Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
Don't be fooled by the book title or the cover.
The first "Read with Jenna" pick for 2025 - it can only go up from here.
The first "Read with Jenna" pick for 2025 - it can only go up from here.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is entertaining enough and has some lovely moments, but it isn’t one that I’ll recommend broadly. I didn’t know anything about it before reading, so I was somewhat surprised to find no octopuses whatsoever. Instead, it’s a bit of a meandering coming of age set in beautiful Scottish university, countryside, and London settings. There’s a variety of well developed characters and generous omniscient narration, but the plot sort of wonders as one’s own life journey might.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Picked it up on a whim, enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Didn't love the random POV switches- not against the idea, but felt it could have been employed a little more stylistically.
A quick, fun read. Good for vacation, and good for getting me out of my fiction slump.
Side bar: Really hard to relate to how wealthy everyone was hahaha. I live in Toronto, so reading about our Canadian heroes, I was like "Yeah. I don't run in the same circles as them." Imagine.... horse back riding lessons as a kid... that didn't affect my rating or experience, just kept popping up in my mind as I read.
Not a book that'll stay with me, but if someone asked if they should read it, I'd say it's worth a shot. A little superficial on its themes and messages, think there was a lot more depth to explore.
A quick, fun read. Good for vacation, and good for getting me out of my fiction slump.
Side bar: Really hard to relate to how wealthy everyone was hahaha. I live in Toronto, so reading about our Canadian heroes, I was like "Yeah. I don't run in the same circles as them." Imagine.... horse back riding lessons as a kid... that didn't affect my rating or experience, just kept popping up in my mind as I read.
Not a book that'll stay with me, but if someone asked if they should read it, I'd say it's worth a shot. A little superficial on its themes and messages, think there was a lot more depth to explore.
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Enjoyed this quick read. A coming of age and coming into her own story for Pen, the main character, in her first-year at Uni. If you like “the sex lives of college girls” this book is for you.
emotional
funny
mysterious
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:
Complicated
1.75 had nothing to do with octopi. extra .75 is for that reveal/plot twist because i lowkey did not see it coming
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I had to set this book aside for a month. That’s how insufferable and shallow the characters are. This may be in part because I’m not the target audience, but generally that’s not an issue for me. There’s not one character whom I’d want to spend time with. The only redeeming feature of the book is the themes the writer addresses: sexual abuse, family relationships, finding one’s place in family and in society. Other books address these issues better.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault