I had a tough time getting into this at first, took me about 30% of the way through to become engaged with the character and storyline. I found the writing style to be unnecessarily pretentious, which I understand the main narrator herself is, but it was too much to be believable for an 18 year old. The plot itself ended up being very good, and I enjoyed the different perspectives interwoven throughout. The descriptions of motherhood were beautiful, I did nearly shed a tear at the end. There were quite a few moments that were quite dry, but the decades of family drama did make up for some of it overall. I think this is definitely worth a read, but I wish the writing and pacing had been reworked a little.

The name and cover for this book is what 'drew me in', and I wondered how the author was going to incorporate it into her story. I was truly intrigued by how she used the name and the concept into a book which I believe will be loved by many. I learned some very interesting facts about the life cycle of an octopus, while enjoying the life, activities and love encounters of several University students. The story made me smile many times, and always held my interest.

“Heavens.” Christina laughed. “Margot does have a flair for the dramatic.” She looked thoughtful for a moment. “Do you know why the female octopus dies when she does?” she asked.

I read this as a NetGalley ARC and want to thank the publisher, Penquin, and the author for the opportunity to do an early read.

The Life Cycle Of The Common Octopus is a lovely slow burn of a novel set in Scotland that follows a young Canadian woman who is going to school there. The writing was beautiful and the characters felt well fleshed out.. I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for this author in the future.

The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus is Emma Knight’s first novel, listed as one of the most anticipated books of 2025 by Indigo. The quirky title caught my attention, but it was the setting in Scotland that sealed my desire to read it. The vivid descriptions of Edinburgh, castle Talmorach, and the Scottish villages and countryside made me want to visit Scotland even more than I already did. I also enjoyed the cultural comparisons between Brits and Canadians that were cleverly sprinkled throughout the novel. The author has a gift for creating varied and rich relationships: those between generations, romantic partners, friends, and parents and children. The characters were complex, with a nice balance between being flawed and redeemable, which played into the theme that most resonated with me: the need for empathy towards others despite their hurtful actions. Humans are not purely malicious and likely have complicated reasons for their behaviour. I was never sure who the narrator from the prologue and epilogue was, which was interesting but limiting at the same time. I enjoyed reading from the perspective of characters at different stages in their lives. However, I thought one of the major themes of the book (it takes courage to know yourself and to let others know you) was at odds with an anonymous narrator. At times, I found there was too much description of the characters’ physical appearances and not enough about their motivations. I would have enjoyed more description of Pen’s thoughts and feelings about what she was studying and why, rather than just naming the books she was reading. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline, the setting, the relationships, and the characters’ journeys. I would definitely recommend this novel and would read a follow-up about what happens to these characters as they continue to mature and find their own paths.

3 1/2 ⭐️
Pen is an intelligent, reflective and multifaceted protagonist, whose first year at university pulled me nostalgically backwards nearly 30(yikes) years in time to my own fresher exploits. On reflection, the unwinding and sometimes jumping narrative probably depicts this time quite appropriately. I’m not sure how many eighteen year olds have this degree of maturity and confidence. She sometimes felt like an old head on young shoulders, able to be parachuted into any situation and manage to land on her feet. This might open up the age range of readers; not everyone is a fan of YA literature after all.
I found the multiple perspectives to be worthwhile, as they provide an opportunity for the reader to exit the unrelenting insight into Pen’s thoughts and actions. All the characters felt real in their familiarity (no one is perfect, everyone makes mistakes, treats people badly or overreacts) if not necessarily in their lifestyles. The characters are given the grace to do so without judgment (except Julian) because we are given ample insight into their motivations.
Thank you to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the advance copy, which kept me reading through the Christmas break.

I'm thankful that I received this eARC to read and review via NetGalley and Viking Penguin. The opinions expressed are my own.

It took a bit for me to get a handle on all the POV's presented, some changing within the same chapter. It gives the reader a bit of literary whiplash! But once I was used to the authors style, it got easier to follow.
I loved the Canadian content and as Scotland is one of the places I most adore, I definitely enjoyed that whole side of things.
The mystery aspect of the story was interesting but I think it could have been fleshed out or polished a bit more to take more of a centre stage. Some of the side characters were a bit more one dimensional than I wanted because I could see that with a bit more backstory, they could have been excellent!
I wasn't feeling the romance, it felt juvenile on Pen's side. Alice was more my style but I feel like she also could have had more to her for her to really shine here.
Overall, I liked the story and the twist ending was great. I wish I could give this a higher rating but as is, 2.75 is how I'll leave it. This story needs some editing/polish.

