Book Review: The Benefits of Being an Octopus

The Benefits of Being an Octopus is a riveting Young Adult novel. In the acknowledgements Ann Braden reveals this book was inspired by the need for students in poverty to view themselves in literature. Braden also dedicates the book to her single mother, and those two details inform how she was able to craft such a heartfelt, genuine book.

Zoey is a 7th grader with three younger siblings. Her single mother has moved them into her boyfriend's trailer. There's never enough money and her mother is stretched to near breaking, so Zoey is expected to assist with childcare. As I have witnessed in real life, children faced with such issues mature quickly because they have to. The realities of their life are raw; there is a constant fear of overdrawn accounts and past due bills, with a reliance on public transportation or your own two feet because having a working car of your own is a luxury.

Zooey repeatedly watched a show about octopuses and found herself drawn to their abilities, and references are naturally worked in throughout the book:

"If I were an octopus, things would be so much easier. I'd have one arm to wipe Aurora's nose. Two more for holding both kids' hands when I pick them up from the Head Start bus stop to keep Bryce from wandering into the street after some rock he's spotted. One to hold Hector and his diaper bag on the afternoons when my mom works at the Pizza Pit. One to adjust my shirt because it doesn't really fit and it can get too revealing if I'm not paying attention, and I don't want to be 'that girl.' One so I could do my homework at least some of the time if I wanted. One to pick up the Cheerios that are always on the floor. And the last one to swipe a can of Easy cheese from the Cumberland Farms convenience store. Because little snowmen out of Easy Cheese are the most magical thing little kids have ever seen. And Easy Cheese letters on a saline is totally different than having to eat regular saltines."

We witness the value of teachers and the pivotal role they can play to notice what's going on, in spite of a student's hopes of fading into the background and being invisible; they can come alongside struggling students and challenge and support them. Zoey has one particular teacher who won't let her fall between the cracks, instead urging her to "suck it up" -- to see her circumstances for what they are but not to wallow in them. Instead, look at your life honestly but make changes. Zoey is stretched by this teacher and her participation in debate club, and her decisions have pivotal impacts on her mother and two close friends.

This book made me ache and be anxious because the text feels genuine. Without revealing spoilers, there isn't a magical, unrealistic happy ending, but there is improvement and hope for the future. As I also read Educated, this was a complementary pairing to that memoir about poverty and education. The fact that they worked so well together further reinforces how well written The Benefits of Being an Octopus is.

Research has demonstrated that reading a book creates empathy; the mental connections are as if the reader has lived through the experiences themselves. With that knowledge in hand, this book would be a valuable tool in classrooms and could create a lasting impact on students to see each other as they truly are and to bring awareness to the varied experiences they have when they enter the doors of a school.

(I was provided a digital advanced readers copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I've used Amazon Affiliate links here; should you purchase through these links, I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you.)