The Jellyfish Problem

by Tessa Yang

A marine biologist makes the discovery of a lifetime when called to rescue the inhabitants of a small Maine island being menaced by a giant, glowing jellyfish in this richly imagined, wholly original debut.

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.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Animals, Fantasy, Mystery, Literary Fiction, Adult

384 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication June 2, 2026

About the author

Tessa Yang is a reader, writer, and shark enthusiast from New York State. She received her MFA from Indiana University where she served as the Editor of Indiana Review.

Her debut story collection, The Runaway Restaurant, was published by 7.13 Books in 2022. Her debut novel, The Jellyfish Problem, will be published by Berkley in 2026. Tessa's stories have appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, The Cincinnati Review, Foglifter, and elsewhere, while her flash fiction has been featured in Best Small Fictions, Flash Fiction America, and Wigleaf's Top 50 Very Short Fictions.

For irregular musings on writing or to learn more about Tessa's work:

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Reviews

[Tiffany]

After I heard the comparison of this to "remarkably bright creatures," I had to get my hands on a copy.

So many thanks to Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley for sending me this ARC. I AM SO EXCITED TO READ THIS ONE.

"A marine biologist makes the discovery of a lifetime when called to rescue the inhabitants of a small Maine island being menaced by a giant, glowing jellyfish."

Pub Date Jun 02 2026

As always, all thoughts are my own! ✨🖤

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this eARC.

3.5 🌟

Tessa Yang’s novel is a beautiful dive into grief, connection, and the mysteries of the natural world. The story follows Dr. Jo Ness, a lonely jellyfish scientist, who is drawn to an isolated island by a glitchy video of a massive, mystical jellyfish sent by an old college friend she hasn’t spoken to in over a decade. After the death of her longtime friend and peer, Jo is just going through the motions, carrying guilt and unresolved grief. When her friend Nadia asks for her help with a jellyfish problem, Jo jumps at the chance to reconnect, but once she arrives, Nadia is nowhere to be found, and everyone in town acts odd and all over the place around her. It isn’t until she encounters the jellyfish, Clementine, that everything shifts, revealing that appearances are not always what they seem.

What I appreciated most was how the novel explored life, connection, and the emotional pulls that make us human. I really connected with the grief aspect of losing a close friend. While my experiences are not the same, I saw myself in Jo’s self-sabotaging behavior and the guilt she carried. I also loved the scientific elements. Coming from a biology background, it was a fun blast from the past, and the marine biology details, especially the subtle digs at sea turtles and sharks, were delightful. Yang’s perspective on jellyfish resonated deeply, and I found it fascinating to see her approach from a marine biologist’s lens, a viewpoint I haven’t encountered in fiction before.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a gripping man versus nature story with emotional depth. Tessa Yang elevates the genre to something wholly unique, full of surprises and unpredictability. Beyond the adventure, the story touches on universal human experiences, grief, guilt, and connection, and emphasizes inclusivity in subtle but meaningful ways. It is a thoughtful, immersive read that lingers long after the last page.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Jellyfish Problem is a fresh, imaginative take on sea-monster stories with heart. There is mystery, quirky characters, and real emotion as marine biologist Jo investigates the strange case of a giant glowing jellyfish. The writing is vivid and thoughtful, and the mix of humor, grief, and connection kept me hooked from start to finish. Highly recommend if you’re into something original and surprisingly moving!
Thanks to NetGallery for providing me with an ARC to review!

[Mariah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dive into the poetics of the ocean and the majestic royalty that lives below. One of the scariest things in our universe is the ocean due to its vastness and largely unexplored masses. So, how do we know if monstrous jellyfish are not already lurking on our coasts? We simply must hope! Or maybe the marine biologist in you may be enticed by this possibility. We always speculate on the unknown because it is up to our imagination to truly understand the concept of what may exist in the ocean. Jellyfish are beautiful creatures that are often overlooked – like the way society overlooks the many beauties around us and fears it instead.
The queerness of all is inclusive and really creates a narrative that is for everyone. More horror that flows so naturally to remind you that we exist as real people too. And then there is Clementine - who will challenge your perspective – so take a swim for this one. Maine was the perfect setting because think of all the unexplored ocean there. If you have ever been to Maine for even a vacation it will make sense. This is also a story about how we isolate ourselves in moments of grief and take any excuse to find ourselves through this isolation.
This is a horror that is exploring the human psyche through narrative. Exploring the why behind our motives. Grief can be both motivating and debilitating. What does Clementine metaphorize? These are the type of questions that Tess Yang so delicately weaves into her writing. I devoured this narrative in a day nearly wishing for more. There is so much to learn about the ways of the jellyfish that translate to a nuanced horror. Horror is inherently a nuanced genre that if you are here – you have learned to appreciate the taste for.
Finally, this is a discovery narrative. We are looking for the living in everything we digest. So why not look deeper into the mysteries of the jellyfish? What does Aldo leave behind that truly show us the desires of the human condition versus the motivations of the sea. There is so much to unravel as the mysteries of the deep become clearer as they surface. It is the surface that truly throws a tidal wave of insecurities our way. Thank you Tess Yang, Netgalley ,and Berkley Publishing Group for this advanced digital copy. All opinions are my own.

