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The Jellyfish Problem

by Tessa Yang

A marine mystery off the Maine coast

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AlbakiReads Editorial

A marine mystery off the Maine coast

Marine biologist Dr. Jo Ness is called to a small island in Maine to investigate reports of a giant, glowing jellyfish. The search brings her back into contact with Nadia, someone she once loved, while the islanders offer conflicting accounts of the creature they call Clementine. Jo arrives carrying grief for her late friend Aldo and the unfinished jellyfish guide they worked on together, linking the island mystery to her efforts to reconnect with the living. Combining a sea-monster premise with magical realism, the novel brings together marine biology, loss, and human connection.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Readers interested in marine biology and sea-monster mysteries.
  • Readers drawn to magical realism and stories of grief and reconnection.
  • Readers who enjoy fiction set on a small island off the Maine coast.

Themes

Marine life and mysteryGrief and remembranceHuman connectionReconnection with the past

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

In this "uniquely enchanting debut" (Entertainment Weekly) a marine biologist makes the discovery of a lifetime when called to rescue the inhabitants of a small Maine island facing down a giant, glowing jellyfish.

As featured in People ∙ Entertainment Weekly ∙ NPR ∙ Marie Claire ∙ Katie Couric Media ∙ and more!

Dr. Jo Ness prefers jellyfish to people. Her best friend, Aldo, was the exception, but he died seven months ago. So she spends her days hidden away at an underfunded aquarium with her specimens and a draft of the jellyfish guide she and Aldo had been working on together. His voice is alive in the notes in the margins, and it's enough. Almost.

Until she receives a call from Nadia, one of the few other humans she's loved but whom she hasn't heard from in years, asking for her help. Nadia tells her a grand tale of a giant jellyfish terrorizing her tiny island off the coast of Maine and sends a grainy video of the creature. Frankly, the footage looks fake, but Jo drops everything to fly across the country to see Nadia again, and to find this supposed sea beast. She couldn't save Aldo, but perhaps she can help Nadia.

But when Jo arrives on Shattering Point, Nadia is nowhere to be found, and the islanders she meets each have something different to say about the creature they've dubbed Clementine . . . a jellyfish who changes all who see it.

At turns an ode to classic sea monster stories and a vibrant tale of human connection, The Jellyfish Problem is an unforgettable debut that announces a new talent.
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