Firebloom by Justin Davies

What worked:

Tally hopes to become a Sting Winkler like her grandfather, mother, and Smuck ancestors, but doesn’t know if it will happen. Sting Winklers normally show their abilities before the age of twelve, so she’s extra worried when she can’t communicate with the jellyfish when the Firebloom Festival starts. The townspeople expect her to become a Sting Winkler, and her grandfathers tell her that it will happen someday. Tally is not so sure. She feels more pressure this year after the jellyfish fail to shine their light, disappointing everyone, including visitors who support the local economy. Everyone seems to blame Tally, adding to her mounting stress.

The author shows the importance of jellyfish in the town by describing the many products made from jellyfish Sting, a substance harvested from jellyfish tentacles. For example, Tally’s best friend, Farran, relies on a Sting lotion to calm his frequent panic attacks. The lack of a jellyfish light show becomes a mystery that Tally must solve. Her grandfather is a Sting Winkler, but his ability to communicate with the jellyfish is fading away. Tally thinks something is scaring the jellyfish away from coming near the shore, and they’re behaving strangely. One jellyfish stung her on the leg, and that doesn’t happen to members of her family. The Vorpal twins do their best to annoy Tally, and their mother is threatening Tally and her grandfathers. Tally has a tiny ally named Albert, a highly intelligent cliff rat. Young readers will enjoy his invaluable assistance and his tendency to pop up when he’s most needed.

What didn’t work as well:

The plot has a slow, steady pace, but doesn’t pick up until the end of the festival draws near. Also, jellyfish aren’t the cuddliest creatures, so they may not interest young readers. However, there aren’t many books that feature jellyfish, so their novelty may be an attraction.

The final verdict:

Featuring jellyfish is unusual, but the mystery of the missing light show is engaging as it unfolds. Readers will enjoy Tally’s struggle to live up to the community’s expectations, and the author saves a couple of surprises for later in the story. I recommend you give this book a shot.