I liked and was engaged in this book throughout, but I found the ending strangely unsatisfying. The Julian plot line ended without much of a conclusion and I found it a bit unbelievable that the Lennox family didn't just answer Penelope's questions from the beginning - why the forced mystery?

The writing was excellent and the characterization is sharply observed, but in the end, this was a four-star read bumped down to three stars because of the unsatisfying conclusion.

This novel introduces us to Pen and Alice, best friends attending university in Scotland. Pen is an aspiring journalist and Alice an aspiring actor. They are far from home and the reader is able to a glimpse of their first year of school—how they test boundaries, make choices, fall in love and ultimately learn to stand on their own.

I found this novel engaging. I empathized with Pen and Alice’s experiences/feelings as the story brought back memories of my first year of university. I enjoyed seeing Pen and Alice grow as the novel progressed. The story is neatly tied up in the end with a glimpse into the future. I learned a little bit about octopus’ and think it is neat how the title fits with the plot of the novel. All in all I found this novel to be a satisfying read.

I think this novel will appeal to readers who enjoy “coming of age” stories, as well themes related to friendship, motherhood. the families you are born with and the families you choose to make.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and authors for providing me with an ARC of this novel. All of the opinions offered in this review are my own.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a digital ARC. Expected publication January 7, 2025.

I really enjoyed this coming-of-age book set between Toronto and Edinburgh. Complex, likeable characters you can relate to and a fast-paced plot (a little too much at the end; it wrapped up too quickly for me) made for an easy, fast read. There was a lot going on with multiple POVs and intertwined plots that was sometimes a little hard to follow (might have something to do with the formatting of the ARC?). The evocative writing made this a treat to read.

I adored this book, which takes you through the first year of university for best friends Pen and Alice, who have moved together from Toronto to Edinburgh. The interesting cast of characters and descriptions of the setting had me nostalgic for my own university days. I enjoyed reading about the way their friendship evolved and endured. There is also romance, intrigue, and family drama, but the most compelling parts of this book for me were the ones that focused on friendship.

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus releases January 7, 2025

Penelope’s deep-seated need to know the intricate history between her father and his college friend, Lord Lennox, of whom she was named after, and whether their fallout had anything to do with the divorce of her parents, has lead her to Edinburgh.

You know when you’re having a conversation with someone and they insist that they first need to tell you a side story in order to tell the main story, but by the time they get around to the point, you’re only half as interested? That’s kind of how I felt reading this.

While this novel touched upon themes of motherhood, family, and friendship, it did so in a very roundabout way. I think the narrative would've been stronger had it stayed solely in Pen's pov.

cw: mention of miscarriage and SA

I received a an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I might be a bit biased, as I loved getting to revisit Scotland after recently returning back to Canada myself, after a year of school in Edinburgh. I was able to follow the story in my head, through the city and country side. It was such a treat to return to.

Nostalgia aside, I really enjoyed this novel. The pacing was somewhat quick, but I enjoyed it as it allowed me to spend just enough time with each character before the story moved on. I do wish some characters got more backstory, as everything I learned just made me want to know more, but I think that just goes to show what the story was trying to prove (or at least what I took away from it). That people are complex, and not always straightforward, but that doesn’t mean their stories aren’t interesting or compelling or worthy of being heard or shared.

And, as a marine biologist, I didn’t at all mind seeing the subject come up a few times.

Thankful to read a story that resonated with me on so many levels.

My husband just went on a trip to Scotland and loved it there so I was very excited to read this book. Unfortunately I had a really hard time following it. So many parts of the book felt like such a mishmash; a random jumble of thoughts that didn’t all properly connect as I hoped they would. I also had a hard time keeping the characters straight. I did enjoy the references to motherhood as well as the beautifully descriptive settings in the book. I definitely saw major potential in the story but unfortunately, for me, the delivery fell flat. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book!

What an emotional rollercoaster!

I honestly did not understand the choice of such an original title in the beginning, but I did by the end.

The book is all about friendship, finding humor when the weather is gloomy, discovering Love and trying to elucidate a family secret.

I could not put this book away as it reminded me of my days back in university.
Penelope is hellbent on discovering a family secret, hoping that it will bring her clarity and some kind of closure.
She has a plan, but as she will discover, behind any family mystery, there is always a human cost to connecting the dots.

The story is so well written that I could smell the cheese she brings her hosts, the weight of some silences, the dreadful humidity that freezes her bones and her need to take an almost scalding bath in order to feel human again.

