The Thing About Jellyfish

Suzy is the main character and tells the story from her first person point of view. She is currently in seventh grade in South Grove, Massachusetts. Suzy has frizzy, hard-to-control hair and does not have much interest in clothes, styles, make-up, or boys. Her parents divorced at the end of her fifth grade year, and she lives with her mother. She sees her father at least once every Saturday night for dinner, a promise he made and kept since the divorce. Suzy has one older brother, Aaron, who attends the local university. He and his boyfriend Rocco visit Suzy and her mother occasionally. Suzy is interested in science.

Suzy’s most impactful friendship is with a girl named Franny. They were so close when they were in elementary school that teachers suggested that Suzy “branch out” and make other friends in addition to Franny, but Suzy was never interested. To Suzy, change comes painfully when they begin middle school. The unraveling of her friendship with Franny is troubling as their interests grow apart, then hurtful when Franny rejects Suzy. Suzy eventually finds herself alone in school and social situations.

Suzy begins seventh grade changed as a character because after she loses Franny’s friendship, Franny dies suddenly over the summer between sixth and seventh grade.