Scan barcode
siobhanward's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I love octopuses (octopi?) and truly have a soft spot for anyone else who loves them too. Maybe that means I was extra empathetic with Ro, who could have been an unlikable character but mostly just felt real. I've said it in reviews before, but no one tells you how weird your 20s are and how easy it is to feel super lost in them and Chung did a great job of capturing this while still moving Ro's story along.
The one real critique I had of this book is that I feel like too many things weren't explained. I wish we'd learned more about the world she lived in, since it's a futuristic/alternate version of our own and I wish Chung had explained more about how we got there. It also felt like it wrapped up super fast, and I was shocked when I turned the page and suddenly the book was over. I get why Chung ended it the way that she did, but if you're someone who needs a clear resolution to enjoy a book, this one might not be for you. Absolutely looking forward to reading more from Chung in the future!
The one real critique I had of this book is that I feel like too many things weren't explained. I wish we'd learned more about the world she lived in, since it's a futuristic/alternate version of our own and I wish Chung had explained more about how we got there. It also felt like it wrapped up super fast, and I was shocked when I turned the page and suddenly the book was over. I get why Chung ended it the way that she did, but if you're someone who needs a clear resolution to enjoy a book, this one might not be for you. Absolutely looking forward to reading more from Chung in the future!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Mental illness
lunabbly's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I don't think I have ever cried so much and so hard reading a book? Maybe it is because all that is going on in the world and also what 2023 was for me. This book I feel like encapsulated a lot of 2023 feelings -- the loneliness, drowning, self isolation, self deprecation, the feeling like this is all we'll ever amount to, all our life could be because we're stuck and because we've been stuck, we've gotten overly comfortable with disappointment and failure.
Ro is dealing with the grief of losing her father to the sea, something he loved so much he would leave their family for months, even a year, to explore the Bering Vortex. At first when I was reading this, I thought that her father had left the family for Laura, whom Ro finds a photo between Laura (this red haired woman) and her father during a research trip at sea. But we later learn that there was a grieving process her mother experienced alone. And that many people had called to express their condolences. Ro is left to grieve and process alone as well. This creates another lost relationship to grieve as it creates a sullen, sad, and empty silence between her and her mom. Chung wrote, "
It's not until Ro realizes that she has been listening to static of spam callers that the truth settles into her turbulent spiral. She knows her dad is gone and probably dead. She knows she will never see him, speak with him, hear his jubilant greeting when he comes home in the evening ever again. It's that realization that cracks open an opportunity to continue on, rather than drink her way into sleep, she can rest. She can clean. She can move out of an apartment filled with memories of Tae, of experiencing romantic love with someone who left her for space (much like her father would leave the family for sea). The end is both sweet and hopeful. And that brought tears of joy after I was sobbing grief.
The cataclysmic characters and plot lines spill into each other -- making it an emotional wreck to read. One moment we're reading about how she met and fell in love with Tae, and then the next we're reading about how smart octopuses are and how special Dolores is to her, how she relates to deeply to this trapped, beautiful, smart octopus. And in the next chapter, Chung will start us out with a flashback to when Ro's parents met in Korea and how they came to love one another. These moments of endearment are full of love and nostalgia. It was emotional for me to read.
I found it difficult to put down because it was beautifully captured. Thank you Gina Chung.
It's not until Ro realizes that she has been listening to static of spam callers that the truth settles into her turbulent spiral. She knows her dad is gone and probably dead. She knows she will never see him, speak with him, hear his jubilant greeting when he comes home in the evening ever again. It's that realization that cracks open an opportunity to continue on, rather than drink her way into sleep, she can rest. She can clean. She can move out of an apartment filled with memories of Tae, of experiencing romantic love with someone who left her for space (much like her father would leave the family for sea). The end is both sweet and hopeful. And that brought tears of joy after I was sobbing grief.
The cataclysmic characters and plot lines spill into each other -- making it an emotional wreck to read. One moment we're reading about how she met and fell in love with Tae, and then the next we're reading about how smart octopuses are and how special Dolores is to her, how she relates to deeply to this trapped, beautiful, smart octopus. And in the next chapter, Chung will start us out with a flashback to when Ro's parents met in Korea and how they came to love one another. These moments of endearment are full of love and nostalgia. It was emotional for me to read.
I found it difficult to put down because it was beautifully captured. Thank you Gina Chung.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death of parent, and Addiction
grahammoore's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Alcoholism
Minor: Child abuse
stories_and_sweaters's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I really liked this and I don't know how to describe it.
What I liked:
- this is coming of age for an adult!!
- discussions of friendships, dealing with a breakup, being the child of immigrants, and strained relationship with a parent.
- the glimpse of what the world might look like in the near future due to climate change
- this was kind of slow read and the MC was flawed, but I really liked it and I feel like I'm not doing a good job at explaining why lol
What to know:
- I think this is more of a literary/ contemporary book set in the near future. Maybe because of the octopus on the cover I thought this was going to be super sci-fi-y but I don't think it actually is (which turned out fine for me)
- Dolores the octopus doesn't have THAAAAT much page time
-This story is not told in a linear fashion. There are lots of memories and reflections of the past.
What I liked:
- this is coming of age for an adult!!
- discussions of friendships, dealing with a breakup, being the child of immigrants, and strained relationship with a parent.
- the glimpse of what the world might look like in the near future due to climate change
- this was kind of slow read and the MC was flawed, but I really liked it and I feel like I'm not doing a good job at explaining why lol
What to know:
- I think this is more of a literary/ contemporary book set in the near future. Maybe because of the octopus on the cover I thought this was going to be super sci-fi-y but I don't think it actually is (which turned out fine for me)
- Dolores the octopus doesn't have THAAAAT much page time
-This story is not told in a linear fashion. There are lots of memories and reflections of the past.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Alcoholism
abbylw's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism
birdafterdark's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death of parent, Miscarriage, and Alcohol
Minor: Infidelity and Domestic abuse
raptorq's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Miscarriage
lindalu's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcoholism, Miscarriage, and Mental illness
Apa: everything is beautiful when seen in its natural elementchris_reads's review against another edition
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Abandonment, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Dysphoria, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, and Miscarriage
Minor: Vomit, Sexual assault, Blood, Drug use, and Racism
kappafrog's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The writing was beautiful. I was really drawn in by the style. Chung pulls beauty out of everyday moments. I liked the aquarium and Dolores. I thought Dolores would play a bigger role, especially since the book was advertised as sci-fi and fantasy. The sci-fi elements are incredibly muted which was a little disappointing.
By the end of the book I liked all the characters more than I did during most of the book. Very little actually happens in this novel. I'd been imagining some sort of adventure centred around stopping Dolores from leaving the aquarium, but it wasn't that kind of book at all. I'd also been hoping for a sci-fi mystery about Ro's father. This book is a character study of a woman accustomed to loss who learns to find hope again. It's slow but beautifully written. I just wish a little more happened in it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death of parent, Grief, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, and Vomit
Moderate: Abandonment, Addiction, Pregnancy, and Medical content
Minor: Cursing, Misogyny, Racism, and Car accident