'The Benefits of Being an Octopus' is Ann Braden's wonderful children's debut, that both taught and humbled me as an adult reader. The story is one of poverty, prejudice and the seemingly insurmountable odds that many families and children experience. It focuses on seventh grader (year eight in England and Wales) Zoey and her brave fight to overcome the odds that are stacked against her. Make no mistake, this is a powerful story with a beautiful message and an incredible heroine to boot!

A timeless and enduring tale that lets kids know they are not alone in their struggles. Unfortunately, poverty still persists, but what was once believed - that those born into poverty will remain in poverty - is no longer as black and white, although it is certainly now rearing its ugly head once more thanks to government cuts in both the UK and US. Of course, this ultimately leads back to the issue of capitalistic societies, but I don't wish to go into that in any great detail. The problem with capitalism is that it leads to a powerful and affluent few and an impoverished and oppressed many. Despite the riches some people have accumulated, most of which they will never need to live a comfortable life, there are many out there with barely two pennies to rub together.

This exquisitely written tale of overcoming overwhelming odds and thriving despite adversity will be enjoyed by kids and appreciated by adults. It looks at topical issues of class, poverty and the moral ambiguity of gun ownership, within the context and short duration of the story. Please don't make the mistake that this fantastic book is only for children and youngsters; I feel we adults could learn some important lessons here too. There should be more books like this, but for each one I am grateful, especially when they are as evocative and emotionally resonant as this one. We need to empower those living in difficult circumstances to escape the poverty trap, but a lot of other things need to change to make this possible. Braden's book will have a big impact on whoever decides to read it, and I for one look forward to reading her future work!

Many thanks to Sky Pony Press for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

I was one of those “sensitive readers” other reviewers warned may not be a good fit for the book. My 15-year-old daughter and I both tried to start and had to set aside this story as a poor fit for us.

I gave full stars because I’m proud the author is tackling hard topics that (sadly) many young children have to face. My hope is that this story doesn’t also leave them with the impression they (the children) also have to fix those big problems.

Zoey is in seventh grade and she has a ton of responsibilities, helping her mother take care of her 2 younger siblings ages 4, 3 and infant. The octopus tie in is right at the beginning--Zoey loves them because they had a book and a DVD about them, and also they are really cool. Also, who wouldn't love to have 8 arms? Only we wish seventh graders weren't so worried about their siblings and their mothers. Zoey's mother has a boyfriend, Lenny, who seems great because he is clean and has money and goes to work. But Zoey starts to realize that this is not the only thing that is happening. She spies on him with her mother only to find that he is verbally and emotionally abusive. She doesn't use those words, but she knows that Lenny is not treating her mother right. And she knows Lenny doesn't treat her brother Bryce right.

Zoey's school life is also a struggle, in part because she has too much going on at home. She gets lucky and has a teacher who intervenes for her and encourages her, even though it seems like Zoey isn't trying. This, and the fact that it's debate club, make all the difference.

It's a well told story in a fairly short number of pages. The setting and characters are memorable and evocative. You can't help but really feel for Zoey and her mother--especially her mother, who needs help from her seventh grader to make a real change in her life. The ending is maybe a bit more optimistic than real life, but it's nice to have a happyish ending.

Many seventh graders spend their days worrying about friendship drama, their appearance, or their killer homework. But there are millions of kids in our country whose worries are related to their safety or who are living in serious poverty. We don’t see those kids in books often enough, which is why I was eager to read THE BENEFITS OF BEING AN OCTOPUS.

Zoey has her hands full taking care of three younger siblings after school every day while her mom works at the pizza parlor. It’s hard and thankless work, and Zoey often finds herself in challenging situations that require patience and quick thinking beyond her years. They live with her mom’s boyfriend, Lenny. He’s the father of her youngest sibling. Her other siblings have a different father, and Zoey has never met her dad. Lenny’s trailer is the nicest place they’ve ever lived, and her mom is eager to please her boyfriend, even when it means she has to behave neglectfully toward her kids.

At school, Zoey does her best to stay under the radar, even though her demanding home life means there’s no time for homework. Her only friend Fuchsia lives in foster care, so neither of them fit in with the kids at school.

Zoey thinks life would be easier if she were an octopus. Eight arms to handle all her siblings. Amazing camouflage to help her hide at school. But as much as she’d like to be invisible, Ms. Rochambeau, the debate teacher has her in her sights. Even though Zoey comes to school unprepared for class and has to rush home to take care of her brothers and sister, Ms. Rochambeau for some reason encourages her to join the debate team.