As she embarks on her journey, we discover her close knit group of friends and immerse ourselves in their coming of age adventures. As in real life, nothing is always perfect and relationships, of any kind, need nurturing to survive.

Do go get this book and savor every single page as I did.

I also learned about the life cycle of the octopus😉

My opinion of this book is my own.
Thanks #Netgalley for offering me an advance copy of this extraordinary book.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Jan. 7, 2025
“The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus” is the debut novel by Canadian author Emma Knight. It is an intriguing story about motherhood and friendship that form around the mysteries of an elusive and posh British family.
Penelope has left Canada, and her bickering, divorced parents, behind in order to pursue post-secondary education in Edinburgh with her best friend, Alice. But there is more to the story. Pen knows that her parents have deep secrets and the only way to get to the bottom of them is to investigate them herself, beginning with the intriguing family of Lord Lennox. As she struggles to find herself in her new surroundings, she is pulled into the drama of the Lennox family. Will Penelope learn the truth about her parents? And, if she does, can she move forward?
Penelope is the main protagonist in “Octopus” but she is not its sole narrator. Alice also shares her perspective on things, along with a few other individuals who cross paths with Penny, although they mostly make brief narrations and disappear into the background. Pen is young, naïve and inexperienced in every way, a woman coming into her own in a foreign country, which is nothing new of course, but she is likable and relatable and I was invested in her story.
This story takes place mostly in Scotland, which seems to be a theme in the last few books I’ve been reading, and to view the country through Pen’s eyes, as a new arrival, was an enjoyable experience. I found the elite Lennox family and their complicated family secrets to be fascinating and addicting, and it was easy to see why Pen was so enamored with them.
“Octopus” has multiple plots that converge into one. Pen, the new university student who is finding herself and exploring her new surroundings. Pen, the young woman who seeks out the Lennox family to discover the secrets her family is hiding. Pen, the inexperienced romantic who finds love in the strange but endearing son of the Lennox family. All three plots focus on Penelope, obviously, but they are all very different and they interchange freely. One minute, Penelope is among friends at a local pub, and then she is with the Lennox family finding out their secrets. The transitions are smooth enough but there was enough pulp in all three storylines to have their own novel and “Octopus” would’ve had an easier flow if Knight chose one storyline and focused on developing it out.
A stellar setting and some intriguing family secrets, “Octopus” is well written for a debut. With some careful honing and focus, Knight will be an author to watch for in the future.

I honestly struggled to finish this book which is sad as I was so excited to read it. I am Canadian and just visited Scotland this year so when I saw TLCOTCO up for review I requested it immediately and was thrilled to have received it.

The thing is this book has so much potential. Sadly, there were too many things that got in the way of that potential. The lagging plot line, the multiple pov's which were quite confusing and hard to follow, the multitude of characters whom many did not add any substance to the story and the lack of cohesion - there were too many sub plots that really had nothing to do with the main premise of the story.

My interest wasn't peaked until about the 80% mark and even the big reveal/twist fell flat. A reader should never have to wait this long to start to feel something for a story and its characters.

I will also point out that a Canadian author writing about Scotland and leaving out the "U" in words such as favourite and neighbour really threw me for a loop. If the story was based out of the US that would be understandable but not so in this case.

**Received ARC through NetGalley. Voluntarily reviewed.**

I really wanted to like this story as it involves Canada and Scotland. The description of the book greatly intrigued me. However, it was a very slow read as I found it challenging to grasp where the story was going. It felt like a combination between historical fiction and modern day romance. I won’t give up on this new author though and will look for her again in the future, but this just didn’t rank high for me. I appreciate receiving this ARC from the author and NetGalley.

Thank you to Net Galleyfor the advance copy of The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus. I found the early part of this book hard to get into. I loved the idea of a setting in residence of first year University. However, different names were coming at us fast and furious. But, about a third of the way in, I couldn’t put it down. I really liked the family secrets and the way in which Pen finds out.
I love how Pen is a strong woman who supports her friends and shows her allegiance even at her own risk.
Really solid book, well written, overall, quite enjoyable.

4.5⭐️/5
The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus by Emma Knight
Thank you, @netgalley, for the advanced reader copy of this book.

This is a poignant story of the coming of age of Penelope, our main character. We see her path to find herself and where she belongs in this great big world. Through themes of love, friendship, self-discovery, and motherhood, Penelope can find out who she really is and where she belongs.
The writing is rich and heartfelt. A beautifully composed debut novel from Emma Knight.
Publication Day: January 7th, 2025

I loved the premise of this book and the cover is lovely. However, I didn’t finish this book after struggling with the writing style and povs.