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The Peculiar Tale of the Tentacle Boy
When Marina discovers a boy with a head of tentacles and crab claws for hands, she resolves to help him unravel the mystery of his past. . .
Marina lives in Merlington, a fish-obsessed seaside town. Unfortunately, she doesn't care for fish; she loves telling stories.
Marina finds her best story yet when she explores the ruined, haunted pier: a boy called William with a head of tentacles and crab claws for hands. He has lived on the pier all his life, cared for by a fisherman who has since disappeared and who warned him always to remain hidden.
Together, the pair resolve to unravel the mystery of his past – but danger isn't far away. . .
‘Charming and delightful ... a whimsical adventure story stuffed to the flippers with fish puns and fun.’ Sam Sedgman, co-author of the Adventures on Trains series
'The story has been polished like a pebble in a gift shop … so charming and quirky is our voyage' The Times
'Crammed to the gills with everything I want in a middle-grade book.' Jasbinder Bilan, author of Asha & the Spirit Bird
'Full of heart, adventure, and wordplay.' Waterstones
'Packed with fishy puns and a truly awful villain.' Alastair Chisholm, author of Orion Lost
'An affecting, engaging study of the pleasures and pitfalls of outsiderdom.' Financial Times
Marina lives in Merlington, a fish-obsessed seaside town. Unfortunately, she doesn't care for fish; she loves telling stories.
Marina finds her best story yet when she explores the ruined, haunted pier: a boy called William with a head of tentacles and crab claws for hands. He has lived on the pier all his life, cared for by a fisherman who has since disappeared and who warned him always to remain hidden.
Together, the pair resolve to unravel the mystery of his past – but danger isn't far away. . .
‘Charming and delightful ... a whimsical adventure story stuffed to the flippers with fish puns and fun.’ Sam Sedgman, co-author of the Adventures on Trains series
'The story has been polished like a pebble in a gift shop … so charming and quirky is our voyage' The Times
'Crammed to the gills with everything I want in a middle-grade book.' Jasbinder Bilan, author of Asha & the Spirit Bird
'Full of heart, adventure, and wordplay.' Waterstones
'Packed with fishy puns and a truly awful villain.' Alastair Chisholm, author of Orion Lost
'An affecting, engaging study of the pleasures and pitfalls of outsiderdom.' Financial Times
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2021
5 people are currently reading
105 people want to read
About the author
Richard Pickard
2 books6 followersRichard has always loved spending time by the sea. Although he grew up in Hertfordshire his grandparents live on the south coast, in Sussex and Dorset, where much of the inspiration for his stories has been found. Whether writing, sunbathing, or sheltering from the rain with a mug of tea, the family beach hut in Bournemouth has always been one of his happiest places.
Richard's debut novel, The Peculiar Tale of the Tentacle Boy, won the inaugural Times/Chicken House Chairman's Choice Award in 2019. His love of storytelling started at a young age, through a passion for literature but also for cinema. Two of his greatest childhood influences were Roald Dahl and Tim Burton, who both possess a wickedly dark sense of humour.
Richard's debut novel, The Peculiar Tale of the Tentacle Boy, won the inaugural Times/Chicken House Chairman's Choice Award in 2019. His love of storytelling started at a young age, through a passion for literature but also for cinema. Two of his greatest childhood influences were Roald Dahl and Tim Burton, who both possess a wickedly dark sense of humour.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
February 11, 2022
Het mysterieuze verhaal van de Tentakeljongen van Richard Pickard is een nieuw boek van Uitgeverij Billy Bones. Het speelt zich af in Aaldijk, een fictief vissersdorpje in de UK.
Marina houdt niet van vis. Ze houdt van verhalen vertellen. De rest van het dorp heeft dit omgekeerd. Sommige klasgenoten zeggen zelfs dat Marina de hele tijd liegt.
Op een dag gaat Marina naar de verlaten pier. Wanneer ze in het oude huisje kijkt, blijkt daar iemand te wonen. Een jongen die al heel erg lang op zijn vader wacht. Wanneer het dorp ontdekt wat de jongen is en hoe hij heet, wordt het een gekkenhuis.
