Sea Change: A Novel [J0254]

2023 - PB Gift-Worthy condition. A novel about a woman tossed overboard by heartbreak and loss, who has to find her way back to stable shores with the help of a giant Pacific octopus. Ro is stuck. She's just entered her thirties, she's estranged from her mother, and her boyfriend has just left her to join a mission to Mars. Her days are spent dragging herself to her menial job at a mall aquarium, and her nights are spent drinking sharktinis (Mountain Dew and copious amounts of gin, plus a hint of jalapeno). With her best friend pulling away to focus on her upcoming wedding, Ro's only companion is Dolores, a giant Pacific octopus who also happens to be Ro's last remaining link to her father, a marine biologist who disappeared while on an expedition when Ro was a teenager. When Dolores is sold to a wealthy investor intent on moving her to a private aquarium, Ro finds herself on the precipice of self-destruction. Wading through memories of her youth, Ro has one last chance to come to terms with her childhood trauma, recommit to those around her, and find her place in an ever-changing world.

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "I enjoyed this book and it was a quick read. I appreciated how the story bounced back and forth between time periods in the protagonist Ro's life - this chaotic whiplash felt very illustrative of grief, the central emotion depicted in the book. The author made Ro's relationship with her father very relatable, portraying Apa as a human with both good and bad qualities."; "It explores heavy themes like grief, family dynamics, self-doubt, addiction, and childhood trauma with such a delicate, realistic touch. "; "Ro narrates through relatable yet simultaneously imaginative stories how a variety of different people and creatures can have a long term influence in a person's life. "