The Thing About Jellyfish

I saw The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin recommended on some kind of list online and got it from the library. The inside of the dust jacket reads, "Suzy Swanson has always known things that others don’t. She can explain the sleep patterns of ants. She knows there are 150 million jellyfish stings on the planet every year. She knows that the average middle school kid contains about 20 billion of Shakespeare’s atoms. But she can’t understand how Franny Jackson’s lifetime could be cut so short . . . before Suzy could make up for the worst thing she’d ever done to her friend. As Suzy retreats into the silent world of her imagination, she finds that the universe won’t allow her to escape her grief. Astonishing wonders are all around her . . . as are the love and hope she desperately needs to forgive herself."

This was a great book with well developed, believable characters and an engaging story. It was a really heavy book for me--just kinda got me in a depressed mood because it was just a lot to bear. But I loved how the story concluded and was glad I read it. It's classified as a juvenile book in the library, but I would probably classify it more as young adult just because there's a lot to take in.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

Forget Me Not

I bought Forget Me Not by Ellie Terry after seeing it reviewed as a great portrayal of a character with Tourette Syndrome. The back of the book reads, "Astronomy-loving Calliope June has Tourette syndrome, so she sometimes makes faces or noises that she doesn't mean to make. When she and her mother move yet again, she tries to hide her TS. But it isn't long before the kids at her new school realize she's different. Only Calliope's neighbor, who is also the popular student body president, sees her as she truly is―an interesting person and a good friend. But is he brave enough to take their friendship public? As Calliope navigates school, she must also face her mother's new relationship and the fact that they might be moving―again―just as she starts to make friends and finally accept her differences."

This was a great book. It was a quick, engaging read, and I felt like it really gave a glimpse into the life of a teenager with TS. I just really felt for Calli and the difficulties she faces, and it made me sad how she had such an unsupportive mom. I liked how the book concluded even though it was imperfect (just like real life). I think this would be a good book for Emmeline when she's more like 11 or so.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)