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devirnis's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Animal death, Cancer, and Grief
theverycraftyvegan's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Lily and the Octopus filled me with so much love and also such a deep sadness; just like I knew it would. The way I immediately knew at the beginning, the way I sobbed uncontrollably and then cried with happiness at the end! I was glad I finished this book while I was home alone so I could freely feel and release all these emotions.
Dog lovers be warned. This will rip your heart out. But it will also heal you. Steven doesn’t leave you a blubbering mess.
“BEGIN. THE. STORY. OF. ME!” ~ Lily
Graphic: Animal death, Cancer, Terminal illness, Violence, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, and Alcohol
Minor: Addiction, Infidelity, Self harm, Excrement, and Vomit
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
3.25
“If you spend your entire life trying to cheat death, there's no time left over to embrace life.”
I love books with animals playing an important role in the plot, so I'm still not sure how Lily And The Octopus has escaped my radar for this long. I loved the sound of the bond between main character Ted and his elderly dog Lily, and I even added it to my list of 2024 priorities in the hope I would read it sooner than later. It still took me longer than expected to actually pick it up, but what I didn't expect either was that I was going to end up having mixed thoughts instead. Things started out on a high note and initially I was loving the unique and whimsical writing style where the dog Lily has her own voice and the main character has active conversations with her. It had all the signs of becoming a high rating, but I have to say that this same uniqueness started to grate after a while. I mean, don't people around Ted see that he is completely delusional? Still, I was intrigued and entertained enough to keep reading, up until that ridiculous and overlong boat scene. This is exactly where the story lost me, and the pace was getting slower and slower even before that. That said, there were some nice deeper messages and definitely prepare to have some tissues at hand just in case. Lily And The Octopus had a fantastic start and I enjoyed the ending and message, but it was the middle where everything just became too muddled and over the top for me. I was enjoying the magical realism, but that part just took things WAY too far for me and completely ruined the reading experience (especially since it didn't even make sense). Anyhow, I can't deny that it is a story you won't forget any time soon either way.
Graphic: Animal death, Cancer, Death, Drug use, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, and Alcohol
heatherhazereads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
If you've ever loved a dog, especially during a time when the love of said dog felt like the only scaffolding holding you up from certain demise, you need to read this book. You need to meet Lily and her octopus. Wow.
Moderate: Animal death and Grief
asienerbrown's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Death, Terminal illness, and Grief
coreycbrewer's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Animal death, Cancer, and Grief
Moderate: Chronic illness
julianairving's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Animal death and Grief
prairieraven's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Cancer, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Infidelity, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Murder, Abandonment, and Alcohol
nukie19's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Animal death and Grief
Moderate: Drug use and Alcohol
craftyanty's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
Steven Rowley has a way of writing about grief like no one else I've read. He ties in humor, sadness, anger, and all the feelings.
If you decide to read this, do yourself a favor, and get the audiobook. Michael Urie brings the story to life as the narrator, and does an AMAZING job, especially voicing Lily.
Moderate: Animal death and Grief