After a year of several sea creature books this book still stood out as a great read! Gina Chung wrote a stand out novel and I've been recommending it to people who enjoyed some other very popular books this past year. Thanks so much for a chance to read an early copy of this novel.

I don’t have a ton to say about this really. It wasn’t bad, it didn’t blow me away, it just was. I, of course, enjoyed the octopus because they are magnificent creatures. I struggled, of course, with the excessive drinking and self-sabotage. I think this is a deeply personal book, and it will either resonate or it won’t - and there’s nothing wrong with that.

One of the best books I have ever read in 2023 on what it means to be adrift in life, searching for anchors, and the Korean American experienece.

Gina Chung's "Sea Change" is a deeply touching narrative that delves into a myriad of themes, including the intricate dynamics within families, the profound experiences of loss and grief, the transformative power of love and friendship, and the essential journey of self-acceptance. The protagonist, Ro, is beautifully flawed, rendering her character authentic and relatable. Her struggles predominantly stem from the scars of past traumas and her ongoing battle with self-compassion, which impedes her capacity to fully engage in personal relationships and leads her to seek solace in alcohol.

One of the book's standout aspects is the vivid and enchanting descriptions of the diverse array of aquatic creatures residing in the aquarium, with particular emphasis on the fascinating world of sea animals and cephalopods. In her storytelling, the author astutely brings to the forefront the poignant issue of animals in captivity and underscores the essential qualities of kindness and compassion in nurturing not only human connections but also our relationships with all living beings and the environment at large.

Additionally, the narrative sheds light on the pressing concerns of environmental pollution and the detrimental effects of climate change, which severely impact the living conditions of marine animals, thereby offering valuable insights into the need for collective responsibility and conscientious actions to safeguard our planet's fragile ecosystems.

A lovely book I would highly recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

- thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc to review!

- i wish there was more to this book, as the description sounded so good. a person lost in their thoughts but caring for an octopus they consider their friend? sign me up!

- however, i felt the story to be very lackluster with its execution, and found myself wanting more. I'll still look out for Gina Chung's later works, but this one was a miss for me.

I just couldn't connect with the character or the pacing of the story. I'm not sure if the writing is for me.

Hm. Not what I was expecting. Not much action, but the writing was beautiful, and who doesn’t love an octopus story? I’m not sure I’d recommend but I didn’t totally dislike it either.

I loved and enjoyed being immersed in the quiet world of Ro. Father being missing for many years, an estranged relationship with mother, ex-boyfriend soon departing for Mars, a best friend getting married, oh, and her beloved octopus in the aquarium which she takes care of as work is getting purchased and transferred to somoewhere else...Ro, a single thirty something Korean American is facing multiple separations and this is the story of her coping with it. I thought it resonates well with loneliness felt by everyone living in this age.

"Sea Change" by Gina Chung is a contemporary romance novel with an intriguing premise and well-developed characters. The story revolves around a young woman who embarks on a transformative journey after a series of life-changing events. The coastal setting adds a charming backdrop to the narrative, creating a sense of serenity and escape. While the book offers a unique take on self-discovery, some aspects felt out of place. Additionally, certain plot points lacked the context needed to fully enjoy the story.

Chung's writing style is engaging and emotive, allowing readers to connect with the characters on an emotional level. Overall, "Sea Change" is a pleasant read for fans of introspective character journeys. While it may not break new ground, the novel delivers a satisfying and heartwarming story of love, healing, and finding oneself amidst life's uncertainties.

This is not a happy book. I think my feelings for it were saved by the slightly hopeful ending. I am not always needy for closed or hopeful endings, at least not all the time. Over my years of reading voraciously, since I started blogging, I have managed to gain a semblance of appreciation for the more open-ended solutions (if they count as solutions at all.
This particular narrative is a semi-dystopian future. I specify the 'semi' part because it has an all too realistic feel to it. it is undoubtedly a version of something our next generation might face at the rate things are going.
Our lead protagonist is a first-generation Korean-American, Ro. Her parents have a tough relationship, with her mother wanting comfort in her Korean identity, while her father has dreams of making some discoveries in his academic/exploratory field.
Ro is introduced as someone who is mourning the loss of her long-term boyfriend on a Mars mission, but her issues go deeper than that. In a non-sequential order, we go back and forth, and by the end of the book, we can trace the passage of time between her parents' meeting and her current status. It also explains a lot about her current mental state and the way she is coping with life in general. I may not have come away with as much admiration for the father figure as much as Ro has, but that probably makes more sense given the entire picture.
She slid into an alcoholic haze so often in the beginning that I almost gave up. I am glad I stuck around since she does manage to gain a foothold to pull herself up. Ro struggles with self-esteem with maintaining her relationship with her friend and other family. There is a lot of retrospection in the book, with the arc of the character moving really slowly. I did think once or twice if the more straightforward method of telling the story from start to finish instead of back and forth would have been simpler. It may not have had the same depressing outlook, which might be the point that the author was trying to drive home.
I am glad I finished it because I was left with more complex content than I imagined at first glance.

