I enjoyed the pacing and switching of perspectives, but it is the author’s style in general, with the unfolding of the story and with its diction and imagery, that kept me reading. This is in part a meditation on the different ways that motherhood can look, but is more so an exploration of figuring life out when one is on the cusp of adulthood as a young woman.

Full disclosure: as Emma's former high school English teacher, I'm biased, but I think her prose in this book is lovely. More than once it had me smiling with moments of inventiveness and vivid turns of phrase. I also feel as though I detect the influence of Gilmore Girls-style patter in the dialogue, especially between the college friends. I enjoyed Pen's story as she muddled her way through conflicting emotions, and the plot moved along well. I’m not sure why Knight didn’t choose a multi-perspective narrative structure, given the characters' backstories and the fact that the narration does actually, without warning, suddenly switch perspectives, which was a bit disorienting at first. Besides being Pen's best friend and a sounding board from time to time, Alice and her story arc didn't seem to bring much to Pen's story, but it’d be a good setup for a follow-up novel about Alice’s theatrical exploits in the remaining years at Edinburgh. I'm looking forward to reading more fiction from Emma!

This was a book that had a lot going for it but it felt like too much at times. Too many subplots and it felt like it lagged a lot of the way through. When the big twist was revealed, it felt anticlimactic as I was already kind of past the point of caring.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. These opinions are completely my own.

I feel like I have the opposite problem then most reviewers. I loved the beginning of Pen's adventure and seeing where her curiosity would take her. Sadly, my interest died down just before the half way point and I could not get back into the story. I believe it could be partially my fault as I was reading 3 books at once., but it just felt to slow for my liking

I like to "travel' by book (since i am too nervous to travel IRL} and this book took me to Scotland and London, which I really enjoyed. I love visiting places from the comfort of my own home. I really liked this book, couldn't put it down - i thought it was very well-written and the characters were intriguing. I hope Emma Knight writes some more novels just like this one!

Pen (Penelope) and Alice, her best friend since childhood, attend the University of Edinburgh together as first year students. They are a long way from their home, Toronto, Canada. Pen was drawn to Scotland by a feeling of connection she has with a famous writer who lives there, an old friend of her father’s, Lord Elliott Lennox.
Pen has never met Lennox and suspects that her divorced parents are hiding something from her about their association. Particularly since her middle name is Elliott (yeah, a little obvious? We'll see...). After Pen reaches out, Lennox invites her to his home where she meets various members of his welcoming family. Pen develops romantic feelings for the very first time, for Lennox’s older son, Sasha. (Note - there's a lot of earnest heart quickening and physical attraction reactions every time young Sasha comes into the room, so perhaps this is more of a YA offering). We follow Pen as she tries to uncover secrets that may lie with this family. She also starts to see her parents in a different light, envisioning them as students and what their lives were like when they were young.
Alice is an aspiring actress who is acting in the university play. She is confident in personality and quite beautiful, so used to having power in her relationships with men. Alice starts an affair with her tutor which may prove her undoing.
Their university lives are described with the chapters split out by season/school terms. They develop friend groups, experience a new life with the backdrop of Scotland – the studying, the partying, the sex. We see them deal with bigger issues, and look at adults with new eyes as they mature themselves.
I enjoyed Emma Knight’s writing style, her descriptions provided the right amount of detail. I remained interested enough to appreciate the secret as it unfolded for Pen (and the clues that were sprinkled into the storyline). The title of the book was part of the initial draw of this book for me, and the tie-in comes in quite late. I was much less interested in the character of Alice and her relationship with her tutor. Although Alice’s experience is not uncommon and an important one, I felt there wasn’t enough room for it given how much material was in the Pen storyline alone. I did enjoy the relationship between the two girls when they were together - you could sense the sisterhood. However, there were also some other subplots that distracted rather than added to the story.
Because it took me a little while to get into it, I rate this a 3.5 but closer to a 3 star.
Thanks to Emma Knight, Penguin Random House Canada and Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. Publication date Jan 7, 2025.

The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus by Emma Knight

The first section of the book I was quite impressed with the writing. I loved the way each new character was described. After my first impression wore off however I started to doubt that I would enjoy the overall book.

It’s supposed to be a coming of age book with ties to motherhood but I think it actually tried to be too many things and therefore ended up feeling scattered and directionless and the characters wishy washy.

I kept thinking I was getting the point and then several new tangents would happen and I’d be lost again.

It was simply not for me - I am curious to see if I am in the minority when this comes out next month. Carley Fortune raved about it when I saw her in person this summer!

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!