kızın yüreğindeki bu kocaman yük eminim ki sizi de etkileyecek. Çok severek okudum gerçekten :')
October 11, 2020
One of the best middle grade novels I've ever read. "The Thing About Jellyfish" by Ali Benjamin beautifully deals with the tragic aftermath of grief and loss. Suzy is a very unique and slightly eccentric 12 year-old who stops talking after the death of her best friend, Franny (who perished in a drowning accident). As she tries to process her grief, she becomes fascinated with jellyfish after a class trip to the aquarium. Suzy starts to ponder if maybe Franny could've been stung by a deadly jellyfish (a Irukandji jellyfish) since Franny was such a strong swimmer. Suzy throws herself in researching everything she can about jellyfish. The writing was incredibly moving, and character development was spot-on. We see Suzy enter the different stages of grief in an accurate and effective way. This little novel is full of emotion. I could feel Suzy's pain, anger, and deep confusion through each chapter. I highly recommend it. Enjoy!
Favorite quote: "And the whole while, your heart just keeps going. It does what it needs to do, one beat after another, until gets the message that it's time to stop, which might happen a few minutes from now, and you don't even know it. Because some hearts beat only about 412 million times. Which might sound like a lot, but the truth is, it barely even gets you twelve years".
Favorite quote: "And the whole while, your heart just keeps going. It does what it needs to do, one beat after another, until gets the message that it's time to stop, which might happen a few minutes from now, and you don't even know it. Because some hearts beat only about 412 million times. Which might sound like a lot, but the truth is, it barely even gets you twelve years".
February 14, 2016
“It's peculiar how no-words can be better than words. Silence can say more than noise, in the same way that a person's absence can occupy even more space than their presence did."
The Thing about Jellyfish reminded me of my love for middle grade books, and why no matter how old I get, I will always return to them.
Check out my buddy Neil's glowing review for this amazingly heartfelt novel! I wanted to write a review, but his sums it up far better than I could do it justice.
“In the end, it's a gift to spend time with people we care about. Even if it's imperfect. Even if that time doesn't end when, or how, we expected. Even when that person leaves us.”
January 12, 2019
این کتاب رو دوست داشتم نه به خاطر این که داستانش قشنگ بود چون داستان خیلی خاصی نداشت و البته اصلا هدف هم این نبود بلکه به
خاطر اینکه منو وارد قلب یه دختر دوازده سیزده ساله کرد و باعث شد کاملا احساساتشو احساس کنم.
تو طول خوندن کتاب انقدر غم از دست دادن دوستش به من منتقل شد که دو روزی رو با حال بدی سپری کردم و واقعا غمگین بودم طوری که وسوسه شدم کنار بزارمش اما نزاشتم و خوشبختانه تونستم با سوزی این مرحله رو بگذرونم.
مدل نوشتن کتاب جالب بود و حرف‌ها پر از معنی. طوری که می‌چسبید به دل و درگیرم می‌کرد.
یه تجربه‌ی خوب و متفاوت از کتاب خوندن بود و همونقدر شعاری منو وارد یه دنیای دیگه کرد و بهم اجازه داد یک زندگی دیگه‌ای رو تجربه کنم.
تازه کلی چیز هم درباره عروس دریایی‌ها یاد گرفتم که باعث میشه بیشتر از قبل دوستشون داشته باشم و بیشتر از قبل ازشون بترسم.
خاطر اینکه منو وارد قلب یه دختر دوازده سیزده ساله کرد و باعث شد کاملا احساساتشو احساس کنم.
تو طول خوندن کتاب انقدر غم از دست دادن دوستش به من منتقل شد که دو روزی رو با حال بدی سپری کردم و واقعا غمگین بودم طوری که وسوسه شدم کنار بزارمش اما نزاشتم و خوشبختانه تونستم با سوزی این مرحله رو بگذرونم.
مدل نوشتن کتاب جالب بود و حرف‌ها پر از معنی. طوری که می‌چسبید به دل و درگیرم می‌کرد.
یه تجربه‌ی خوب و متفاوت از کتاب خوندن بود و همونقدر شعاری منو وارد یه دنیای دیگه کرد و بهم اجازه داد یک زندگی دیگه‌ای رو تجربه کنم.
