halfamoon | Day 11 - Senses

I come with another book rec for this prompt.

The prompt made me think of Gina Chung's novel Sea Change. The novel is sad, but it's also hopeful and beautifully written. The descriptions of sights and sounds and touch are visceral, particularly the descriptions of Dolores, a giant octopus that Ro, the protagonist, takes care of and bonds with. Dolores changes colors based on different moods and Ro has learned to read them somewhat. Ro is also able to touch Dolores.

Ro is depressed and in a rut after several changes that have occurred in her life (her boyfriend left her to embark on a mission to Mars, she and her best friend from childhood -- who works at the same aquarium -- have been drifting apart, etc.), and she drinks a lot. The story goes back and forth between past and present, and we're given insight into Ro's family history, including the dynamics between her parents and the disappearance of her father, a marine biologist, and how it has all affected her in the present. Ro finds solace in communing with Dolores, and the fact that Dolores was found by her father and brought to the aquarium from an expedition in the place where he is believed to have disappeared is an additional pull for her.

Sea Change is sad in many moments (and in the very beginning of the book we learn that a wealthy investor has decided to buy Dolores, which devastates Ro), but it does end on a hopeful note (and Ro does 'come to her senses' and work through things) and it's really quite a lovely read.