Read more reviews, impressions, and tarot readings at my blog, https://brujerialibrary.wordpress.com/

[Becca · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was so excited to read this as I had just finished Remarkably Bright Creatures and read that the vibes of this were similar. Whoever said that was WRONG. The only comparison to be made here was that each book had an invertebrate oceanic animal.

I love ocean creatures especially jellies so I was pumped to read this. It started off great, was really getting into it. But then it got weird, and then it got far fetched, and then there was some weird fantasy and folklore element that didn’t really work here. I loved the concept of the unidentified jellyfish causing havoc on this island and the scientists have to figure out a way to stop it. However, without spoiling the book, the reasons and the way it was terrorizing the town, wasn’t what you expected.

None of the characters were that memorable. They were just boring and not very likeable. Ultimately, I felt like nothing really happened throughout the book. I didn’t really understand why Roger was the chosen one (vague to prevent spoilers). I think Nadia would have been a better choice and would have brought the overall drama and emotion of the book up a level. I found there was more brainstorming than actual presentation of the plot. So many ideas that just didn’t get portrayed well enough.

I did enjoy the little blurbs at the beginning of each chapter. They were little snippets of the book Jo and Aldo were working on together. However, it wasn’t clear that’s what it was and the little text communication between them referring to their book thoughts. The formatting was bizarre there and needs some differentiation for the final copy. It wasn’t very clear that it was a text thread. I changed all my kindle settings trying to fix it until a third of the way in, when I clued in. I think the cover is very pretty and one of the reasons I was drawn to reading.

I was pretty disappointed in this book and really had to force myself to finish it as I had an ARC. It’s alright if you’re looking for a book with minimal stimulation. But I found it quite boring.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group for this gifted ARC!

This was such a unique and interesting book. I absolutely loved the plot, the mystery, the little touches of romance we got were really sweet as well. It was just overall an amazing and captivating time. This was more than a book on a giant mysterious jellyfish, it was about loss and grief and community. It was amazing, and I loved the New England backdrop. I'm from Maine/New Hampshire and this was just really nice to read of some familiar places.

Jo is a fantastic main character, and I related to her quite a bit. She's a bit awkward in intimate situations, she doubts herself somewhat when she is dealing with people and she prefers creatures to people most of the time. She is dealing with the loss of a very important person in her life and she blames herself for his death. This book is really heavy on dealing with grief and trying to find some closure. I felt for her so much, I understand grief and it's heaviness and what it takes to get through some tough days of dealing with it and this demonstrates it really well.

The jellyfish aspects of the book were phenomenal. It honestly makes me want to do a ton of deep dive research on jellyfish and learn even more about them. Each chapter beginning has jellyfish facts and it was so cool. I was not only excited to read to continue the plot, but also excited to continue to get to more jellyfish information. It was so incredibly cool.

If you enjoy a story on dealing with grief and loss and how important community can be, definitely give this a read. Bonus if you're into learning about sea life, that aspect was just really fun and exciting to read. This comes out June 2nd!

*This ARC was given by Berkley Publishing Group through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a different book. It seemed to be realistic fiction and as you got deeper into the story you realized there was a huge fantasy component to it. Jo Ness is a marine biologist specializing in jellyfish. She is not a social person. She has worked for years for a small aquarium that is basically a dead-end job, but it allows her to research and write a tome on jellyfish. She also lost her best friend Aldo a number of months ago (in a scuba accident she feels responsible for) and now she is surviving and going through the motions of life. Out of the blue she is called by Nadia, one of her few friends who unfortunately dropped out of her life ten years previously. Jo is immediately drawn in as she has mourned the loss of Nadia all these years.
Nadia has had many jobs, but she now lives on Shattering Point, a small island off the coast of Maine. She sends Jo a picture of a huge jellyfish and wants her help and expertise. Jo drops everything (which is not difficult as she has felt she has no life anyway) and travels to Maine. Once she gets to Shattering Point, she finds out that Nadia is not there. There is so much going on that Jo is not aware of and it turns out that is a bad thing, and it gets worse.
In some ways this was a hard book to get into. It takes a while for the story of Jo and Aldo to come out and what is happening on Shattering Point adds to the confusion. I would give it 3 stars except the book did pull you in and I enjoyed the ending.