And even though she doesn’t have the confidence to participate, Zoey learns a lot. She quickly realizes that her mom’s relationship with her boyfriend is psychologically abusive. And then suddenly Fuchsia’s living situation becomes dangerous too. Meanwhile, a crime has been committed at school, and everyone is blaming the weird kid, Silas, whose dad rides around with a gun in his truck.

But Zoey knows the truth about all these problems, the biases, and the difficult solutions that those around her don’t seem to have the power to correct. Will she have the courage to speak out, even though it risks everything? Her relationship with her mom, the most stable “home” she’s ever had, her friend’s life, and getting negative attention at school.

THE BENEFITS OF BEING AN OCTOPUS is an inspiring book about personal empowerment and stereotypes as it relates to poverty, class, and those who own guns. Zoey reminded me of a lot of kids that I grew up with who had to work to help their family survive. Those kids didn’t do well in school. They were never prepared and were always harassed by teachers for their lack of seriousness about their education. I always wanted to stand up for those kids, but I was only confident enough to give them pencils and paper. Luckily, Zoey has Ms. Rochambeau who could see something in her that no one else could see and who went “the extra mile” to support Zoey so that she could grow into a kid who could solve her own problems and help those around her see how to help themselves. THE BENEFITS OF BEING AN OCTOPUS also explores the danger of stereotypes by showing us that not all gun owners are bad people and being poor can squelch your potential by limiting your ability to fit in and feel confident.

I highly recommend THE BENEFITS OF BEING AN OCTOPUS for its authentic and open examination of poverty, domestic violence, and finding inner strength to deal with hopelessly challenging situations for ages ten and up. It is a great story for those who are living in poverty to see themselves in a book and for those who aren’t who might be able to see their struggling classmates in a new light. What the book does best is to illuminate the divide in our country by showing how we all talk past one another. Zoey thinks through and understands the complex biases that cause so many problems for us all. Maybe we can all learn something from her.

For those who are very sensitive, the psychological abuse and gun violence may be disturbing, and it would be best to read this book with a thoughtful adult so they can discuss Zoey’s situation. THE BENEFITS OF BEING AN OCTOPUS is an excellent classroom discussion book and is an important addition for library collections.

Hopefully, everyone will at some point find a Ms. Rochambeau in their life (we all need one!) and, even more importantly, be a Ms. Rochambeau for someone else.

Find THE BENEFITS OF BEING AN OCTOPUS at your favorite bookstore on September 4th, 2018 or request it at your local library.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an arc of THE BENEFITS OF BEING AN OCTOPUS.

I thought some of the story was very strong, but the minor characters (debate club members) lacked depth and drew me out of the story. She’s so sheltered in some ways and worldly in others so sometimes the MC was awkward to read. I think younger teens might enjoy.

Rating: 2.5/3. I can see the benefits of this book for younger audiences but something about it felt so unnatural. I can't put my finger on it but it may be how the characters reacted to situations. For example, Zoey’s behavior seemed to contradict itself on multiple occasions. One minute she seems like a naive child (she is only in 7th grade so I can accept some of it) who seemed so sheltered she didn't realize police brutality existed but the next minute she was so evolved and mature and was trying to convince her mom to leave her emotionally abusive boyfriend. It made no sense. I understand there needs to be some kind of character growth but with a book this short it seem pretty extreme. By the end of the book she was acting like a well-adjusted adult. Overall, it was a good book looking at pretty heavy topics like poverty, class disparity, self- esteem and abusive relationships. There was definitely good things here. I just wasn't a big fan of how they played out in the plot. There are better ways to approach these subjects.

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Excerpt]:

Rating: 3.5 stars

Spoilers ahead!!

“The Benefits of Being An Octopus” is definitely a book meant for middle grade kids. The female protagonist, Zoey, is in seventh grade, which makes her about 13 years old, so I’d say this book would be appropriate for 10-15 year olds. I wasn’t aware that this book was meant for a younger audience, but it didn’t detract too much from my enjoyment. I went into this book not expecting very much; it seemed like a cute little story about a girl who decided to enter the debate club and found out that some things in her life weren’t what they seemed.

I was surprised by the heavy issues presented in this book, especially when the target audience is young preteens. The first issue was gun control. It was interesting to me (really interesting, actually) that Braden presented arguments for both sides of the gun control argument. “Get rid of guns because they kill/hurt/maim people and in the wrong hands can be lethal” and “Guns are needed to control the deer population, as well as other animal populations, and as long as people are safe and responsible with their guns while hunting, they should be able to maintain control of their guns.” I thought both these arguments made sense. If Braden had tried to say that guns are necessary for random citizens to carry around wherever they want for any reason, I might not have continued with the book. Or maybe I would have, but I would have given it less stars because I don’t agree with that at all. But the arguments were valid, and they gave me something to think about.

