The Jellyfish Problem
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3 Months Free
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Offer ends on 15 July 2026 at 11:59 BST.
The Jellyfish Problem
Narrated by:
Erin Lin
Buy Now for £14.69
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Narrated by:
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Erin Lin
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By:
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Tessa Yang
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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Critic reviews
“Tessa Yang’s The Jellyfish Problem is an utterly original debut. It’s a gripping sea monster mystery, yet beneath the surface lies not only a terrifying jellyfish but a meditation on grief, community, and friendship.”—Carley Fortune, #1 New York Times bestselling author of One Golden Summer
"I thoroughly enjoyed this inventive tale, with an intriguing mystery swimming just below the surface and a cast of quirky, relatable characters forced to confront the unknown."—Nikki Erlick, New York Times bestselling author of The Measure and The Poppy Fields
“A uniquely quirky, fascinating, and heart-warming ode to sea monsters, science, and the frontiers that are still beyond our understanding. This book is marvelous!”—Eve J. Chung, USA Today bestselling author of Daughters of Shandong
“Tessa Yang’s prose is like a friend in your ear: laugh out loud funny one minute and deeply vulnerable the next. Her debut novel, The Jellyfish Problem, deftly combines elements of sea creature horror, romance, and island mystery into a moving story about lost friendship and a love of the ocean. You will drink this right down and want another.”—Yume Kitasei, author of Saltcrop
“Yang’s crystalline prose captures the characters’ fear and yearning. It’s a well-crafted literary monster tale.”—Publishers Weekly
"Using sharp prose and beautifully developed characters, Yang gives readers a novel about new discoveries, love, and loss, with a little bit of mystery mixed in."—Booklist
“With a varied cast of characters, the novel captivates from start to finish and provides a sense of solace as the events unfold. The finale is perfection, sure to leave readers feeling satiated and impassioned, with sticking power that lasts long after the book’s close."—Library Journal (starred review)
“[Yang] seamlessly blends detailed marine science and magical realism—all with welcome doses of well-timed humor—interweaving relationship drama, love (and hate) story, mother/daughter confrontations, corporate labyrinths, and a few pokes at the publishing industry. Glowing at the novel's core is the universal need for finding community.”—Shelf Awareness
"I thoroughly enjoyed this inventive tale, with an intriguing mystery swimming just below the surface and a cast of quirky, relatable characters forced to confront the unknown."—Nikki Erlick, New York Times bestselling author of The Measure and The Poppy Fields
“A uniquely quirky, fascinating, and heart-warming ode to sea monsters, science, and the frontiers that are still beyond our understanding. This book is marvelous!”—Eve J. Chung, USA Today bestselling author of Daughters of Shandong
“Tessa Yang’s prose is like a friend in your ear: laugh out loud funny one minute and deeply vulnerable the next. Her debut novel, The Jellyfish Problem, deftly combines elements of sea creature horror, romance, and island mystery into a moving story about lost friendship and a love of the ocean. You will drink this right down and want another.”—Yume Kitasei, author of Saltcrop
“Yang’s crystalline prose captures the characters’ fear and yearning. It’s a well-crafted literary monster tale.”—Publishers Weekly
"Using sharp prose and beautifully developed characters, Yang gives readers a novel about new discoveries, love, and loss, with a little bit of mystery mixed in."—Booklist
“With a varied cast of characters, the novel captivates from start to finish and provides a sense of solace as the events unfold. The finale is perfection, sure to leave readers feeling satiated and impassioned, with sticking power that lasts long after the book’s close."—Library Journal (starred review)
“[Yang] seamlessly blends detailed marine science and magical realism—all with welcome doses of well-timed humor—interweaving relationship drama, love (and hate) story, mother/daughter confrontations, corporate labyrinths, and a few pokes at the publishing industry. Glowing at the novel's core is the universal need for finding community.”—Shelf Awareness
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