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yvo_about_books's review against another edition
emotional
funny
sad
slow-paced
3.25
Finished reading: March 28th 2024
“If you spend your entire life trying to cheat death, there's no time left over to embrace life.”
I love books with animals playing an important role in the plot, so I'm still not sure how Lily And The Octopus has escaped my radar for this long. I loved the sound of the bond between main character Ted and his elderly dog Lily, and I even added it to my list of 2024 priorities in the hope I would read it sooner than later. It still took me longer than expected to actually pick it up, but what I didn't expect either was that I was going to end up having mixed thoughts instead. Things started out on a high note and initially I was loving the unique and whimsical writing style where the dog Lily has her own voice and the main character has active conversations with her. It had all the signs of becoming a high rating, but I have to say that this same uniqueness started to grate after a while. I mean, don't people around Ted see that he is completely delusional? Still, I was intrigued and entertained enough to keep reading, up until that ridiculous and overlong boat scene. This is exactly where the story lost me, and the pace was getting slower and slower even before that. That said, there were some nice deeper messages and definitely prepare to have some tissues at hand just in case. Lily And The Octopus had a fantastic start and I enjoyed the ending and message, but it was the middle where everything just became too muddled and over the top for me. I was enjoying the magical realism, but that part just took things WAY too far for me and completely ruined the reading experience (especially since it didn't even make sense). Anyhow, I can't deny that it is a story you won't forget any time soon either way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Drug use, Vomit, Animal death, Terminal illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Grief, Infidelity, Medical content, and Mental illness
vanesst's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Grief, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Alcohol, Infidelity, Vomit, Cursing, Dementia, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Racism
marinapaso11's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I would’ve given it 5 stars if it wasn’t for the tiny mention of the stereotypical Inuit
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Grief, Terminal illness, and Death
Moderate: Alcohol and Mental illness
Minor: Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Infidelity, and Dementia
thebakerbookworm's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
You can probably guess where this story ends up, and if you’ve ever loved a pet, tears are a guarantee, but the journey to get there was truly unique. It’s fairly obvious what the octopus actually is, but this book uses a fantastical story to show how Ted grapples with a reality that he doesn’t want to accept. His growth throughout was real and felt earned because you as the reader also don’t want to accept this reality—I wanted Ted to find a way to defeat the octopus just as much as he did.
Ted and Lily are both charming and quirky characters (Lily does have a voice here that, of course, only Ted can hear), and short chapters keep the book moving even though there’s not really a ton of plot.
This book *will* make you immediately want to cuddle your dog and hold them tight, and if you don’t have a dog, it’ll make you want to get one so you can experience all the lessons that dogs teach us. Don’t read this book until you’re ready for those emotions!
Read if you like: magical realism, books that explore grief, talking animals, Moby-Dick.
Ted and Lily are both charming and quirky characters (Lily does have a voice here that, of course, only Ted can hear), and short chapters keep the book moving even though there’s not really a ton of plot.
This book *will* make you immediately want to cuddle your dog and hold them tight, and if you don’t have a dog, it’ll make you want to get one so you can experience all the lessons that dogs teach us. Don’t read this book until you’re ready for those emotions!
Read if you like: magical realism, books that explore grief, talking animals, Moby-Dick.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Medical content, and Grief
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