As I finished reading the novel, I couldn't help but relate to all of the emotions that Suzy feels. This young girl is desperately searching for answers to how her friend died. Her feelings of anger and sadness are so strong that they resonate with me.
Suzy furthers her research on Jellyfish and eventually has to present her report on the topic. As she presents, this is the most she has spoken in over a year. I felt proud of how much progress she has made. But then the emotions changed and I felt the anger and embarrassment caused by her classmates.
I also learned what happened between Suzy and her friend Franny and what caused the bad blood between them prior to her death. Benjamin does such a great job of drawing a sense of empathy for Suzy as I read through the flashbacks.
As I progressed to the end of the novel, I couldn't stop reading. I felt like I was there with Suzy as she searches for her own peace. She opens up, letting herself be vulnerable, and I got chills when she finally came to accept that she couldn't go through all of this alone. The ending of the novel wasn't what I came to expect, but nevertheless, it was a brilliant conclusion to this beautiful story.
This book really is one of the best books I have read in a while. The story that Ali Benjamin crafts is absolutely stunning. This is such a spectacular novel that I would recommend to anyone.
Celina, Your words for this book are so heartwarming! This sounds like a story that will really tug on the heart strings! Your kind words about the book make it a must have for my future classroom! Great post! :)
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