A review by amandalorianxo
Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley

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 ;) 
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