Some interesting facts about an octopus: “An intelligent creature that possesses three hearts as well blue blood and a doughnut-shape brain. An octopus’s bag-shaped body, or a mantle, contains organs such as kidneys, a liver, gills, a stomach, an intestine, a brain, and reproductive organs. On top of its head, an octopus has two eyes that are structurally similar to human eyes; it has relatively good eyesight”. But absolutely “not a squid” (!), as the other main character in the story, Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium, wants to remind the reader….
We can hear the inner thoughts of an animal, and we come to learn that it/he also starts to communicate with a human being, namely with Tova, a 70-year-old widow. (A very special opening setting for a story, all in all! How smart can octopuses really be, one starts to wonder.) Due to some tragic events in her life, Tova has become more sensitive about her surroundings. She cannot but feel empathy for the animal trapped in the aquarium, and e.g. sharks with their never-ending laps around the tank. ”Tove understands what it means to never be able to to stop moving, lest you find yourself unable to breathe”. This seems to be one of the key elements in the book – how to tackle with your life when something unforgettable has happened in your life and how to move on. Are there some elementary changes that needs to be made, and why exacatly? For Tova, there is a daily encounter with an octopus who starts to communicate with her, that works as a tool for her to solve some things in her life. Also, as one person departs this life, there might already be a new person or few of them waiting behind the corner.
Shelby van Pelt is an American writer, who has written her first book in the time of pandemic. She has managed to convey a story of people who have somehow fallen out of the society, or who have become more of a bystander of their own lives. The feeling is somewhat melancholic, yet the glimpses of hope start to shimmer as the events and secrets of the past start to unfold. The book is easy to read, feels pretty light and entertaining to read, as it is a mixture of cozy mystery combined with coming-of-age stories of the protagonists. Some details of the events were a bit half-done and too easily executed, but that is just a minor observation in the midst of the reading experience that was mostly just enjoyable!
Review of our group: 3/5
-Marika
Image: Goodreads.com
Porvoon kirjaston lukupiiri - Borgå stadsbiblioteks bokcirkel - The Book Club of Porvoo City Library 