[Full review on my blog!]

I enjoyed this coming of age story. It is a story that can remind us all that our circumstances do not define us. Zoey knows better than most that life is not fair, but it is her discovery of her belief that despite this, we all deserve to be treated as if we matter. Finding her voice and courage to change not only her only life, but also the lives of those she holds close, reminds us that sometimes we don't have to look far for the strength and help we need. Braden does an excellent job of making us feel the trappings of Zoey and her friends, and to make those of us who have options thankful for our situations in life. I can only hope that this book will help us all take better care of each other. This book handles some of the unfortunate struggles that our children and society our forced to deal with: gun violence, domestic violence (mental not physical), school violence, drug addiction, and poverty among them. While handling these topics in a sensitive fashion, it may be a hard read for the more sensitive younger reader.

Pages: 260

Genre: realistic fiction, middle grade

Release date: 4. september 2018

My thoughts
Rafting out of five: four stars



I did not realize this was a debut novel, that’s even more impressing. This book says it’s important, and it’s right. It’s about one girl, Zoey’s, experience and daily life, the struggles she goes through as she’s taking care of her siblings, trying to survive school and making tough choices.

This book talks about how some children are forced into adulthood earlier than others with the amount of resposibilities they have. There’s a gap between kids who have a different amount of support at home, like having healthy food prepared for them, help with homework, not having to worry about family’s financial situaiton, that shapes so much what their experiences are like and what amount of stresses and stability they have in other aspects of their life, like school. This book communicates that in a very direct, but appropriate way. It has a language that works both for adults and kids. It shows Zoey experience in hopes that more stories of kids like her will be told, increasing empathy and the discussion with them.

The octopuses (thank you for not forcing me to read octopi over and over it’s not as fun) are a really fun and heartbreaking way to convey Zoey’s emotions and thoughts going through things. I appreciated all the facts, being a nerd, and the method of process it brought her. Something that confused me was reading Zoey’s thoughts and trying to match them with the reflective opinions and conclusions she draws. She noticed things that the other classmates don’t, like Silas stopping talking and why, and has suddenly can debate gun reform from both views. And that’s not major things, but I got this feeling that I never saw the process behind developments like that.

Debates at school is tough when you’re more invested in it personally and sits on more “insider” details than others who are debating for the sake of it, because that’s basically the task. I thought it was relatable the way Zoey’s hands were shaking and she had to find her courage. It was pretty obvious that the author chose the gun reform subject because of own interest, it did not quite match with the rest of the book.

What I was feeling reading this book: sad, but mostly proud, for kids like Zoey and thinking back on other now nearly adults I know raising their siblings and having those invisible struggles

Thank you to the publisher for receiving this copy through NetGalley in exhange of an honest review.

I was sucked into this book right away. I was desperate to find out what was going to become of Zoey and her family. Zoey's story also made me think about the number of students in my classroom every year that probably also live in situations similar to Zoey's and feel the same way she does, that they are trapped in a life where they are worthless. I thought this story was one of the most powerful stories I have read in a long time. I think it might be a bit old for my 4th grade classroom library, but I am definitely going to purchase a copy to keep in my closet, as I know that at some point I will have a student in my classroom who really needs it.

In this slice-of-life story about real life, Braden creates characters who are both vulnerable and brave and puts them in situations that are at once mundane and life-changing. Initially, the book moved a bit more slowly than I expected (I'd heard so much about it I think my expectations were skewed) but, this morning, I hit the point where I could not put this book down, and by the time I finished it, I was wiping away tears and wanting more.

Zoey, the protagonist, shares her world in a matter-of-fact voice and introduces us to a cast of characters we can't help but care about (well, most of them, anyway -- every story needs a bad guy or two). Zoey copes with the many challenges of her life using her imagination and her love of octopuses (and yes, Zoey says, that plural is acceptable). These octopus analogies cleverly bring the reader deeper into her psyche, regardless of the role she's playing (big sister, reliable daughter, concerned friend, all-but-invisible student) and despite her unwillingness to reveal much about herself to those around her. Insights into rural poverty and its challenges arise organically through the characters and their lives -- Zoey's mom and her boyfriend, the siblings Zoey helps care for, her best friend, her peers. There's no preaching and there are no magical solutions, but there is love and hope sprinkled throughout, sometimes in unexpected places. I'd highly recommend this book for anyone who works with kids, as well as the teen audience for which it's intended.

