Summary Of The Thing About Jellyfish: By Ali Benjamin

The Thing About Jellyfish is American author Ali Benjamin's first novel. This title is a middle grade novel set in modern-day Massachusetts. Suzy Swanson, a seventh grader, is the protagonist and narrator of this contemporary, realistic story. The Thing About Jellyfish was a 2015 National Book Award for Young People's Literature Finalist. This guide follows the first edition from 2015 (Little, Brown and Company).The coming-of-age novel demonstrates the challenges of growing up, especially around matters of friendship. Suzy's best friend is Franny Jackson, but upon entering middle school, Franny makes new friends. Though Suzy tries to regain the balance in their friendship, she is confused when her attempts to stay close to Franny do not work, and Suzy is left feeling sad and anxious. Grief and confusion augment Suzy's growing understanding of the complexity of her world; though Suzy is unable to accept the senselessness of Franny's death, Suzy hypothesizes that Franny's death resulted from a jellyfish sting. She intends to prove her theory even if she must leave the country to do it.