This review is based on a pre-release copy, not the final edited one.

Penelope leaves her Canadian home to go to school in Edinburgh. Her father had gone to school there and Penelope is looking forward to meeting one of her fathers friends, a famous writer. Her two good friends, Jo and Alice help her navigate school, love, and family. The story focuses mainly on Pen, but also spends a good deal of time on Alice. The story is a little choppy as though the author could not make up her mind what story to tell. Slow pacing, many details and lots of switching between story lines made for an uneven read.

I’ve always loved coming-of-age stories, so I was excited to dive into The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus. The idea of Penelope “Pen” Lenox leaving her sheltered life in Canada to uncover family secrets in Scotland felt promising, especially with the atmospheric setting of the University of Edinburgh and a mysterious estate.

While there were parts of the book I enjoyed—like the exploration of family, independence, and the richly described settings—it didn’t completely work for me. The pacing dragged in places, especially during Pen’s first year at university, and the big family “secret” was predictable. Some characters, like Jo, seemed underdeveloped, and I found myself losing interest at times.

That said, Pen’s journey toward figuring out who she is had some lovely moments, and there’s a lot here for readers who enjoy layered, introspective stories. For me, though, it just didn’t fully connect.

Thank you to Pamela Dorman Books for my free review copy.

This is a book every young woman should read. It's about discovering who you are, where you are from and how to live with yourself and be comfortable in your skin. Highly recommend!

THE LIFE CYCLE OF THE COMMON OCTOPUS by Emma Knight is one well-written, tough read. Well-written with lyrical sentences, quick phrase summaries of a person that perfectly describe them. Tough as in exceptionally slow moving. I found it hard-going to make it through to the end -- it took some doing, but I got there. I love Emma Knight's deft touch with the language, however, which kept me going through pretty passages to the heart of the story. I received a copy of this book and these thoughts are my own, unbiased opinions.

A lovely novel about parenting and being parented, with a substantial whiff of Brideshead Revisited and a sprinkle of Sally Rooney.

Canadians Penelope and Alice are starting at Edinburgh University and they have different motives for being there. Pen wants to find out more about Elliot Lennox who was her father’s friend and she feels is somehow wrapped up in the failure of her parents’ marriage. Alice wants to be discovered as an actress at the Fringe festival.

When Pen goes to visit Talmorach, the home of Lord Lennox and extended family, she is swept up into their world of easy privilege. And excitingly, Sasha, the oldest son, is quite a dish. Pen holds her own while digging into the mystery of her father’s entanglement with the family.

The scenes of life at the University are familiar but also agreeably entertaining. Alice gets herself into difficulties with a lecturer; the girls make friends despite their cultural differences; Pen aces her classes; Edinburgh shines appealingly.

The novel itself feels a little scattered. There’s a lot of plot strands that just meander into the unresolved distance and the perspective shifts abruptly from character to character, even in the middle of a conversation. The top and tail scenes set “now” (versus Edinburgh of 2006) also feel a little tangential to the body of the story, though the implication is clearer at the end rather than the beginning. Finally, the title is intriguing (and, indeed, caught my attention) but its context in the novel feels a bit shoehorned in.

I’m a fan of campus novels because they’re set at an interestingly pivotal time of a person’s life and the author does a fine job of evoking Pen’s coming of age. If this is your cup of tea too, I recommend.

Thanks to Pamela Dorman Books and Netgalley for the digital review copy.

lovely debut book about Pen, living her best life as a college student. while exploring the origins of her middle name she stumbled into a privileged family with clues to this naming. along the way her college pals experience sexual harrassment, privileged activities.

Story of friendship and love. Pen, Alice and Jo are fast friends at college. They support each other in their new endeavors and relationships.
Primarily the story is told from Pen’s point of view. She has a troubled relationship with her divorced parents. This leads her to dive into their past and connect with a family that feels like “home”. We follow Pen connect the dots to this new family and a new relationship.
I felt like this story was rather dry and it was too long. An inappropriate relationship involving sexual exploitation of a student felt “stuck in” to make the book more interesting but it just felt out of place to me. Occasionally the story was told from friend, Alice’s perspective. That was strange because it was very infrequent and seemed to come out of no where.
The relationship with the new family was interesting and I would have loved if that was explored more. I’d say pass on this one.

life Cycle of the Common Octopus is gorgeously written, I sunk into this book and didn’t emerge for air until the final page. Is it too early in the year to say this is my top debut of 2025?

There’s a lot in Emma Knight’s phenomenal debut about family, but what touched me the most was the friendship between Pen, Jo, and Alice. There’s a little bit of mystery and intrigue, and each character is crafted in a way that I felt like I knew them, that there was a piece of them I recognized.