[Melissa Chapman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book feels hard to rate. Jo is an autistic coded FMC, who turned her obsession with jellyfish into a career. I loved that she found a job she was happy in that allowed her the freedom to study and research jellyfish.
This is a story about grief, acceptance and moving on as much as it is about a mystery jellyfish trapping an island.
Jo learning how to deal with the recent loss of her best friend, and facing the reality that her former best friend in college never felt what she did is hard for her.
The story gets pretty mystical and magical - and while I do love the bits with Aldo's ghost (and the back and forth comments on the paper that are writing), the connection to the jellyfiah and effects it had were eyebrow raising and a little baffling.
It's definitely got a slow and steady feel to the writing, and while I liked Jo and Tony, I found the rest of the Islanders a little flat as Jo herself never allowed much of a connection. Even Margo who I loved, didn't contain much substance as Jo was always rushing away from her.

Overall I liked the story, and it was a very different kind of book. There is a lot of mystery surrounding the Jellyfish and the island, and while there is no animal voice, there is a deep connection between the creature and the humans.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

[Andi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. THE JELLYFISH PROBLEM follows Jo, a jellyfish expert who travels to a remote island off the coast of Maine to research a jellyfish the size of a sea monster at the request of an old friend from college, Nadia. The story then takes a turn when Nadia disappears shortly before Jo’s arrival, and the townspeople won’t share what they know about this jellyfish.

Throughout the story are many undercurrents. Jo is anguished over the unexpected loss of her best friend and writing partner, Aldo. Jo also struggles with the inability to connect with others.

THE JELLYFISH PROBLEM has an underlying LGBT theme. Jo had a brief fling with Nadia, one of the key drivers for her dropping everything to visit the island where Nadia resides. She’s also attracted to Tony (interestingly, not spelled Toni), the niece of the B&B owner where Jo is staying.

Overall, I enjoyed the story, especially the cleverness of the ending.

🌟Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.🌟

[Gem · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book would be a great read for anyone who wants to stray beyond standard adult fiction but isn't quite ready to dive into a full fantasy or sci-fi book. Can we call this modern fantasy lite? I do love a good fantastical element, especially when believed by a whole community. It's so much more fun when you have a real problem to solve, rather than have "convincing people that something is real" as the main crux of your story.

I didn't connect very well with the characters. Some of them felt flat or unnecessary. That said, I liked the main character and how her friendship with Aldo was slowly revealed. The exploration of grief and identity and relationships would be appealing to adult fiction readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the advanced reader's copy.

[Adrienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley for an honest review.
I absolutely loved this book, I devoured it over three days. I love Jo, and her love for jellyfishes. This book wasn't what I expected, it was so much more. This book was full of found family, reconnecting, recognizing friendship and love, and a bit of intrigue too. Clementine, the jellyfish, was a great character too. I loved how Jo and the others on the island fared with having this massive jellyfish to them, and the mystery surrounding Clementine's presence and more. It was an absolutely beautiful book. It took me about 25% of the book to realize what the first part of each chapter was (a snippet from the book Jo was writing on jellyfishes) - but once I did it was a unique added addition. Anyhow this book was lovely, I really enjoyed it!

[Ginger Sewell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a beautiful and mysterious story! I did not want to put this one down! Each chapter began with a short excerpt from the main characters book on jellyfish and I thought that was so clever.

Jo Ness receives a call from a long ago friend who wants Jo to come and check out the jellyfish problem they are having on the tiny island she is living on, but when Jo arrives, Nadia is nowhere to be found and she starts to worry that something bad has happened to her. The story turns into yet another problem when Jo finally learns the real reason she’s been called to the island. Will she solve the jellyfish problem and save the people?

This was so clever and I just loved how much this story reminded me of Remarkably Bright Creatures. I will be reading Tessa Yang again!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing Group for this advanced ecopy in exchange for my honest review.

