Reviews

Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley

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stareaten's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

More like 3.5, but rounding it down to 3 because. Look. It made me cry and it made me feel. I have dogs and I've known the pain of losing essentialy a part of yourself while losing them, so it was easy to understand the fear and helplessness and denial and unbearable sadness.
This book started off strong, and it ended on a strong note, but it was the middle part that took me out of it for quite a while. I think I understand what the author tried to accomplish with the story on the boat and the chase for the octopus, but it simply did not land well for me and I think something else might have worked better - sharing more happy memories or simply having a moment of calm before the metaphorical storm at the end. This fantastical octopus chase just made the story feel unreal in a way that made me feel detached, and honestly the moment I realized the captain was the octopus I resolved to skimming until the moment Ted woke up in his bed again.
The last part was hard to read, but in a good way - I started crying and I really felt for him and Lily. I wish author chose to focus on realistic moments such as these, no matter how difficult they were.
That being said, I do think people who love their pets will enjoy this book and will find some sense of comfort in it, which is really what the aim of this story is.

truthmonkey's review against another edition

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emotional funny sad fast-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

4.0

May book for Lifetime of Reading challenge (40s):
I like magical realism. I don’t usually like books where pets talk or even feature heavily. Rowley is a good writer, and his premise is clever enough to make up for that. I have gotten recommendations for a few of his books recently and it turns out this was his first, so I look forward to reading more.

peaknit's review against another edition

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4.0

I cried a little, what a lovely story with some heartfelt and heartbreak.

prairiemonique's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful 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? Yes

4.25

darcys01's review against another edition

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5.0

The author captures in words all the feelings of the journey through the ending of a beloved dog.

crlopez2013's review against another edition

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5.0

Get ready to laugh hysterically and sob uncontrollably, especially if you are also a dachshund owner like myself. The author convinces you to suspend reality and asks you to go along for the ride...my advice is to do it.