-
Your next favorite book
is waiting.
by Ali Benjamin
After her best friend dies in a drowning accident, Suzy is convinced that the true cause of the tragedy was a rare jellyfish sting. 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.
"Starred Review. A moving portrayal of loss and healing." - Publishers Weekly
"Starred Review. A painful story smartly told, Benjamin's first solo novel has appeal well beyond a middle school audience. Age 12+." - Kirkus
"Starred Review. Facts and metaphors related to jellyfish are woven seamlessly into the narrative of this memorable story. An uncommonly fine first novel." - Booklist
"Strong readers of middle grade realistic fiction will fully immerse themselves in this superbly written, heartfelt novel." - School Library Journal
This information about The Thing About Jellyfish was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Ali Benjamin is the co-writer for HIV-positive teen Paige Rawl's coming-of-age memoir, Positive, as well as Tim Howard's New York Times bestseller The Keeper. She is a member of New England Science Writers and has written for The Boston Globe Magazine, Martha Stewart's Whole Living, and Sesame Street. She lives in Massachusetts.
If you liked The Thing About Jellyfish, try these:
by Kate Folk
Published 2026
Cross the jet bridge with Linda, a frequent flyer with an unusual obsession, in this "razor-sharp and tender-hearted" (Lily Brooks-Dalton) debut novel by the acclaimed author of Out There.
by Paul Murray
Published 2024
From the author of Skippy Dies comes Paul Murray's The Bee Sting, an irresistibly funny, wise, and thought-provoking tour de force about family, fortune, and the struggle to be a good person when the world is falling apart.
by Sophie Cameron
Published 2019
When otherworldly beings start falling from the sky, it seems like the end of days are near - but for one girl, it's just the beginning of an adventure that will change her life.
Theo of Golden by Allen Levi
One spring morning, a stranger arrives in the small southern city of Golden. No one knows where he has come from…or why…
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