تازه کلی چیز هم درباره عروس دریایی‌ها یاد گرفتم که باعث میشه بیشتر از قبل دوستشون داشته باشم و بیشتر از قبل ازشون بترسم.
August 1, 2024
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همان موقع بود که این فکر به سرم زد:اگر خانم ترتن درست می‌گفت و در وجود ما، ۲۰ میلیون اتم شکسپیر وجود داشت،شکسپیری که ۴۰۰ سال قبل در جای دیگری از زمین زندگی می‌کرده،پس حتما اتم‌های فرنی هم در بدن ما وجود دارد؛ و حتما تعدادش از اتم‌های شکسپیر بیشتر است، چون فرنی با ما بوده، با ما نفس کشیده ، راه رفته، غذا خورده و خندیده؛ او بخشی از وجود ما بوده و برای مدتی طولانی به همان صورت باقی خواهد ماند.
#شاید_عروس_دریایی #الی_بنجامین ترجمه #آرزو_قلی_زاده
📝شاید عروس دریایی تلفیق جالبی از مباحث علمی و تحقیقاتی دخترکی نوجوان به نام سوزی، با دنیای بیرونش در مدرسه و اندکی در محیط خانه است. او دختری‌ست که ارتباطش با دنیای بیرون و دوستانش و افراد دیگر پیرامونش محدود است؛طوری‌که نمیتواند کلماتی را به زبان بیاورد که باعث برقراری ارتباط با آن‌ها شود. او یک دوست همکلاسی(فرنی) دارد که در دریا ��رق می‌شود و می‌میرد ولی او نمیتواند این مسئله را بپذیرد چرا که دوستش شناگر ماهری بوده...
روند برقراری ارتباط و شکل گیری روابط دوستانه بین بچه‌ها که سوزی در موردشون توضیح میداد و گاهی به عقب برمی‌گشت و اونها رو تعریف می‌کرد خیلی برام جالب بود.اردوهایی که توسط معلم علوم برگزار می‌شد و نحوه‌ی برخوردش با دانش‌آموزان ، برداشت‌های مختلف بچه‌ها از روز اردو و تفکراتشون ،دقت در زندگی جانوران دیگر و تحت تاثیر آن‌ها قرار گرفتن و مقایسه آن‌ها با دنیای خودشون،اطلاعات علمی که داستان به خواننده میداد، دقیق شدن در جزییات که در این گروه سنی خیلی نمود داره و اهمیت دادن به مسائلی که حتی بزرگترها فکرشون رو هم نمی‌کنند و یا گمان می‌کنند که از دید بچه‌ها پنهان مانده، چگونگی تقویت اعتماد به نفس و مهارت برقراری ارتباط و ... از نکات مثبت کتاب بود که اکثرا در تمام کتاب‌های مخصوص کودک و نوجوان وجود دارد منتها باید برای کشف دنیای اونها به این کتاب‌ها علاقه‌مند باشید 🙂و به خاطر همین آشنایی با دنیای بچه‌هاست که من به این کتاب‌ها علاقه دارم و خیلی کتاب‌هاشون رو می‌خونم😌این کتاب رو هم چند روز پیش خونده بودم و نمی‌خواستم پست ازش بگذارم ولی چون امروز چند نفری در موردش پرسیدند دیگه گذاشتم😉فقط می‌خواستم بگم تعداد کتاب‌هایی که از این رنج سنی می‌خونم خیلی بیشتر از پست‌هاییه که ازشون اینجا می‌بینید😍🤭خلاصه می‌خوام شماها رو هم علاقه‌مند کنم
همان موقع بود که این فکر به سرم زد:اگر خانم ترتن درست می‌گفت و در وجود ما، ۲۰ میلیون اتم شکسپیر وجود داشت،شکسپیری که ۴۰۰ سال قبل در جای دیگری از زمین زندگی می‌کرده،پس حتما اتم‌های فرنی هم در بدن ما وجود دارد؛ و حتما تعدادش از اتم‌های شکسپیر بیشتر است، چون فرنی با ما بوده، با ما نفس کشیده ، راه رفته، غذا خورده و خندیده؛ او بخشی از وجود ما بوده و برای مدتی طولانی به همان صورت باقی خواهد ماند.
