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, 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

[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.

[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/

[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.

[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.