In Aaldijk staan wel zeven viswinkels en iedereen heeft een achternaam die te maken heeft met vissen of de zee. Zo is er de familie Witvis, de familie Steur, de familie Wier en natuurlijk de familie Meerval. Marina Meerval heeft haar vader verloren. Hij is op een dag de zee opgegaan en is nooit meer terug gekomen, toch blijft ze hopen dat haar vader ooit nog komt.
In dit boek staat het vertellen van verhalen centraal en ook het hebben van een sterke familieband is een terugkomend onderwerp. Tussendoor komen er ook vissenfeitjes aan bod, maar dit heb ik een beetje genegeerd. Het verhaal is mooi, maar ik vond het als gevorderde lezer toch ook wel voorspelbaar. De drie woorden die centraal staan, zijn familie, mysterie en vissen. Al met al vond ik het dus wel leuk om te lezen, maar helaas had ik halverwege het einde al voorspeld.
Marina houdt niet van vis. Ze houdt van verhalen vertellen. De rest van het dorp heeft dit omgekeerd. Sommige klasgenoten zeggen zelfs dat Marina de hele tijd liegt.
Op een dag gaat Marina naar de verlaten pier. Wanneer ze in het oude huisje kijkt, blijkt daar iemand te wonen. Een jongen die al heel erg lang op zijn vader wacht. Wanneer het dorp ontdekt wat de jongen is en hoe hij heet, wordt het een gekkenhuis.
In Aaldijk staan wel zeven viswinkels en iedereen heeft een achternaam die te maken heeft met vissen of de zee. Zo is er de familie Witvis, de familie Steur, de familie Wier en natuurlijk de familie Meerval. Marina Meerval heeft haar vader verloren. Hij is op een dag de zee opgegaan en is nooit meer terug gekomen, toch blijft ze hopen dat haar vader ooit nog komt.
In dit boek staat het vertellen van verhalen centraal en ook het hebben van een sterke familieband is een terugkomend onderwerp. Tussendoor komen er ook vissenfeitjes aan bod, maar dit heb ik een beetje genegeerd. Het verhaal is mooi, maar ik vond het als gevorderde lezer toch ook wel voorspelbaar. De drie woorden die centraal staan, zijn familie, mysterie en vissen. Al met al vond ik het dus wel leuk om te lezen, maar helaas had ik halverwege het einde al voorspeld.
August 18, 2021
WONDERFULLY WHIMSICAL - full review to come!
August 29, 2021
A fun, heartwarming tale with themes of prejudice, acceptance and forgiveness. I was stuck between 3 and 4 stars, so probably more 3 and half. The difficulty I had was deciding who the target audience would be. The story, complexity of the language and structure would put it in the 7-10 year range. However, there were some scenes that would be unsuitable/inaccessible to this age group and would be more suitable for 9-13. Because of this, I wouldn’t know who to recommend it for, especially as a class read. Also, child would need an incredible amount of knowledge about fish and the sea to appreciate all the puns and humour.
All in all a good story but read yourself first before giving to a child.
All in all a good story but read yourself first before giving to a child.
August 26, 2021
Imagine Edward Scissorhands set in an English coastal town where the inhabitants are obsessed by fish, and you get some idea of what this wonderful book is like. Funny, charming and a little disgusting, the story unfolds at a steady place and, rather than predictability, there's an inevitability to events. Richard Pickard fills the book with fish puns and references, well-drawn characters, including a revolting villain, and humanity in positive and negative lights. I was enchanted throughout, amused, thrilled and touched. If there isn't a movie adaptation there is no justice in this world. Aardman, Pixar, Disney, are you listening?
July 11, 2024
Maybe 2.5. It was a decent and cute story.
February 26, 2022
I'm a sucker for a middle grade book about found friendship, adventure, mystery and family. The setting of a fictional town that was fish centric was on reflection mildly interesting and engaging. The pizzazz of stand out characters, nuance and plot wasn't there. I missed the magic that should have been evident, after all we have a unknown hybrid: part human, part sea creature with a mysterious past and uncertain future.
