The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus

This book was an enjoyable read for me - a coming-of-age, forging your own path away at college story + family drama.

The main character, Pen, decides to leave Canada for Scotland for college, not in a small part because she thinks it'll help her understand her parents unhappiness and failed marriage. She navigates her first year with a few good friends, meets her father's own college best friend and his family, and eventually figures out the family secrets.

Though the title of the book did reveal its relevance towards the end, I ended up wishing that analogy was woven through the story a little more aggressively 🐙