#شاید_عروس_دریایی #الی_بنجامین ترجمه #آرزو_قلی_زاده
📝شاید عروس دریایی تلفیق جالبی از مباحث علمی و تحقیقاتی دخترکی نوجوان به نام سوزی، با دنیای بیرونش در مدرسه و اندکی در محیط خانه است. او دختری‌ست که ارتباطش با دنیای بیرون و دوستانش و افراد دیگر پیرامونش محدود است؛طوری‌که نمیتواند کلماتی را به زبان بیاورد که باعث برقراری ارتباط با آن‌ها شود. او یک دوست همکلاسی(فرنی) دارد که در دریا ��رق می‌شود و می‌میرد ولی او نمیتواند این مسئله را بپذیرد چرا که دوستش شناگر ماهری بوده...
روند برقراری ارتباط و شکل گیری روابط دوستانه بین بچه‌ها که سوزی در موردشون توضیح میداد و گاهی به عقب برمی‌گشت و اونها رو تعریف می‌کرد خیلی برام جالب بود.اردوهایی که توسط معلم علوم برگزار می‌شد و نحوه‌ی برخوردش با دانش‌آموزان ، برداشت‌های مختلف بچه‌ها از روز اردو و تفکراتشون ،دقت در زندگی جانوران دیگر و تحت تاثیر آن‌ها قرار گرفتن و مقایسه آن‌ها با دنیای خودشون،اطلاعات علمی که داستان به خواننده میداد، دقیق شدن در جزییات که در این گروه سنی خیلی نمود داره و اهمیت دادن به مسائلی که حتی بزرگترها فکرشون رو هم نمی‌کنند و یا گمان می‌کنند که از دید بچه‌ها پنهان مانده، چگونگی تقویت اعتماد به نفس و مهارت برقراری ارتباط و ... از نکات مثبت کتاب بود که اکثرا در تمام کتاب‌های مخصوص کودک و نوجوان وجود دارد منتها باید برای کشف دنیای اونها به این کتاب‌ها علاقه‌مند باشید 🙂و به خاطر همین آشنایی با دنیای بچه‌هاست که من به این کتاب‌ها علاقه دارم و خیلی کتاب‌هاشون رو می‌خونم😌این کتاب رو هم چند روز پیش خونده بودم و نمی‌خواستم پست ازش بگذارم ولی چون امروز چند نفری در موردش پرسیدند دیگه گذاشتم😉فقط می‌خواستم بگم تعداد کتاب‌هایی که از این رنج سنی می‌خونم خیلی بیشتر از پست‌هاییه که ازشون اینجا می‌بینید😍🤭خلاصه می‌خوام شماها رو هم علاقه‌مند کنم
November 21, 2016
Que livro lindo, singelo e profundo!
Não tinha expectativas altas e não esperava me sentir da forma como me senti durante a leitura. Amei ser surpreendido pela escrita e pelos personagens. Mas vamos enaltecer, primeiramente, a escrita. Ela é simples, mas TÃO sensível. A autora consegue pegar pequenas coisas e transformar em conceitos e frases que te deixam olhando para o infinito e pensando por um minuto inteiro. Eu fiquei apaixonado pela linha de pensamento dela, e em como ela encontrava essas sacadas. Sério, isso foi muito especial.
Gostei muito da Suzy, e me apeguei desde o começo da história. Ela me fez sentir todas as coisas junto com ela. Eu, literalmente, senti a sua dor e chorei junto à medida que as coisas aconteciam. Adoro histórias, como essa, em que a personagem passa por uma jornada que a faz chegar a uma conclusão ou a um crescimento, mas você consegue acompanhar todo o passo a passo e ver isso de forma gradual.
Acho que a única coisa que eu não gostei tanto foi o excesso de informação. Eu sei que a personagem é inteligente e sabe muitos fatos aleatórios, mas tinham momentos em que ela divagava por várias coisas que só me deixavam angustiado para passar logo por aquilo e seguir com a história. Não havia a necessidade de colocar tantas curiosidades a todo momento. Outra coisa: sempre fico com um pé atrás quando a história toma um rumo meio "grande" e improvável. É difícil explicar isso sem dar spoiler, infelizmente.
