Carol R

Much of the fascination of this book lies in its wealth of scientific information about jellyfish and diving; I knew little about either. But at its heart is the mystery of Clementine--how she lives, how she connect with humans, how she influences the environment. The characters who examine, study, and interact with Clementine are varied and well realized. A tension exists between those who want to destroy Clementine and those who want a more measured approach. Luckily, scientific deliberation wins out in the end. The characters themselves struggle with grief and loss as well as having to face a "sea monster." The monster turns out to be an entity that changes them all.

The characters in the mystery are interesting and quirky; I enjoyed "meeting" them. The mystery was clever enough, but the book's draw lies in the personalities the author created. The British slang was sometimes hard to "get," but I enjoyed the read.

I read this book in its entirety, but never really enjoyed or liked it much. The facts of Monroe's life were accurate, and I appreciate the author's interpretation of her inner life. The research into both Monroe's and Arnold's lives is compelling. I knew little or nothing about Eve Arnold and do find the book engaged my interest in this successful and powerful woman. The focus on Monroe and Arnold's friendship was interesting, but both women seemed to use the other in a way I found repellent. I grasped their similar struggles with patriarchal attitudes and structures, but I just didn't like them very much. Arnold's character seemed almost whiny, and I felt both characters viewed themselves as someone special--deserving of different treatment than the rest of women of their time. I wonder if their IRL personalities might have been less narcissistic and more empathetic.