What was signposted from the start was the entire plot; there were no surprises, we knew who the villain was, why they were a villain and literally what they would do next to move the story onwards. The plucky kids were, plucky, honest and concentrating on finding the truth to an intertwined mystery.
The only enigma was William's real origins, that should be the focus of book 2, less of the fish puns and less of the disposable cast who were indistinct. I can't believe that this town doesn't eat meat, education and employment is nautical focused. Everything from names to curses are fish themed.
I'm disappointed to state how much I disliked the narration particularly the female voices - they were essentially the same with an undertone of whine. The male voices were marginally better with a range of three. All in all, this significantly influenced my level of interest in this book
It meant I took a very long time to read a 6 hour book, as I couldn't bear listening to it for long periods. My library loan lapsed and I was lucky enough to be able to check it out again a few days later when I'd realised what had happened. Yet what kept me coming back was wanting to find out more about William. That wasn't fully achieved, so perhaps I'll take a wander back into this world but only as a paperback.
Probably should be a three stars but there's a wish to deduct something because of the narration. Is that fair as the book itself is okay. Maybe I'm being mean spirited
What was signposted from the start was the entire plot; there were no surprises, we knew who the villain was, why they were a villain and literally what they would do next to move the story onwards. The plucky kids were, plucky, honest and concentrating on finding the truth to an intertwined mystery.
The only enigma was William's real origins, that should be the focus of book 2, less of the fish puns and less of the disposable cast who were indistinct. I can't believe that this town doesn't eat meat, education and employment is nautical focused. Everything from names to curses are fish themed.
I'm disappointed to state how much I disliked the narration particularly the female voices - they were essentially the same with an undertone of whine. The male voices were marginally better with a range of three. All in all, this significantly influenced my level of interest in this book
It meant I took a very long time to read a 6 hour book, as I couldn't bear listening to it for long periods. My library loan lapsed and I was lucky enough to be able to check it out again a few days later when I'd realised what had happened. Yet what kept me coming back was wanting to find out more about William. That wasn't fully achieved, so perhaps I'll take a wander back into this world but only as a paperback.
Probably should be a three stars but there's a wish to deduct something because of the narration. Is that fair as the book itself is okay. Maybe I'm being mean spirited
June 29, 2022
Marina is an imaginative girl who lives in the fish obsessed town of Merlington in the English coast. Merlington is an odd little town. It contains 18 fishmongers! Five of which are owned by the repulsive Harold and one of the fishmongers is owned by Marina's mother. Unfortunately Marina's mother's shop has been struggling in the 6 years since Marina's father was lost at sea. Marina has no interest in fish but she loves to tell tall tales to entertain her friends and imagine the many unlikely but hopeful ways her father might have survived and lost his memory and be out in the world.
When Marina gets in a fight with one of her friends and is called a liar she is determined to prove that she can have real adventures too! Marina rows out to the abandoned building that is all that is left of Merlington's pier. Everyone claims the building is haunted and Marina is determined to find the truth but when she gets there she finds something far stranger than a ghost....A boy with crab claws for hands and tentacles for hair. A boy who was raised in the abandoned building by a fisherman who has disappeared. A boy named William, who looks strange, but really needs a friend. When Marina returns and tells her friends about him no-one believes her, but she sets in motion events that will shake up the sleepy town and change everything!
There are some big themes wrapped up in an entertaining story here. What is the difference between telling a story and lying? What makes someone human? There are also silly moments that will get kids laughing, like the post being sent via message-in-a-bottle, and the absolute obsession everyone in town has with seafood. The story also gets a bit dark with Harold plotting to turn William into a fish-dinner!
This was a really enjoyable read with some great things to think about or talk about with your kids.
Recommended 9+
When Marina gets in a fight with one of her friends and is called a liar she is determined to prove that she can have real adventures too! Marina rows out to the abandoned building that is all that is left of Merlington's pier. Everyone claims the building is haunted and Marina is determined to find the truth but when she gets there she finds something far stranger than a ghost....A boy with crab claws for hands and tentacles for hair. A boy who was raised in the abandoned building by a fisherman who has disappeared. A boy named William, who looks strange, but really needs a friend. When Marina returns and tells her friends about him no-one believes her, but she sets in motion events that will shake up the sleepy town and change everything!
