Jelly
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
A survival story unlike anything you’ve ever read—perfect for fans of Patrick Ness and Rory Power
The biggest problem with being trapped on a jellyfish isn’t what you’d expect. You get over the fear of death (because you start looking forward to it) and the smell of fish (because it quickly becomes your breakfast, lunch, and dinner). Boredom is an issue, sure, but it’s not the main one; the biggest problem is not being able to get away from everyone.
Martha is stuck on the back of the jellyfish and has been for a long time. She and everyone else living there don’t know how exactly they got there or how long they’ve been there or where they’re going—they just remember that something traumatic happened. And they can’t escape.
But now, the crew has finally had enough. They’re going to escape the jellyfish—or die trying. (Which probably means dying.) Funny, strange, and completely original, Jelly is an unforgettable young adult debut.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Centering a largely white group stranded atop a gargantuan jellyfish, debut author Rees marries a darkly funny survival account with a climate change creature feature. After much of humankind is eaten or killed, teen narrator Martha, along with peers Kate, Lana, and James, is marooned alongside a group of adults, including a soldier, a scientist, and a mythology-interested crone. When they aren't playing Jellyfish Rugby or otherwise weathering monotonous days, the kids strategize escape—past the creature's tentacles, which continually pull jumpers back, and onto a dangerous coastline crawling with enormous, crablike kriks. After a string of failed attempts, a sudden revelation pushes the increasingly desperate crew to realize the existence of further lurking horrors. Using straightforward prose and believable interpersonal relationships to anchor the book's more dramatic components—eroding coastlines, murderous monsters—Rees offers a testament to human ingenuity and younger generations' fortitude while cautioning against ignoring environmental problems. Ages 12–up.
