The Jellyfish
Odette has a jellyfish in their eye. The doctors don’t have an answer. It’s a mild inconvenience until the day a second one appears.
A college dropout trying to navigate family pressures and an uncertain future, Odette works at a local bookstore, keeps their pet rabbit, and develops a crush on a woman named Naina which may turn into something more. Dodging uncomfortable interactions with their mother, going out to awkward parties with their best friend and his girlfriend—Odettte’s life is small enough, but it’s comfortable. It’s the jellyfish that are the problem. No one has an answer and no one seems particularly concerned about what it might mean. But as the jellyfish continue to multiply, Odette must decide who they will trust, who they will allow to get close, and how they will navigate a future that is not at all the one they expected to be facing as an increasing number of jellyfish begin to block out the things they once were able to see.
Pow Pow Press delivers The Jellyfish, written and illustrated by Canadian graphic novelist Boum and translated now to English. The initial premise has an absurdity to it that injects quiet humor into the writing. “You do indeed seem to have a jellyfish in your left eye,” is the first line delivered in the story. However, this declaration takes on unexpected weight across each section of this book, broken out across the changing of the seasons. Interwoven with snippets of headlines and online quizzes, this graphic novel is rooted in the deep tensions and trivialities of the perpetually online and interconnected existence of young adults in the modern age. From the opening sequence of Odette working in the bookstore to returning home to a nearly empty apartment, Boun captures mundane details that are familiar, engaging, and sometimes all too real, filling Odette with recognizable life in a very short span of time. From awkward parties full of strangers to the heightened emotions of new love, Boun’s portrayal of Odette is richly detailed and empathetic—and this subtle capturing of deep, complex emotion only becomes more recognizable as Odette finds themself facing increasingly dire challenges.
I’m dodging around too many specific plot details because the story is best experienced alongside Odette and those closest to them. Bringing each panel of the story to life, Boum’s delightful art is simple enough in clear shades of black, white, and gray. Emotions shift from humor to sorrow with a deft hand, spotlighting exactly the elements the reader should notice, while building out a richly detailed world with sometimes the simplest brush strokes. Forming a core element of the story, the titular jellyfish are never far from the panels, drifting across the visuals in the same way they drift across Odette’s vision. Entire sequences play out without dialog and the way each panel leads into the next remarkably captures the emotional state of Odette and those around them, each of whom has their own triumphs and tragedies to navigate in search of what it means to live in a complicated world. It’s a remarkable fusion of storytelling and art which quickly draws the reader into Odette’s life and expertly captures the highs and lows of their narrative and emotional experience.
Pow Pow Press does not assign The Jellyfish an age rating, but it’s best suited for older teens and adults due to some naturally-presented nudity, strong language, and overall thematic elements. The content isn’t particularly troubling, but it is a story aimed at older readers and the deep emotional themes pack quite a punch in the later portion of the story. Younger readers and anyone sensitive to narratives centered around degenerative disease should be mindful before diving into this one.
The Jellyfish is one of those stories where it is difficult to explain the experience of reading it in words. I don’t want to give away too much and waving a book around saying “read this” is either effective or it’s not. Visually and in writing, Boum has created a story full of diversity and rich in humanity. It’s crafted with immense care and talent, and in a relatively short span of pages, manages to take the reader on a deeply emotional journey that is absolutely worth the time it takes to experience. In the end, my review on this book is simply “read it.” You won’t be disappointed.
The Jellyfish
By Boum
Pow Pow Studios, 2024
ISBN: 9782925114307
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18)
Creator Representation: Canadian
Character Representation: Queer, Nonbinary, Disability