There are some big themes wrapped up in an entertaining story here. What is the difference between telling a story and lying? What makes someone human? There are also silly moments that will get kids laughing, like the post being sent via message-in-a-bottle, and the absolute obsession everyone in town has with seafood. The story also gets a bit dark with Harold plotting to turn William into a fish-dinner!
This was a really enjoyable read with some great things to think about or talk about with your kids.
Recommended 9+
December 6, 2021
I saw this book at my local used book store and was ecstatic finding it. I never heard of it before but the spine sold me instantly as I knew it was a newer book and one of those UK editions that I like picking up on eBay for more than I would like to admit. Saw it for $4.99 and happily snatched it up. Read it right away for a change rather than slipping down the queue never to be read (ha…)
3.5 rounded up to 4. It is quirky, it is whimsical and it has a great autumnal seaside town atmosphere. There were parts I really liked, and parts that were just ok. Predictable and the “twist” is one of those twists where it’s revealed first and then later on the character involved is confronted with said twist, but you as the reader are not surprised due to the earlier reveal. Not a whole lot of action but it does explore themes of individuality, family and friendship. At times it read like almost every YA adventurous story I’ve ever read but I guess that’s the nature of the beast. The gimmick that helps it stand out obviously is the fantastical titular tentacle boy. But at the end of the day it’s the same skeleton of a story, just dabbed over with a fresh coat of paint.
Enjoyed it and will keep it for the stunning cover. We have come a long way since Apple Scholastic covers.
3.5 rounded up to 4. It is quirky, it is whimsical and it has a great autumnal seaside town atmosphere. There were parts I really liked, and parts that were just ok. Predictable and the “twist” is one of those twists where it’s revealed first and then later on the character involved is confronted with said twist, but you as the reader are not surprised due to the earlier reveal. Not a whole lot of action but it does explore themes of individuality, family and friendship. At times it read like almost every YA adventurous story I’ve ever read but I guess that’s the nature of the beast. The gimmick that helps it stand out obviously is the fantastical titular tentacle boy. But at the end of the day it’s the same skeleton of a story, just dabbed over with a fresh coat of paint.
Enjoyed it and will keep it for the stunning cover. We have come a long way since Apple Scholastic covers.
January 7, 2022
Gelezen voor Biblion alwaar de gehele recensie zal verschijnen. Avontuurlijk jeugdverhaal in het Engels:
Marina Minnow vertelt graag verhalen over wezens uit de zee. De andere kinderen vinden dat het tijd is voor haar om volwassen te worden. Maar dan ziet Marina licht in een vervallen huisje op een oude pier. En dan ontdekt ze een heel bijzondere jongen.
Wonderlijk verhaal over opgroeien, vriendschap en een plaats vinden in de maatschappij, en dat alles tussen heel veel vis. Maar ook over hoe het is om anders te zijn, en over familiebanden die niet altijd van bloed hoeven te zijn. Zowel William, de jongen uit de zee, als Marina missen een vader. Marina besluit daarom om William te helpen in zijn zoektocht naar de zijne.
Goed te volgen verhaal in de derde persoon, zonder illustraties. De woorden zijn niet te moeilijk, en alles is uit de beleveniswereld van een al wat ouder kind/beginnende tiener geschreven.
Marina Minnow vertelt graag verhalen over wezens uit de zee. De andere kinderen vinden dat het tijd is voor haar om volwassen te worden. Maar dan ziet Marina licht in een vervallen huisje op een oude pier. En dan ontdekt ze een heel bijzondere jongen.
Wonderlijk verhaal over opgroeien, vriendschap en een plaats vinden in de maatschappij, en dat alles tussen heel veel vis. Maar ook over hoe het is om anders te zijn, en over familiebanden die niet altijd van bloed hoeven te zijn. Zowel William, de jongen uit de zee, als Marina missen een vader. Marina besluit daarom om William te helpen in zijn zoektocht naar de zijne.