[Aly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sincere thank you to Netgalley for this ARC!

This is one of the best books that I've read in a long time. It is very clear that the author spent an exorbitant amount of time researching jellyfish, Marine biology, and ocean sciences in general.

The book was intelligently written, there were hints of Mystery and Thriller, and it wraps up very nicely at the end. The author believes in the intelligence and capabilities of her readers and does an excellent job of "show and don't tell".

Its exploration of the power of grief, and the process of healing from loss, was incredibly touching. I teared up more than once.

Though this is not the kind of book I would normally pick up, I will highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys quality writing and an emotional story. The mystery kept me turning pages until the very end.

I look forward to reading other works by Tessa Yang.

[Dawson Sprinkle · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars because 3 felt too harsh.

I'll keep this short and sweet. If you are into books that feature scientists using their knowledge in a race against the clock for survival, this book will do it for you. If you enjoy books that are full of a sense of discovery and awe, this is the one for you. Finally, if you enjoy your books most when characters are forced to unpack their grief via the main events of the story, then this is the one for you.

The Jellyfish Problem is very fun, it mixes magical realism really well with lit fic pretty well, with some genuine horror moments strewn throughout. Genuinely, there were a few moments in this book that were bone chilling. I'm not sure if that was the express intention but that is absolutely how it came across to me.

[Daniela · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you are picking this book up because of the comparisons to Remarkable Bright Creatures, do not. Insofar as it features a soft-bodied marine invertebrate, they are comparable. However, if you’re expecting the heart and connection with the characters that the comparison evokes, you will be exceedingly disappointed.

Personally, I do not enjoy passive books where nothing happens, unless the characters are extremely strong. Consequently, I did not enjoy this book, although I forced myself to finish it out of respect for the opportunity to have been given an ARC. I wish it weren’t the case because it did sound very intriguing to me. I think the marketing simply oversold the actual product.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

My experience reading this one: I texted a friend 25% in, “I think this is one you might like.” Then about halfway through, the text became, “This may have taken a turn that I am NOT into… I’ll keep you posted.” And…. I haven’t updated her yet because I’m still a little unsure. It definitely didn’t go fully off the rails like I was scared it might. Part of me loved it. Part of me was like, no this is too far-fetched. It’s definitely kept me thinking about it! (As a caution: I don’t really think the comparisons to Remarkably Bright Creatures are warranted).

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dang. This book was fascinating. It was part character growth (and dealing with grief) part fantasy/magical realism. I never knew that I would learn so much about jellyfish. I don't know if I was supposed to love Shattering but I certainly did. I might even risk Clementine's connection just to be able to enjoy that island.
Editor note: Because this was an ARC, there were some formatting issues especially around the notes from Aldo/Jo at the beginning of each chapter. It actually took me a while to even understand what those were due to the editing issues.

[tia · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I have a few issues with this book, ultimately, I did enjoy it. It wasn’t anything like my normal reads but all things considered, this was an interesting read. The take on jellyfish with just enough fantasy. The grief that was woven into the story and the story with the yokai. I’d be interested for a second book, with clementine’s return

Left feedback for Berkeley for the formatting and Nadia’s last name… hopefully it’s fixed

[Beverly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Magical realism gone wrong....the concept of a "monstrous" jellyfish possibly terrorizing a remote island had the potential to be an engaging "horror" read. I DID finish but forced myself to. I found the main characters were not likable. TY NetGalley for the arc.

[Jeremy Garber · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was provided an advanced readers' copy of this novel by NetGalley, and I think they did the book a disservice. The promotional materials promised a book for those who enjoyed Remarkably Bright Creatures (which I did) - but that novel isn't this novel very much at all. (Apart from dealing with sea creatures, that is). I would describe The Jellyfish Problem as a sort of grim magical realism. Josephine Ness is a marine biologist stifling in her underfunded aquarium and grinding for the third year through a book she was co-authoring with her dead mentor and friend. A college friend calls her unexpectedly with an invitation to investigate a new and startling kind of jellyfish. Josephine arrives - only to find out that the jellyfish is not only unique but powerful and potentially deadly.

Yang blends a tale of personal academic growth with Japanese folklore, blurring the lines between scientific inquiry and a touch of subtle, growing horror. As she investigates the jellyfish and the small group of people on the northeastern island that harbor it, Josephine must deal with her ancestors, her former lovers, her ailing career, and her own sense of self. An eminently appropriate beach read - but don't expect to be cozy while you're figuring out what's going on.