Book review: An out-an-out psychological tale

Written by Ali Benjamin, this book about middle school children and their curiosities uses jellyfish as its common thread for storytelling.

Penned by Ali Benjamin, this book about middle school children and their curiosities uses jellyfish as its common thread for storytelling.

A seventh grade girl, Suzy is depicted as lonely and depressed. One of the reasons of her state being the separation of her parents. Her best friend, Franny’s sudden death adds to her stress. Simply because she can’t come to terms with the fact that Franny – a swimming champion can drown!

Refuting what the others say, the adolescent disapproves of the statement that her mother makes,‘Sometimes things just happen’.

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Having formed a hypothesis of her own, Suzy sets out to prove that a jellyfish sting took her besties’ life. In the process, the book becomes informative, educative and raises a reader’s knowledge level about the creatures of the sea.

The narrative, however, takes away the focus from the main plot and exaggerates the background more than the significant facts of the story. An out-an-out psychological tale, this book lacks any entertainment quotient and should not be your choice if you are way beyond your teenage years.

Title: The Thing About Jellyfish

Author: Ali Benjamin

Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Price: Rs 399