The Thing About Jellyfish

Twelve-year-old Suzy started saying the wrong things even before her best friend Franny drowned. Franny was a great swimmer and things like this don't just happen.

Suzy is sure she's on to something when she starts learning more about jellyfish for a school project. The thing about jellyfish is that there are so many mysterious, dangerous and wonderful discoveries to be made about them - they are a whole world unto themselves.

Suzy is an endearing narrator, struggling to navigate the shift in her friendship as Franny's priorities change ahead of hers. Analysing the social complexities of her peers against the enigmatic jellyfish, Benjamin has a keen insight into how a child's logic battles with the unspoken rules of school, and how easily this can lead to social outcasting.

Smart, interesting and memorable - Ali Benjamin is a name to watch.