100 Book Challenge – A book recommended by a friend:
3/100

One of my favorite animals are octopuses. And yes, that is the correct plural form for “octopus”, you can also use “octopi” if you so please, either way is perfectly fine, but I digress. I love their extrodinary ability to camouflauge, their sacrificial love for their offspring, and their adeptness in fitting into tiny spaces. They truly are remarkable.

I picked up this book both because it was recommended by a friend and because one of the protagonist is an octopus living in captivity at the local aquarium where the book takes place. In the book, the octopus’s name is Marcellus and he is too intelligent for his own good. He develops an affection for and eventually a friendship with the night-shift cleaning lady named Tova. Tova is lonely. She lost her son 30 years in a drowning accident prior and has recently lost her husband. She is a hardworker and is facing the difficult decision of what to do with the rest of her life. She is elderly and wonders what will happen to her and her things when she dies. A widow and a childless mother, we see her come to terms with her pain, loneliness and eventual joy.

The book has some loveable characters, but Cameron ruined the book for me. Cameron is a young man who is looking for his dad in the small town where Tova lives. He is very annoying and frustrated me the whole time I was reading his story. If it weren’t for him, I would have given this book 4 stars instead of 3. I also wish the author – Ms. Shelby Van Pelt – would have ended the story a little different.

I recommend this book to readers who like contemporary fiction or who want to read something light with a sweet, happy ending. Although Marcellus doesn’t audibly speak to any of the characters, we are privy to his thoughts – which I found cute and witty. There are some minor cuss words used. There are no sex scenes or gore.

This book was published in May of 2022.
It is 360 pages.
A solid 3 stars out of 5 for me.