Rating: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
Genre: fiction
Review: As is the case in most small towns, everybody who lives in Sowell Bay, Washington knows at least a little about everyone else who lives in town. And everybody knows that Tova Sullivan's son, Erik, died when he was 18, but nobody quite knows how or why, except that he was on his boat, and many suspect that he took his own life. Tova never believed that, though, and 30 years later, she has no more answers than she did the day he died.
Marcellus knows a little bit about what happened to Erik, or at least where his body is. But Marcellus is a Giant Pacific Octopus, and can't exactly share that information. He is, as the label by his tank reads, a remarkably bright creature, and prone to escaping from his tank. When Tova finds him stuck in a tangle of electrical cords, she helps him back in his tank, and a friendship is formed.
Cameron has never had good luck. His mother abandoned him when he was nine, and although his aunt gave him a loving home, he's never been able to live up to his potential. When a class ring and a photo suggest that wealthy real estate developer Simon Brinks is his father, he heads to Sowell Bay to find out.
Chapters go back and forth among these three characters (and yes, Marcellus is obviously the best narrator). Cameron's arrival in town sets off a chain of events that will connect the three characters, and provide some closure for all of them. The way their stories come together will not be a surprise for most readers, but the journey with these characters is so pleasurable, that no-one will mind the predictable ending. Readers will be rooting for each character to find their own kind of happiness, and will appreciate the way they do.
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