Books › The thing about jellyfish
The thing about jellyfish
343 pages
A quiet, aching exploration of grief that uses the wonders of the natural world to make sense of the unimaginable.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like sinking into a quiet, oceanic space where the overwhelming noise of the world is muted, leaving only the steady rhythm of a beating heart and the vastness of scientific wonder. It is a deeply contemplative and tender experience, moving at a steady pace that honors the messy, non-linear process of grieving. The narrative voice is intensely analytical yet profoundly vulnerable, using the fascinating, alien world of marine biology and the rigid laws of science to build a framework around the chaotic pain of sudden loss. It is a bittersweet, aching read that ultimately offers a gentle, hopeful embrace. This is a perfect match for anyone who loves empathetic, character-driven stories that treat the emotional lives of young people with the utmost respect and poetic grace.
- Mood
- quiet
- oceanic
- bittersweet
- contemplative
- Tone
- earnest
- analytical
- tender
- melancholic
- inquisitive
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- navigating sudden loss · complexity of changing friendships · finding order in chaos · burden of unspoken guilt · healing power of curiosity
- The writing
- Lyrical and precise, the writing weaves fascinating scientific facts seamlessly into poignant emotional metaphors.
- The arc
- Moves from a place of profound, silent isolation and guilt into a gradual, tender acceptance of the universe's unpredictable nature.
- Who it's for
- Readers who appreciate quiet, deeply empathetic stories about complex feelings and the intersection of science and emotion.
Content notes
- death of a friend
- drowning
- grief
- social isolation
About the book
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. Suzy Swanson has always known things that others don't. She can explain the sleep patterns of ants. She knows there are 150 million jellyfish stings on the planet every year. She knows that the average middle school kid contains about 20 billion of Shakespeare's atoms. But she can't understand how Franny Jackson's lifetime could be cut so short... before Suzy could make up for the worst thing she'd ever done to her friend. As Suzy retreats into a silent world of her imagination, she finds that the universe won't allow her escape into grief. Astonishing wonders are all around her... as are the love and hope she desperately needs to forgive herself.
Description from Open Library.
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