Reviews tagging 'Death'

Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley

5 reviews

mortcheval's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.75

I love this author’s writing, this book was extremely hard for me though. I love aspects of it but sometimes it felt slightly draggy as far as pacing 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

amandalorianxo's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I read Steven Rowley’s The Guncle first, not his later backlist but since he is publishing another book soon I wanted to read his other novels to play catch up on my tbr. You can tell this is a early work from him because while I felt for Ted and the tumor that was in Lily’s body, as a grown man he came across as immature and now how I imagined a 42 year old was supposed to act ? Then again maybe this is why we are introduced and brought in to his therapy sessions because it seemed like he needed them to adjust / make sense of his emotions. I never owned any pets but I can only imagine the huge loss it feels when they are gone. Steven Rowley did ok with this one but thankfully his writing and characterization has improved in the last several years since this one. Ironically, Michael Yerger is the audiobook narrator in this one and he voiced Marcellus in Remarkably Bright Creatures. How fitting ;) 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

kuchshabd's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

4.75

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

marinapaso11's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional funny inspiring reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

I would’ve given it 5 stars if it wasn’t for the tiny mention of the stereotypical Inuit
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

thebakerbookworm's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

You can probably guess where this story ends up, and if you’ve ever loved a pet, tears are a guarantee, but the journey to get there was truly unique. It’s fairly obvious what the octopus actually is, but this book uses a fantastical story to show how Ted grapples with a reality that he doesn’t want to accept. His growth throughout was real and felt earned because you as the reader also don’t want to accept this reality—I wanted Ted to find a way to defeat the octopus just as much as he did.

Ted and Lily are both charming and quirky characters (Lily does have a voice here that, of course, only Ted can hear), and short chapters keep the book moving even though there’s not really a ton of plot.

This book *will* make you immediately want to cuddle your dog and hold them tight, and if you don’t have a dog, it’ll make you want to get one so you can experience all the lessons that dogs teach us. Don’t read this book until you’re ready for those emotions!

Read if you like: magical realism, books that explore grief, talking animals, Moby-Dick.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
More...