The Thing About Jellyfish

There is no way Franny could have just drowned.  She was a really good swimmer.  When Suzy's mother tells her, "Sometimes these things just happen," Suzy can't believe it's true.  Her best friend (former best friend?) couldn't just die like that especially not with so much anger left between them.

Maybe that's why she's so quick to jump on the idea of the jellyfish.  It's rare but possible it could have been in the water with Franny.  It's venom is so powerful, Franny would have drowned before anyone could save her.  This makes more sense than the idea that Franny's death is just a random event.

It's just not right that Franny's death could be random, that the last words she and Suzy exchange were in anger.  Suzy thought there would be more time.  But there wasn't.  Now there doesn't seem to be anything at all worth talking about, so Suzy remains silent.

No one else knows what she's thinking as she dives into research to try to prove a rare jellyfish killed her former best friend.

This was a good read about grief and emotion.  My only complaint would be in the growing tension between Suzy and Franny.  The final event that forces the two apart is pretty extreme, and it's difficult as a reader to understand Suzy's behavior and to really imagine a situation where anyone would think what she did was ok.  Yes, the book was good, but I'm a little conflicted.

Surrounded by Sharks

Davey just wants a little alone time on the family vacation in the Florida Keys, so when he wakes up earlier than everyone else, he decides to take his book and sneak out.

He quickly comes to realize this was a mistake, maybe a deadly one.  Davey gets caught in a rip tide and pulled out to sea.  No one knows where he is.  They don't even know he left the hotel room.

When the family discovers Davey missing, they aren't too worried at first.  After all, he likes to go off to read alone.  But their concern turns to worry and then panic as the hours pass and Davey is clearly not on the small island.

When Davey is already exhausted from spending hours in the sun, he sees the first one.  A blue shark is swimming in slow lazy circles around him.  That's when he really begins to panic.

In alternating chapters, Michael Northrop tells Davey's story and the story of his family and the people trying to find him.  This book definitely lives up to its name and was much more intense than I was expecting!  The last several pages flew by as I hurried to discover Davey's fate.  Recommended for adventure/survival fans and shark fans!

Wish

Fifteen-year-old Bee is a perfectionist.  She makes perfect grades and is president of her class at school.  She is even perfect in her devotion to her younger brother, Tommy, who suffers from cystic fibrosis, a disease that causes his lungs to fill with mucus and makes his breathing difficult, but Bee doesn't resent Tommy.  The siblings have a deep and loving relationship, and they understand and respect each other better than anyone else.

Tommy's interest in sharks has won a trip to dive with them from a foundation that grants wishes for children with terminal diseases, so Tommy, Bee, and their mother are headed from New Hampshire to California.  His cystic fibrosis will make everything about the trip a little more dangerous, but Bee is always by his side to make sure he has everything he needs from medication to breathing treatments to a special vest that vibrates the mucus in his lungs.

Before the plane even lands, things are not perfect.  Bee is frustrated by her mother's constant need to for male attention, and even this trip for Tommy is no different.  Her mother begins a flirtation on the plane that irritates perfectionist Bee.  The dive trip itself is not what Tommy had hoped, but he tries to keep a positive attitude.

It isn't until Bee and Tommy set off on an unscheduled adventure of their own that Tommy can really enjoy the trip.  Not only will he have a once in a lifetime experience, but they will both meet real friends who give them the kind of understanding and support they have been craving.

For Bee, this trip started as an experience for Tommy, something to make his wish come true, but she will discover some truths about herself including some wishes of her own.

I love this book!  It is a beautiful story about the sea and love.  You should read it!

Link to the author's website here.

2012-2013 Lone Star List