There are three perspectives in this book: a cleaning woman, a down-on-his-luck millennial, and an octopus. If that doesn’t at least pique your interest, I don’t know what will. This is a story of how all of their lives intersect in a sweet story of growth, family, and friendship.
Tova likes her routines, and she likes things to be tidy. Keeping busy is what’s gotten her through the almost thirty years since her son Erik mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound. Cameron hasn’t been able to catch a break his whole life. His mom abandoned him and it’s certainly not his fault he can’t seem to keep a job for more than a few weeks! And Marcellus, well, Marcellus is an octopus whose days are becoming numbered if the life expectancy on his tank’s plaque is correct. Through varying sequences of events, these three disparate characters come into each other’s lives when they’re needed the most.
This was such a sweet, easy read. It reminded me a lot of Fredrick Backman’s books (author of A Man Called Ove): a story of the trials and triumphs of humanity in an authentic and endearing way. I admit, I was a bit thrown off when the book started with an octopus narrating, but don’t be the skeptic that I was and put off reading it because of that. In my opinion, he was the best one.
2% Rating: 7/10
Recommend? Yeah, definitely good for light reading
Re-Read? Maybe!
Time: 1:15