Esse livro é um infanto juvenil? Não sei dizer. Eu, normalmente, encasqueto com esse gênero e acabo não gostando tanto quanto outros, mas esse me pegou (e pegou forte). Foi um livro que me instigou memórias, que me deixou de coração partido, que me fez sorrir, mas que, acima de tudo, deixou uma mensagem que eu nunca vou esquecer.
Não tinha expectativas altas e não esperava me sentir da forma como me senti durante a leitura. Amei ser surpreendido pela escrita e pelos personagens. Mas vamos enaltecer, primeiramente, a escrita. Ela é simples, mas TÃO sensível. A autora consegue pegar pequenas coisas e transformar em conceitos e frases que te deixam olhando para o infinito e pensando por um minuto inteiro. Eu fiquei apaixonado pela linha de pensamento dela, e em como ela encontrava essas sacadas. Sério, isso foi muito especial.
Gostei muito da Suzy, e me apeguei desde o começo da história. Ela me fez sentir todas as coisas junto com ela. Eu, literalmente, senti a sua dor e chorei junto à medida que as coisas aconteciam. Adoro histórias, como essa, em que a personagem passa por uma jornada que a faz chegar a uma conclusão ou a um crescimento, mas você consegue acompanhar todo o passo a passo e ver isso de forma gradual.
Acho que a única coisa que eu não gostei tanto foi o excesso de informação. Eu sei que a personagem é inteligente e sabe muitos fatos aleatórios, mas tinham momentos em que ela divagava por várias coisas que só me deixavam angustiado para passar logo por aquilo e seguir com a história. Não havia a necessidade de colocar tantas curiosidades a todo momento. Outra coisa: sempre fico com um pé atrás quando a história toma um rumo meio "grande" e improvável. É difícil explicar isso sem dar spoiler, infelizmente.
Esse livro é um infanto juvenil? Não sei dizer. Eu, normalmente, encasqueto com esse gênero e acabo não gostando tanto quanto outros, mas esse me pegou (e pegou forte). Foi um livro que me instigou memórias, que me deixou de coração partido, que me fez sorrir, mas que, acima de tudo, deixou uma mensagem que eu nunca vou esquecer.
March 7, 2019
Check out more reviews @ Perspective of a Writer...
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 traveling the globe, alone. Suzy's achingly heartfelt journey explores life, death, the astonishing wonder of the universe...and the potential for love and hope right next door.
The short review...
I had some trouble with this book. The mental health was all over the place. The split narrative while wonderful in the past parts was boring and slow in the present. We were told way, way too much in the present (used in adult contemporary books a lot) instead of shown (which is better for middle grade readers).
And the worst offense was that it was clearly written for adult readers.
The narrative is GORGEOUS! ...If the protagonist was a 40 year old woman... Okay, I'll take a 34 year old but that's as low as I go. Seriously the way disparate facts were woven together and point after point was made about the universe, jeeze an adult would barely be able to pull all that together. Yeah kids are smart, they come up with some doozies that shock you with their depth... but not 5 mind blowing conclusions within 3 pages!! If you wanted me to believe Suzy thought this then you've got to build the story so we understand HOW she came to these conclusions on her own. What inspired her? Where did it come from? Was it something her brother told her? Show us!!
The theme is said to be grief but the way the split narrative bonded us to Suzy and Franny's friendship, I really think the real theme is friendship. What do we do when we lose our only friend? ANYONE can relate to losing a friend... not necessarily to death but to time, to other friends and interests. The only problem is that the friends Suzy could have become friends with weren't shown becoming friends! They just suddenly were in the end, as a salve to grief.
While The Thing About Jellyfish needed some rewriting in my mind the narrative alone is so gorgeous!! Ignore the child protagonist and explore loss, grief and friendship...
Cover & Title grade -> A+
I will admit that this cover totally sold The Thing About Jellyfish to me. It's melancholy but hopeful... We understand immediately that the jellyfish are a symbol of a greater idea. An adult and a middle grader would be attracted to the illustration, perfect for those buying for a young reader and a young reader both.
What does The Thing About Jellyfish excel at?
-Split narrative!
This made the book so readable!! We are shown through back flashes how Suzy lost Franny way before Franny died. It's heartbreaking, it's all about friendship and it made you want Suzy to find new friends. The second person POV even heightened the emotions that you felt between Suzy and Franny... Ali Benjamin can clearly right!!
