"The Thing About Jellyfish" by Ali Benjamin: A Poetic Journey Through Grief, Curiosity, and the Sea

Some stories stay with you—not for their grand events, but for the quiet truths they reveal. "The Thing About Jellyfish"is one of those stories. In this hauntingly beautiful novel, Ali Benjamin weaves a tender narrative about loss, wonder, and the invisible threads that connect us.

After her best friend drowns, twelve-year-old Suzy Swanson stops speaking. Words no longer feel like enough. In her search for meaning, she turns to the natural world—specifically, jellyfish. Graceful yet dangerous, ancient yet enigmatic, these sea creatures become her focus, her comfort, and possibly, the answer to a question that grief won’t let her ignore.

Benjamin’s storytelling is gentle and profound, capturing the rawness of heartbreak and the healing nature of curiosity. The ocean here is more than a setting—it’s a mirror of Suzy’s inner world. In its silent depths and drifting currents, she finds a space where sorrow and wonder can coexist.

"The Thing About Jellyfish" is a quiet triumph—a book that understands how it feels to lose something you can’t explain, and how the mysteries of the sea can help us make peace with the ones within ourselves.

A deeply moving read for anyone who has ever loved, lost, and looked to the ocean for understanding.