I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

Give me all the books with sweet stories and octopi! I enjoyed the futurism in this one even though I didn't connect too much with the MC. Thank you Vintage for the ARC of this one.

Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for this Advanced Copy of Sea Change by Gina Chung.

Hey! If you liked Remarkably Bright Creatures, here’s another book with an octopus. That’s it. That’s the book. Except this main character is kind of crappy and nothing happens in this entire book from start to finish aside from her realizing that she’s kind of crappy. Lots of stories from her childhood.. and NOTHING HAPPENS

This just wasn't for me, and I think it's mostly because I just had a different idea of what it was going to be. The focus is mostly on Ro and her growth throughout the novel - I wanted more focus on her missing father, her relationship with her mom, and her boyfriend, Tae. I do think the story will resonate with other readers, it just wasn't for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

At first glance, I did not seem very interested in this book because it was lauded as a novel that focused on the relationship between a young woman and a cephalopod. In reality, it was much more than that. Yes, Dolores the octopus played a key role, but the story arc of Ro and her heartbreak and recovery was poignant. Ro was left reeling after the disappearance of her father at sea while she was a teenager and the relationship with her mother was fraught from the very beginning. When this awkward Korean American woman falls in love and foresees a happy ending with her boyfriend, this, too, is torn away when he chooses a career opportunity that excludes her. I enjoyed seeing how Ro navigated this in the latter portion of the story and was able to "see change", or at least the possibility of it, in herself.

At first, I really enjoyed this book. It has an interesting premise (what other book has a father who was lost at sea searching for giant octopuses?), a fun setting (I always wanted to work in an aquarium), and an interesting look into how different generations of a Korean family work through grief/emotion (not only between generations but also due to their upbringing in different countries as well).

However, by the second half, I was getting sick and tired of Ro and her attitude. She is obviously in a state of depression, but there are some moments that made me just so incredibly annoyed with her. I did like her relationships with her cousin and best friend, but she as a person just made me mad (which I think was supposed to be the point).

The messages in this book are pretty well done, but I don't think I'll find myself reaching for it again. However, I will be recommending it to others this summer!

i too am 1 octopus best friend away from a full mental breakdown

i love thoughtful books where everything is sad and then is hopeful, eventually, in a realistic way and not a happy ever after way. and this is that.

I ended up really enjoying this novel - I felt like it was quirkier than I thought it would be, with some "Our Wives Under the Sea" moments...perfect paperback original.

Ro is teetering on the edge; with her career, her mother, her best friend and her boyfriend (who just left on a mission to Mars). It’s been 15 years since her father went missing on a research trip in the Bering Vortex and she clings to the last ties of him by caring for the animals at the local aquarium. Dolores, a giant Pacific octopus, is the aquarium’s most popular exhibit and Ro’s one joy in life. As the aquarium careens into a financial crisis, a solution is presented when a private investor wants to purchase Dolores for his home aquarium. The thought of losing Dolores so soon after her boyfriend, sends Ro into a spiral and forces her to confront her childhood traumas and the failed relationships in her life.

Sea Change is a wonderfully written novel that handles difficult themes of grief, abandonment, and dysfunctional relationships. Ro is the kind of character that you simultaneously root for and pull your hair out at the decisions she makes. However, these flaws are what make her so relatable - we’ve all lost partners (maybe not to Mars… yet), jobs, parents, and our own identity as we navigate the murky waters of our thirties. We also loved the Korean American representation that Gina Chung brought to life in her novel. This creates a space for other women to identify with Ro and cultural nuances that aren’t typically seen in modern coming-of-age stories. As an OWC book club selection, we had the pleasure of discussing this book as a group AND we spoke to Gina Chung (She’s FABULOUS) for an author interview! We highly recommend this book and we can’t wait to share our conversation with y'all soon.

This is a compelling story of a woman named Ro who works at a mall aquarium and is dealing with the absence of her missing father. Her mother is estranged, her boyfriend is going to Mars, and her best friend is getting married. The one constant that has been in Ro’s life is a giant Pacific octopus named Dolores. Once Dolores is sold to a wealthy investor, Ro begins down a spiral contemplating her purpose in life.