Goed te volgen verhaal in de derde persoon, zonder illustraties. De woorden zijn niet te moeilijk, en alles is uit de beleveniswereld van een al wat ouder kind/beginnende tiener geschreven.
August 30, 2022
Wat een heerlijk verhaal met een bak aan vis-woordgrapjes. Ik moest het hele verhaal denken aan Lampje van Annet Schaap… de verhaallijn die ik na alle aandacht voor Lampje had verwacht, (en toch wat anders bleek te zijn) vond ik juist in dít boek!
Tijdens het lezen van de laatste paar hoofdstukken hoopte ik al op deel 2, waarbij ze op zoek zouden gaan naar vader. Eigenlijk wel jammer dat dit al is weggegeven. Aan de andere kant ; met de fantasie van Marina kan er zomaar een heel ander verhaal ontstaan als deel 2!
Ja, het is wel wat voorspelbaar. Maar toch ging het verhaal ook vrij regelmatig wat anders dan verwacht.
Tijdens het lezen van de laatste paar hoofdstukken hoopte ik al op deel 2, waarbij ze op zoek zouden gaan naar vader. Eigenlijk wel jammer dat dit al is weggegeven. Aan de andere kant ; met de fantasie van Marina kan er zomaar een heel ander verhaal ontstaan als deel 2!
Ja, het is wel wat voorspelbaar. Maar toch ging het verhaal ook vrij regelmatig wat anders dan verwacht.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 21, 2025
Marina loves telling stories but when she mets a boy who has crab claws for hands and tentacle for hair, it is no story - William is real. How can she convince the prejudiced fish sellers of her small town to accept William's differences? And how is he linked to her father's disappearance 6 years ago?
This was a whimsical story with themes fo friendship and acceptance running through it. There are some particularly dislikable characters who are clearly signposted as the villains throughout. I didn't find the ending particularly satisfactory as there were still too many unanswered questions about William's origins.
This was a whimsical story with themes fo friendship and acceptance running through it. There are some particularly dislikable characters who are clearly signposted as the villains throughout. I didn't find the ending particularly satisfactory as there were still too many unanswered questions about William's origins.
November 21, 2021
A great mystery story with a very fishy twist. Marina rows out to the abandoned shack at the end of the rundown pier to find a boy with pincers for hands and tentacles for hair. The next day he wakes up on the beach surrounded by inquisitive fishmongers considering how to share him out. Marina rescues him only for him to become a local celebrity and a mystery that is very close to home.
A fast-moving novel with great characters and even better fish pun names.
A fast-moving novel with great characters and even better fish pun names.
November 1, 2021
This middle grade book is about an imaginative girl who discovers a boy who could only come from imagination.
When Marina stumbles upon a sea creature-boy hybrid hiding in the abandoned pier by her hometown, she knew no one would believe her. But when he is washed up on her local beach unconscious the next day, she is determined to protect him from the unknown assailant.
This is a heart-warming quirky book perfectly pitched for middle-grade. It is packed with friends, bullies, school-life and local community. What stands out for me is the message this book sends to its readers: not to judge people on how they look, but accept them for who they are.
When Marina stumbles upon a sea creature-boy hybrid hiding in the abandoned pier by her hometown, she knew no one would believe her. But when he is washed up on her local beach unconscious the next day, she is determined to protect him from the unknown assailant.
This is a heart-warming quirky book perfectly pitched for middle-grade. It is packed with friends, bullies, school-life and local community. What stands out for me is the message this book sends to its readers: not to judge people on how they look, but accept them for who they are.
August 15, 2022
A lovely, quirky read about the tale of a boy with tentacles for hair.... Marina lives in Merlington, a small town with a host of fishy characters. One day Marina rows out to the crumbling pier to discover William, a boy with claws for hands and tentacles for hair. The story that follows is delightful - a mystery full of friendship and fishy puns. Would be great to read aloud to children.