In a world where there is often the temptation for authors to try to stun readers with constant twists and reveals, Emma Knight has truly mastered the art of telling a story and telling it well. All the stars…

I requested to read this because I saw something that said it would be good for fans of Sally Rooney. I didn't find the book to be similar at all, other than the age range of the characters. I work at an academic library, so for that reason, we are a little more picky about the "leisure reading" selections. I think this book would be good for a public library, but I don't believe it would be a great fit for our collection.

I did enjoy it once I adjusted my expectations and I very much appreciate the opportunity to read it through NetGalley. Thank you! I didn't publish my review on Goodreads because I didn't want to publish anything that is not glowing, because the book was enjoyable but just not what I was expecting and for the purposes I requested it.

I really wanted to love this book, set in Scotland, but felt it was a bit pretentious at times. The main character, Pen, is a Canadian woman attending college in Scotland and hoping to uncover more about her father’s time there to understand the reason her parents’ marriage fell apart. At times the novel centered on Pen and her emerging feelings towards relationships, but was muddied by some of the other characters and their stories, which could have been left out. The Lennox family did provide the interesting characters, and kept me engaged in the story. The title was not really integral to the story except for being applicable to one character, Margot. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This is a maddeningly long book and yet I finished it, so that says something. Nevertheless I was conscious throughout that there was something very green about it, an awkwardness and an oldfashionedness. There’s nothing subtle here, or sly or funny. Just a romance with a lot of sideswipes at heritage, choice, truth, long-term commitments and so on. I’m.not sure if it’s a first work. It certainly could have used some editing, and some tightening of the central character whose failure to address the elephant in the room became very frustrating. Also the choice to switch points of view from time to time was jarring and inadvisable.
All in all, though, it was a pleasant read and you can’t go wrong with posh boy falling for quiet girl. Jane Austen knew this.

The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus was a bit of a slow build for me. I wasn't sure what to expect, probably something along the lines of Remarkably Bright Creatures, so there was a bit of a disappointment, but this was an enjoyable read in its own right. A different take on a coming of age story. Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for the eArc. 3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pen was a believable character that stayed in character throughout the book. She was a strong minded thoughtful friend. The story is about friendship, family dynamics, and coming of age. Takes place in Canada and Wales tying the cultures together. Readable and thought provoking.

A highly enjoyable read. When I realized it was a coming of age tale I was somewhat disappointed however, this is no ordinary tale of that genre. With many twists and turns, some improbable family secrets you’re left wondering what happens to everyone later. In life. A most enjoyable read. Definite recommend.

I was lucky enough to win a copy of THE LIFE CYCLE OF A COMMON OCTOPUS by Emma Knight in a Shelf Awareness giveaway. Thank you for the early look, and have a safe holiday season!

You will be 85% into this book before you understand the title? Why the secret? Who knows? But Emma Knight's novel purpots to be about friendship, motherhood, love and family secrets. The novel ia probably longer than it needs to be. I felt as if I had lived the entire first year along with Penelope and her friend Alice, (and also Jo, though why she was in it I don't know.) I suppose it was necessary to have a lesbian character.

Penelope has the middle name, Lenox, of her father's friend. a Lord and a successful mystery writer. He best friend Alice is a budding actor How Pen meets the Lenox family, falls in love, loses her virginity, gets embroiled in revenge on a tutor who preys on female students, and describes lots of Scottish scenery and landmarks. The book was interesting, though a bit too long. The family "secret" is easy to guess long before it is revealed. There is some fine writing, but the characters were not memorable.

Thank you to Net Galley and Pamela Dorman books for offering me an ARC copy to read.

I stopped after chapter 1 (4%). I loved "Remarkably Bright Creatures" and I think I was hoping for more of that. Unfortunately, this story was a bit inconsistent in tone, and it didn't quite feel like it knew what it wanted to be to kick off.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for the ARC.

The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus by Emma Knight is a fascinating and layered coming-of-age story. Pen’s journey from her sheltered life in Canada to uncovering her family’s secrets in Scotland is filled with suspense, emotional depth, and personal discovery. The setting at the University of Edinburgh and Lord Lennox’s ancient estate adds a rich, atmospheric backdrop that draws you in. The novel explores big themes like independence, family, and identity compellingly, and Pen’s growth feels authentic as she navigates the complexities of adulthood.

While the pacing can be slow in parts, the novel’s focus on self-reliance and the different forms of motherhood adds a unique dimension. The mix of campus life, personal awakening, and unraveling family mysteries makes it a rewarding read. Knight seamlessly weaves Pen’s inner journey with the external mystery, leaving the reader both satisfied and reflective.