Ali Benjamin

Representation: It's complicated...
Trigger warnings: Death of a child in the ocean, death of a friend, grief and loss depiction
Score: Eight points out of ten.
This review can also be found on The StoryGraph.

This is the first book I have ever read that involved grief and it just delivered! The main character, Suzy, is so unique and interesting which is due to her impressive imagination and good use of metaphors that really made her distinct from other characters in other books. The plot itself is quite simple considering that it's targeted towards middle graders but it was so effective and I think all readers can enjoy this masterpiece of a book. The way this book was written was interesting but it didn't feel gimmicky, disjointed or unnecessary at all, it's just the story is split between two time periods and it just goes back and forth between the two. The plot revolves around Suzy and her friend Franny whose friendship fell apart and later on she died for some reason and Suzy thought a jellyfish stung her and killed her so she embarks on a research project about jellyfish at school while also processing the feelings of grief which I liked and I thought that was executed well. I also supposed Franny was a great friend right until she no longer accepted Suzy as herself and it was a shame that she couldn't restore her friendship with her and I liked the side characters as well since they were all very supportive of her, especially her science teacher whose name I forgot. If you like a well executed story about loss and grief this is the book for you.… (plus d'informations)

I’d forgotten that the book is loose modernization of Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome. You don’t need to be familiar with that classic to enjoy this humorous and ultimately profound story about a family dealing with misogyny and social media. It takes place during the Brent Kavanaugh hearings so it takes a bit of an adjustment to read within that context. The ending takes a surprising turn that attempts wrap up themes and the title somewhat successfully. Despite the humor and excellent writing, this isn’t a must read.… (plus d'informations)