August 17, 2024
Ontzettend slecht vertaald verhaal over een jongen met tentakels op zijn hoofd en scharen als handen. Het gaat niet alleen over vriendschap, maar ook over verdwenen vaders. Tussendoor worden er nog wat grapjes verteld.
Leuk verhaal voor de doelgroep, maar er moet nog wel even iemand over de tekst heen kijken.
Leuk verhaal voor de doelgroep, maar er moet nog wel even iemand over de tekst heen kijken.
October 22, 2023
I’m not 100% sure how I feel about this one. It wasn’t awful, it just didn’t go the way I thought. A huge amount of fish puns, which I know some could struggle with. I just don’t know! #sittingonthefence
April 10, 2025
Wat een onwijs leuk kinderboek met een uniek verhaal. Ik kreeg er een beetje Disney’s ‘Luca’ vibe van. Las heel prettig. Ik had het leuk gevonden als er nog meer van een illustrator te zien was. Nu heb je alleen de voorkant om je fantasieën aan te wakkeren.
August 1, 2021
Quirky story with various themes: friendship, family, bravery, belonging. Really enjoyed the easy-to-read style and well paced.
October 16, 2021
A tale that’s a bit different, but definitely a lot of fun.
Read
January 11, 2022Edward Salmonhands
July 9, 2022
3.75 stars. Unusual, quirky, and interesting story. Loved the characterisation. Little bit predictable and little bit disappointing, as the origin of the peculiar boy is not really explained.
March 14, 2023
3.5/5.
November 7, 2021
I'm all for puns, jokes, and fun, but I draw the line at blasphemy. Finding expressions like "Oh my Cod" and "For Cod's sake", especially in a book aimed at children, is not funny: it's repulsing. This book should come with a warning label: I'd never have picked it up if I had known it contained such offensive material.
On top of that, the characters are sorely one-dimensional (the good guys are PERFECTLY good, the villains are PURE evil, and it all becomes boring and predictable way too soon), there's an overabundance of adjectives and adverbs (was an editor involved at any time?), and the dialogue tags are preposterously elaborate.
The main plot is this novel's one redeeming quality, but then the resolution comes and for some reason, the book doesn't end. Nobody needs an epilogue to span so many chapters!
On top of that, the characters are sorely one-dimensional (the good guys are PERFECTLY good, the villains are PURE evil, and it all becomes boring and predictable way too soon), there's an overabundance of adjectives and adverbs (was an editor involved at any time?), and the dialogue tags are preposterously elaborate.
The main plot is this novel's one redeeming quality, but then the resolution comes and for some reason, the book doesn't end. Nobody needs an epilogue to span so many chapters!
August 23, 2021
I really enjoyed this adventurous tale full of fishy puns. This would be great for the classroom, humorous and quirky. I do hope there will be more adventures.
September 4, 2021
In his debut novel, Richard Pickard tells the story of a girl named Marina, who lives in a very fish oriented town named Merlington, and what happens when she meets a boy named William with tentacles coming out of his head and a very mysterious past. Together, they must face the town’s rather extreme reactions of the townspeople, while trying to learn more about William’s fisherman father, who is missing. Marina is such a great character and I loved how much she loved storytelling, and also her friendship with William because they were just adorable. William is super interesting as a character too, as well as being lovely, and it was so gripping to learn more about his past as the book went on. The setting was another thing I thought was great about this, I felt like parts of it were almost satirical humour, and it reminded me a bit of Nicola Skinner’s amazing book Bloom in places. And the fishy puns were just sea-lightful (and much better than my rubbish attempt at one!). This was so quirky and unique, and I’m really interested to see what the author writes next. Also, if you love Pixar’s latest film Luca, this is an absolute must read!
August 17, 2021
A beautifully written book with a wonderfully vivid cast of characters living together in a seaside town. Highly recommended for readers young and old.
December 17, 2021
I was hopeful about this book because it looked so cute, but it didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The overwhelming amount of fish puns began to grate on me very quickly, though will probably entertain a child. The story was interesting and I wanted to find out what happened, but the writing style was a bit too young for me.