-Socially awkward!
The aspect of Suzy that I totally believed was her social awkwardness. This totally rang true. She's a smart girl. She learns well from her science teacher and pushes herself to talk when its that or fail. She just doesn't have a gauge about what to share or not share... but she learns!! We see through the lens of the past that she slowly put it together. She's not lost a friend before and this was her first and only friend. She had a learning curve... (aren't many of us socially awkward at first?!)
-Jellyfish villain!
I LOVE jellyfish... Okay, I used to love jellyfish, because this book totally killed that love. I didn't know jellyfish were a menace in the ocean. The facts... or should I say, the HARD TRUTHS about jellyfish all come out in The Thing About Jellyfish. Jellyfish are the villain and we see them from so many "based on real life" facts, including the authorities on jellyfish.
-Processing Grief Logically!
Suzy is taught a science system to solve problems. She's a really intelligent girl and applies that system to her grief. I found this so true to how kids today would try to process their feelings. She lost a friend and she can never change that now because that friend is dead. It's a hard thing and its emotional and learning that is so important for children. Coping mechanisms are built in our childhood!!
-Family is important!
Looking for that book that has solid parents? This is it. They aren't perfect but they clearly try and they love Suzy even in divorce. Her brother and his boyfriend are also there for Suzy. While I would have loved to have experienced their conversations with Suzy at the end I did love how they were portrayed so that kids can see... family is there for you. You feel alone, but you aren't!!
As a Writer...
I was super excited to read The Thing About Jellyfish because I noticed a review that said "she’s probably on the autism spectrum" though it never explicitly says. I love mental health of this nature and especially autism and asperger's syndrome which I know quite a bit about. And yeah there are some pretty textbook signs that are used in the course of the story.
Problem was these signs weren't incorporated the way a person with autism would act. For example, Suzy chooses not to speak for a time and has a very logical reason why she chooses to be silent. Someone on the spectrum may be selectively mute but its not for some "reason." If they are selectively mute its not something that they choose to do and not do. It's about comfort level. It's organic. The way The Thing About Jellyfish portrays selective mutism in autistic children is how you would imagine a child without autism would choose to be silent.
I have no problem with Suzy being an undiagnosed asperger's child. I have no problem with Suzy being a typical child going through a really hard time. But the interactions should match the back history. It really read like Suzy was a typical girl going through the loss of a friend. She's book smart but people slow.
Not one of the signs of asperger's was used properly to me... IF the author intended Suzy to have the syndrome or be on the autism spectrum. Since the book didn't mention either way and the therapist in The Thing About Jellyfish who SHOULD have seen the signs said nothing to the parents I'm operating under the impression that Suzy is normal... Book smart but people slow.
Mental health illustrated in books will always cause extreme opinions because its such a personal subject. We assume everyone has the same experiences and we assume the knowledge we have is absolutely correct. Even #ownvoices authors can muddle illustrating mental health issues because they are so close to the subject. As a writer myself to me its better to imagine the character and not the mental health when I'm writing... And I feel like even if Ali Benjamin was inspired by an asperger's list of signs it may be that Suzy turned out to just be really struggling and not autistic at all.
The Thing About Jellyfish is a great read for older teens and adults. It's full of depth, great writing and a young protagonist you can't help rooting for.
⋆ ⋆ ⭐⭐⭐ Authenticity
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Writing Style
⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⭐⭐ Plot & Pacing
⋆ ⋆ ⭐⭐⭐ World Building
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It was exactly one month since the Worst Thing had happened, and almost as long since I’d started not-talking. Which isn’t refusing to talk, like everyone thinks it is. It’s just deciding not to fill the world with words if you don’t have to. It is the opposite of constant-talking, which is what I used to do, and it’s better than small talk, which is what people wished I did.
My parents have a word for what I do—constant-talking , like that is a single word—and they explain to me that it is important to let others talk, too. Ask people questions, my mom always says. It’s not a conversation if you’re constant-talking. And I try to remember that, to ask people things.
But you like it when I tell you things. You don’t need me to ask you questions. You have never once called what I do constant-talking.
By now I was twelve years old and starting my second year of middle school. I knew a few things about grown-ups. And here’s one of the things I knew: Grown-ups are like everybody else—they don’t actually want you to say what you’re thinking.
