There's a lot in this book that should've turned me off: a sentient octopus capable of communicating with a human, a pile of far-fetched coincidences used to hold the plot together, and an unresolved storyline. And yet, here I am giving it very solid 4 stars anyway. That's the mark of a good writer.

Here's why I recommend this book:
• I loved the voice of the octopus (Marcellus). He sounded like a snarky gay man who has much better taste than the rest of us. His chapters are written like prison diaries, because he doesn't want to be living in an aquarium. He's fabulous.
• While there's a mystery to the book, it's solved for the reader about halfway in so you get to something of a co-conspirator while you wait for the characters to catch-up.
• It has a very satisfying ending. The author does a good job seaming together all the threads, and when the title is pulled in, it's a little chef's kiss.

This book requires a bit of suspension of disbelief, but it rewards you with charm, along the lines of "The House in The Cerulean Sea."