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emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a beautifully written story that centers human relationships, as well as our relationship with the ocean and its creatures. The characters were well-developed and interesting, and I care about all of them at least a little. However, I found the “magic octopus” parts of it to be off putting and detract from the book overall. I found myself being drawn out of the story by Marcellus’ POV chapters, having a difficult time suspending my disbelief. But the rest of the story makes up for it. I’ll be thinking about this one for a while.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death
Moderate: Addiction, Cancer
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A light read that follows many characters who come together and engage with each other. We have an octopus, an elderly woman, and a young man who come together be connected and develop a relationship. It was a little predictable and took time to get to the end, but definitely worth the read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Grief
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
CW: death of a spouse, death of a child, cancer, addiction, parental abandonment, grief
🌟 Contemporary fiction
🌟 Definite tearjerker
I don't even know where to start with my feelings on this book.
I love octopuses (do not correct me, it is NOT octopi, I will 100% fight you 🤣), so I HAD to read it. Knowing how intelligent and sophisticated a creature they are, Marcellus' story isn't even far fetched.
The characters in this book stole my heart and refused to give it up. It's rare I come across novels with 70+yo characters so Tova was a delightful surprise. She reminds me so much of older women I've known in my life. Her losses in life were so plentiful, but she truly thrived in life despite of the cards she was dealt.
Cameron had the potential to be a serious PITA, but I understood his character and who he was the more I read. Maybe it was my own experience having an absent parent that made me connect with him in a less angrier way than some other readers.
Marcellus, my precious angel, was the star of the show. Sometimes humanising animals in a novel seems forced and becomes tiresome, but something about Marcellus' character and how he is just made sense, it felt right.
I cried so many tears at so many points reading this book and it just warmed my cold jaded heart at every turn. Even with the anxiety that wove through me during the "sliding doors" moments.
This book was a heartwarming journey of serendipity and cephalopod meddling.
Absolutely wonderful, and a book I am 100% likely to reread in the future.
🌟 Contemporary fiction
🌟 Definite tearjerker
I don't even know where to start with my feelings on this book.
I love octopuses (do not correct me, it is NOT octopi, I will 100% fight you 🤣), so I HAD to read it. Knowing how intelligent and sophisticated a creature they are, Marcellus' story isn't even far fetched.
The characters in this book stole my heart and refused to give it up. It's rare I come across novels with 70+yo characters so Tova was a delightful surprise. She reminds me so much of older women I've known in my life. Her losses in life were so plentiful, but she truly thrived in life despite of the cards she was dealt.
Cameron had the potential to be a serious PITA, but I understood his character and who he was the more I read. Maybe it was my own experience having an absent parent that made me connect with him in a less angrier way than some other readers.
Marcellus, my precious angel, was the star of the show. Sometimes humanising animals in a novel seems forced and becomes tiresome, but something about Marcellus' character and how he is just made sense, it felt right.
I cried so many tears at so many points reading this book and it just warmed my cold jaded heart at every turn. Even with the anxiety that wove through me during the "sliding doors" moments.
This book was a heartwarming journey of serendipity and cephalopod meddling.
Absolutely wonderful, and a book I am 100% likely to reread in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Addiction, Animal death, Cancer, Child death, Death, Terminal illness, Abandonment
Minor: Drug use, Self harm, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I enjoyed the varied perspectives and POVs. While tragedy is a layer of multiple characters backstories it wasn’t triggering.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Suicide, Abandonment
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Drug abuse
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Suicide, Grief, Abandonment
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The only reason this book is not rated a five-star rating for me is that I wish it were longer. We spend so long with each character and discovering their motives/personalities/faults/etc, that the final scenes almost read rushed and wrapped with a neat bow. For the characters, I adore Tova to pieces, I wish she were my actual grandmother because she's so lovely and her approaches to her grief and the way through her we see that grief is not linear is so well done by the author. Another character I enjoyed was Marcellus, the sassiest GPO to ever exist and his conclusion in the book, which I will not spoil, is so incredibly satisfying if not also incredibly sad, happy for him but damn my heart to see it come to fruition in the way that it did. Now Cameron, I was less thrilled with, but eventually I warmed up to him as a character, not that this in any way justifies any of his actions or inactions. Best character was the side character of Ethan, what a wonderful comedic relief and sounding board for our human characters. The emotions he invokes with his interactions and motivations resonated deeply within me.The interactions were written so well, especially in regards to Tova and her loss and how patient he is with his unrequited (for the time being) affection to her. I would 100% read another book by this author, if she decides to publish any more of her work as this is her debut novel.
Two of my new favorite quotes will live with this book:
Two of my new favorite quotes will live with this book:
Maybe we all have sea monsters living in our brains... (pg. 68)
How much longer will she herself stand before something stokes the embers of her frailty? (pg. 185)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse
Moderate: Cancer
Minor: Alcohol
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Explores themes of death, loss and change. Explores the relationship between humans and animals.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Suicide, Grief, Death of parent
emotional
reflective
sad
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:
Yes
A short summary: an anthropomorphic octopus helps a grandmother and grandson, who each didn’t know the other existed, connect.
I wanted to like this book. I really did. Unfortunately, the writing wasn’t engaging, the story progressed slowly, and the main characters were bland (and, in Cameron’s case, unlikeable). The story had a happy ending, but that was the only redeeming quality.
Would not recommend.
I wanted to like this book. I really did. Unfortunately, the writing wasn’t engaging, the story progressed slowly, and the main characters were bland (and, in Cameron’s case, unlikeable). The story had a happy ending, but that was the only redeeming quality.
Would not recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty
Minor: Addiction, Death
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Grief, Abandonment
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse
Minor: Cancer, Suicide, Suicide attempt