What my dad wanted, I suspect, was the thing everybody seems to want: small talk. But I don’t understand small talk. I don’t even understand why it’s called that—small talk—when it fills up so much space.
Most of all, I don’t understand why small talk is considered more polite than not-talking. It’s like when people applaud after a performance. Have you ever heard someone not clap after a performance? People clap every time, no matter whether it was good or bad. They even applaud after the Eugene Field band plays its annual concert, and that’s really saying something. So wouldn’t it be easier and take less time and effort to just not clap? Because it would mean the same thing, which is nothing at all.
In the end, not-talking means the same thing, more or less, as small talk. Nothing. Besides, I’ll bet so-called small talk has ended more friendships than silence ever did.
Sometimes you want things to change so badly, you can’t even stand to be in the same room with the way things actually are.
Whenever I think about those two days—about the space between you ending and me knowing—I think about the stars. Did you know that the light from our nearest star takes four years to reach us? Which means when we see it—when we see any star—we are really seeing what it looked like in the past. All those twinkling lights, every star in the sky, could have burned out years ago—the entire night sky could be empty this very minute, and we wouldn’t even know it.
Near the corner of the room a sign said AN INVISIBLE ENIGMA. I knew what enigma meant—my mother often said I was one, especially when I dipped fried eggs in grape jelly or deliberately wore mismatched socks. Enigma means “mystery.” I like mysteries, so I walked over to read the sign. A photograph on the sign showed two fingers holding a tiny jar. Inside the jar, almost impossible to see, floated a transparent jellyfish about the size of a fingernail.
“I can talk. When there’s something to say. And it was Beauty.”
“Beauty?”
“And the Beast. Her name was Belle.”
“Oh.” He thought for a moment. “So does that make me the Beast?”
I shrugged.
“The Beast was a bad guy, right?” he asked.
I shook my head. “He was okay. He just scared people who didn’t know him, that’s all.”
“Huh,” said Justin. “That sounds about right.”
August 21, 2017
Ah Suzy... Sen ne kadar naif, ne kadar tatlı bir çocuksun. O kadar içime işledin ki.. Hayata, arkadaşlığa bakışın,düşüncelerin çok güzel. Kesinlikle okunması gereken bir kitap bence. Aşktan fantastik olmaktan uzak çok gerçekçi bir roman. Bu tarz bir romana ihtiyacım varmış gerçekten. Çok severek okudum...
June 28, 2016
Çok şey öğrendim. Tüm genç okurlara tavsiye ederim!
January 4, 2021
The whole theme of this book is that people deal with loss in different ways. Did I expect this middle-grade book to handle loss the way a YA book would? No. So was I very pleasantly surprised? Yes.
My mom actually bought this book for me when I was in fifth grade because it was "on-sale", so I've just had it lying inside my bookshelf for years. It came to my attention to read it about a year ago but I only ever managed to read it now. I honestly didn't expect it to be that great, because my best friend read it in fifth grade and I literally never heard her talk about it, so I assumed it was kind of sucky.
It reminded me of the book "Counting By 7s" by Holly Goldberg Sloan. Both books handled with loss and genius outcast girls. Both books randomly spit out science facts at every corner but made it work for the story.
This book is about a girl named Suzy Swanson who, although it isn't explicitly stated in the book, is a genius. You can pretty much infer that from the start. Now, whether the not that was the explanation for why she severely lacked social skills and thought factually rather than logically and emotionally, I don't know. The whole time reading I got the vibe that maybe she had a social disability or something of the sort. Despite that, her ex-best friend had just died, and after jumping to a few conclusions, Suzy is convinced that a jellyfish has killed her. One of the reasons this book is so beautiful is because of Suzy's naivete. She doesn't realize that her facts and her science are making people laugh at her. She has also resorted to not talking to anybody, including her parents, not because she is traumatized, well, partially that, but simply because she doesn't want to. I think Suzy is such a good main character because my sixth-grade self could strongly relate to her throughout this book. She is charming and sweet but is so misunderstood and gets made fun of for just being herself, which hurts. She is very thorough (and when I say VERY thorough) and loves to research and figure things out scientifically. She is a perfectionist and frowns at failure. She has been deeply affected by her friend's crush on a boy and doesn't want things to change. This was all me in seventh grade. She did seem to appear younger though, but I think that just might be the point of the character.
