The Jellyfish Problem

A scientist grapples with the discovery of a mysterious sea creature and its impact on a small island in Yang’s assured debut. Marine biologist Jo Ness receives a call from Nadia, her best friend and unrequited crush in college, after 11 years of silence. Nadia implores Jo to come to the tiny island off Maine where she lives, to examine an unusually large jellyfish. When Jo arrives, she’s greeted with hostility from the locals, who warn her about the dangerous jellyfish, a giant glowing creature they nicknamed Clementine. Meanwhile, Nadia’s husband, Roger, reports that she’s gone missing. Determined to find Clementine, who appears every full moon, Jo panics when she spots both the animal and what seems to be the dive-suited ghost of her former diving partner Aldo. Jo attempts to leave the island, only to discover the real reason why Clementine is such a threat. Racing against the next full moon, Jo struggles to save the islanders from danger while navigating her jealousy toward Roger, recurrent sightings of Aldo, mixed signals from the host at her bed-and-breakfast, and other complications. Yang’s crystalline prose captures the characters’ fear and yearning. It’s a well-crafted literary monster tale. Agent: Sarah Burnes, Gernert Co. (June)