July 29, 2021
5 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟
New read for my 8-10 yr old girls. In three words it is described as QUIRKY, FISHY, ADVENTURE 🐙 Beautifully illustrated cover and spine. Gorgeous illustration of fish at each chapter 🐟 in a small seaside town, Marina decides to explore the haunted pier. She doesn't find ghosts lurking in the darkness, but finds a strange creature- part boy, part sea creature. William has crab claws and tentacles and is desperate for Marina to help him solve the mystery of his past. A fabulous fishy adventure for young and not so young minds! #richardpickard #thepeculiartaleofthetentacleboy #childrensbooks #bedtimereading
New read for my 8-10 yr old girls. In three words it is described as QUIRKY, FISHY, ADVENTURE 🐙 Beautifully illustrated cover and spine. Gorgeous illustration of fish at each chapter 🐟 in a small seaside town, Marina decides to explore the haunted pier. She doesn't find ghosts lurking in the darkness, but finds a strange creature- part boy, part sea creature. William has crab claws and tentacles and is desperate for Marina to help him solve the mystery of his past. A fabulous fishy adventure for young and not so young minds! #richardpickard #thepeculiartaleofthetentacleboy #childrensbooks #bedtimereading
January 6, 2024
I'd seen a few people read this book and I was hooked by its intriguing name, interesting premise and, let's be honest, its gorgeous cover and beautiful sprayed edges.
What I got was a quick, quirky, cosy read about acceptance and what it means to be family. There were lots of things I liked about this story: the overaching message of love and forgiveness is always a winner with me. I also like Marina's stories and the salty, windswept setting.
There were just somethings that kept jarring with me and stopping me from getting fully immersed. I struggled to find the world of this story believable. It appears to be set in our world with terms like Year 7 and Year 8 used to describe school years, mobile phones, police officers and news crews. However, the whimsicalness of every lesson at school being how to identify fish, fillet fish, tie knots, etc. and the fact that everyone's name is in some way nautical themed stretched my suspension of disbelief beyond what I could manage.
This then lessens the impact of the story for me. Because if it's fully, believably set in our world, then story about a boy like this leaves that little magical question of 'what if' in your mind. However, if it's set in a world that's already strange and unbelievable, of course a boy with tentacles is possible and so it becomes less magical.
Another issue was that as much as I liked the main characters, their ages felt all wrong to me. They're 12/13 with the younger character being 11 and yet their speech and behaviour reminded much more of 9/10 year olds.
I also deeply disliked the overused trope that the nasty character also has to be ugly and overweight. A fact which is frequently comment on in this book.
I'm not sure quite what to make of this book. It had a great idea with a good overall story but a lot of the details didn't quite work for me so I'm not sure who I'd recommend it to.
What I got was a quick, quirky, cosy read about acceptance and what it means to be family. There were lots of things I liked about this story: the overaching message of love and forgiveness is always a winner with me. I also like Marina's stories and the salty, windswept setting.
There were just somethings that kept jarring with me and stopping me from getting fully immersed. I struggled to find the world of this story believable. It appears to be set in our world with terms like Year 7 and Year 8 used to describe school years, mobile phones, police officers and news crews. However, the whimsicalness of every lesson at school being how to identify fish, fillet fish, tie knots, etc. and the fact that everyone's name is in some way nautical themed stretched my suspension of disbelief beyond what I could manage.
This then lessens the impact of the story for me. Because if it's fully, believably set in our world, then story about a boy like this leaves that little magical question of 'what if' in your mind. However, if it's set in a world that's already strange and unbelievable, of course a boy with tentacles is possible and so it becomes less magical.
Another issue was that as much as I liked the main characters, their ages felt all wrong to me. They're 12/13 with the younger character being 11 and yet their speech and behaviour reminded much more of 9/10 year olds.
I also deeply disliked the overused trope that the nasty character also has to be ugly and overweight. A fact which is frequently comment on in this book.
I'm not sure quite what to make of this book. It had a great idea with a good overall story but a lot of the details didn't quite work for me so I'm not sure who I'd recommend it to.
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