One issue I did have with this book was the way the dialogue was written. There was seemingly no variation, besides Suzy's internal dialogue, in the way everyone spoke. Sure, they could be mean, they could be kind, they could be just giving a report, but it all felt like the same person was talking each time. The dialogue was also handled in a sort of "after school special" kind of way. Don't get me wrong, "Sesame Street" is great, but not if a twelve-year-old boy is talking to a girl his age in that manner, the same way her parent or her teacher or her older brother would talk to her.
Overall, I really did enjoy this book. Suzy's drive to prove what happened to her best friend and her whole emotional journey to discover why that really matters was so well done. I would recommend this to anyone between 10 years old to 15 years old, as I think those are the ones who would receive optimal enjoyment from this book. Also, I think the prologue was just beautiful. It was jaw-dropping and it really told me that I would enjoy the book. As a whole, I was pleasantly surprised.
My mom actually bought this book for me when I was in fifth grade because it was "on-sale", so I've just had it lying inside my bookshelf for years. It came to my attention to read it about a year ago but I only ever managed to read it now. I honestly didn't expect it to be that great, because my best friend read it in fifth grade and I literally never heard her talk about it, so I assumed it was kind of sucky.
It reminded me of the book "Counting By 7s" by Holly Goldberg Sloan. Both books handled with loss and genius outcast girls. Both books randomly spit out science facts at every corner but made it work for the story.
This book is about a girl named Suzy Swanson who, although it isn't explicitly stated in the book, is a genius. You can pretty much infer that from the start. Now, whether the not that was the explanation for why she severely lacked social skills and thought factually rather than logically and emotionally, I don't know. The whole time reading I got the vibe that maybe she had a social disability or something of the sort. Despite that, her ex-best friend had just died, and after jumping to a few conclusions, Suzy is convinced that a jellyfish has killed her. One of the reasons this book is so beautiful is because of Suzy's naivete. She doesn't realize that her facts and her science are making people laugh at her. She has also resorted to not talking to anybody, including her parents, not because she is traumatized, well, partially that, but simply because she doesn't want to. I think Suzy is such a good main character because my sixth-grade self could strongly relate to her throughout this book. She is charming and sweet but is so misunderstood and gets made fun of for just being herself, which hurts. She is very thorough (and when I say VERY thorough) and loves to research and figure things out scientifically. She is a perfectionist and frowns at failure. She has been deeply affected by her friend's crush on a boy and doesn't want things to change. This was all me in seventh grade. She did seem to appear younger though, but I think that just might be the point of the character.
One issue I did have with this book was the way the dialogue was written. There was seemingly no variation, besides Suzy's internal dialogue, in the way everyone spoke. Sure, they could be mean, they could be kind, they could be just giving a report, but it all felt like the same person was talking each time. The dialogue was also handled in a sort of "after school special" kind of way. Don't get me wrong, "Sesame Street" is great, but not if a twelve-year-old boy is talking to a girl his age in that manner, the same way her parent or her teacher or her older brother would talk to her.
Overall, I really did enjoy this book. Suzy's drive to prove what happened to her best friend and her whole emotional journey to discover why that really matters was so well done. I would recommend this to anyone between 10 years old to 15 years old, as I think those are the ones who would receive optimal enjoyment from this book. Also, I think the prologue was just beautiful. It was jaw-dropping and it really told me that I would enjoy the book. As a whole, I was pleasantly surprised.
