The Thing About Jellyfish, Ali Benjamin
The Thing About Jellyfish, Ali Benjamin
7 Rating(s)
List: $18.99 | Sale: $13.29
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The Thing About Jellyfish

Author: Ali Benjamin

Narrator: Sarah Franco

Unabridged: 5 hr 20 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 09/22/2015

Synopsis

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.

About Ali Benjamin

Ali Benjamin's work has appeared in print, online, and on television. She lives with her family in rural Massachusetts.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Tabetha on November 08, 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 anothe......more

Goodreads review by Hannah on 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, desp......more

Goodreads review by Wendy Darling on August 06, 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. Th......more

Goodreads review by ♛Tash on 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......more

Goodreads review by Danielle on June 26, 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 vaca......more

Quotes

*"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

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