October 3, 2022
سوزی دختری دوازده‌ساله‌ست که تازه کلاس هفتم رو شروع کرده. اون علاقۀ زیادی به زیست‌شناسی داره و بچۀ خیلی باهوش و سخت‌کوشیه. ماجرا از جایی شروع میشه که صمیمی‌ترین دوست سوزی (و به‌عبارتی تنها دوستش) که شناگر ماهری هم بود، توی دریا غرق میشه. سوزی دنبال دلیله ولی مادرش بهش می‌گه گاهی برای بعضی چیزها دلیلی وجود نداره. سوزی نمی‌تونه اینو قبول کنه. اون بعد از این حادثه تصمیم می‌گیره دیگه حرف نزنه و خودش رو فقط روی پیداکردن علت واقعی مرگ فرنی متمرکز کنه. سوزی تحقیقات زیادی میکنه و به این فرضیه می‌رسه که احتمالاً نیش عروس دریایی باعث مرگ دوستش شده. این روزۀ سکوت سوزی شرایطش رو در خونه و مدرسه ملتهب میکنه، مخصوصاً اینکه دخترهای معروف و خوشگل مدرسه با اون بدن و اذیتش می‌کنن. جالبه که قبل از مرگ فرنی، عملاً دوستی اونها از سوی خود فرنی تموم شده بود. فرنی از یه‌جایی به بعد ترجیح می‌ده به «گروه دختران خوشگل و معروف» مدرسه (آبری و مولی و غیره) بپیونده و این خودش یه شکست عاطفی بزرگ برای سوزی بوده. سوزی برای اثبات فرضیۀ خودش دربارۀ ارتباط نیش عروس دریایی و مرگ فرنی راه پرمخاطره‌ای رو شروع میکنه و... .
یه‌جاهایی از این کتاب (مربوط به دوستی سوزی و فرنی) واقعاً قلبم رو جریحه‌دار کرد. یاد یه‌سری خاطرات تلخ و سیاه دوران مدرسه‌م افتادم که اون روزها خیلی آزارم داد و یادش هم حتی بعد این همه سال باعث آزارم میشه.
و یه قسمت‌هایی‌ش که مشخصاً اشکم رو درآورد برام یادآور بخشی از ترومای دانشگاه بود. فضای سبعانه و درعین‌حال کودکانۀ دانشکده که بعضی از دروغ‌ها رو به‌عنوان فکت به خورد بقیه می‌دادند. :)) اون موقع اگر در کنار خودم همچین دوستی حمایتگری می‌داشتم قطعاً آدم خوشحال‌تری می‌بودم.
آبری، آنقدر بلند که دیگران هم بشنوند، گفت:«فرنی جکسون نه خوشگله و نه باهوش.»
وقتی این را گفت، من صورتت را دیدم. دیدم که گونه‌هایت سرخ شد و سعی کردی به زمین نگاه کنی تا جلوی گریه‌ات را بگیری؛ اما نتوانستی و کل زنگ تفریح را گریه کردی؛ نت وقتی که من دم گوشَت گفتم:«زمین بازی شبیه مصر باستان و فاصلۀ بین تاب و سُرسُره مثل رود نیل است. اگر بتوانیم در آن فاصله سریع بدویم، از دست کروکُدیل‌ها نجات پیدا می‌کنیم.»
جالبه که فرنی مشخصاً هم خوشگل بود و هم باهوش. :))
یه‌جاهایی از این کتاب (مربوط به دوستی سوزی و فرنی) واقعاً قلبم رو جریحه‌دار کرد. یاد یه‌سری خاطرات تلخ و سیاه دوران مدرسه‌م افتادم که اون روزها خیلی آزارم داد و یادش هم حتی بعد این همه سال باعث آزارم میشه.
و یه قسمت‌هایی‌ش که مشخصاً اشکم رو درآورد برام یادآور بخشی از ترومای دانشگاه بود. فضای سبعانه و درعین‌حال کودکانۀ دانشکده که بعضی از دروغ‌ها رو به‌عنوان فکت به خورد بقیه می‌دادند. :)) اون موقع اگر در کنار خودم همچین دوستی حمایتگری می‌داشتم قطعاً آدم خوشحال‌تری می‌بودم.
آبری، آنقدر بلند که دیگران هم بشنوند، گفت:«فرنی جکسون نه خوشگله و نه باهوش.»
وقتی این را گفت، من صورتت را دیدم. دیدم که گونه‌هایت سرخ شد و سعی کردی به زمین نگاه کنی تا جلوی گریه‌ات را بگیری؛ اما نتوانستی و کل زنگ تفریح را گریه کردی؛ نت وقتی که من دم گوشَت گفتم:«زمین بازی شبیه مصر باستان و فاصلۀ بین تاب و سُرسُره مثل رود نیل است. اگر بتوانیم در آن فاصله سریع بدویم، از دست کروکُدیل‌ها نجات پیدا می‌کنیم.»
جالبه که فرنی مشخصاً هم خوشگل بود و هم باهوش. :))
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