My review is scheduled to appear in the September 1, 2018, issue of BOOKLIST Magazine, a publication of the American Library Journal.

Much love to NetGalley and Skyhorse Publishing for allowing me early access to this book.

Zoey is a lovable little weirdo trying to survive being a teenager, an older sister, a friend, and an outsider.
This was a fantastic coming of age story with a delightfully quirky main character.
There were a few unanswered questions for me at the end, but not enough to deter me from recommending this to everyone.
Some heavy bits, some funny bits and some weird bits.
Give it a read, I think you'll like it!

Easy to read, but ultimately hollow.
The plot was messy, it seemed like the author forget about side stories and characters and then came back many chapters later like "well, actually, these things are still a thing". Storylines were left uncompleted, characters were left underdeveloped. The debate club seemed like just an excuse for Zoey (I had to think really hard to remember her name) to learn the definition of discrediting the opponent. She made no friends until the last few pages, she could've done without her teacher, she didn't learn any skills bc she didn't actually participate in any debate. There are popular girls at school that are mentioned only once like we've known them all along, which we don't.

The debate club teacher didn't care enough about Zoey. I don't care what you say, she just didn't. I wouldn't be surprised if she'd kept her distance on purpose just to forget her childhood. You see a student struggling with her toddler siblings and you just give her a thumbs up? You heard her say something about men with guns threatening little girls and you waited a whole week to ask her if she's okay? She's in poverty and in an abusive household and the ONLY thing you tell her is to suck it up? Fuck you. Honestly.

There was like this WHOLE plotline about being pro gun because hUnTiNg iS fUn and honestly I'm so angered about this the only words I have again are fuck you. Fuck you personally, author. What the fuck. What. The fuck. This is a middle grade???? With gun propaganda???? w h a t t h e f u c k

The final scene with the family running away from the abusive step dad and stuff was thrilling but didn't make me feel for the characters. It was too late.

There are times you can read a story that is not new because of the way it is being told. This is the story of Zoey who has three siblings and a mother to call her own. She has an opinion on her current living situations and she is not very popular in school(for reasons other than her opinions since she does not voice them often). Zoey's is not a unique case, but that does not make what she has to say any less important. Her fascination for octopuses litters the book with facts I had not known earlier. 

I read young adult/ children's books sometimes because it gives a fresh lease to my reading . This tale felt like a breath of fresh air, there is very subtle humour in the narration which does not really intend to make you laugh but provide an ambience. It has good flow and I think it holds an appeal to people of all ages who like to read a more diverse set of stories. There is not much of a plot, but the characters and what they learn about themselves that makes it worth the time.

I loved this raw and realistic middle grade book.  Zoey is poor and doesn't have time to do homework or wash her clothes because she has to help her mom watch her three little siblings.  And by watch, I mean feed, bathe, dress, and put to bed.  Reading about her struggles to try and fit in even though she is made fun of for living in a trailer court was heartbreaking. I have personally witnessed kids like Zoey at my job in education.  You see the embarrassment on their faces when their clothes aren't clean or their homework isn't done. They just don't have the support system some kids have, and they have to choose between school and family.  Zoey's strength and resilience is my favorite thing about this book.  She stands up for herself, her friends, and her mom.   The teacher portrayed in this book is awesome and I hope middle schoolers that read this book are inspired to seek a teacher's help and advice no matter what the problem is.

An excellent book with a very important story. I loved the role a teacher made in empowering the protagonist with the tools she needed to help her family. I hope many teachers read this book to help them walk the the path of a family in poverty.

This book provides a glimpse into the challenges that many children face. Zoey's strengths keep her family afloat, but often get in the way of school. The Benefits of Being an Octopus explore the complications of family, living in poverty, bullying, emotional abuse, and finding your voice.

One of my favorite books of the year, The Benefits of Being an Octopus, shares the story of Zoey who doesn't have time to by a typical kid as she spends her days taking care of her siblings while her mom works. Juggling school, homework, family and friendship, Zoey thinks that being an octopus with eight arms might just make her life easier. But when a teacher takes an interest in Zoey and convinces her to join the debate club, Zoey might just be able to see how things for her family could be better.

Zoey, a middle-schooler, is charged with work beyond her years: caring for her three very young siblings while her mother works, trying to keep the kids fed (by any means necessary), and staying out of the way of her mom's emotionally-abusive boyfriend. A caring teacher shows Zoey enough compassion mixed with demanding toughness to help Zoey realize that she has to take some action to help two vulnerable friends, her siblings, her mother, and herself.
I would give this book 10 stars of out 5 if that were an option, and it is going to take me a long time to process everything I've read here. This is a YA book that any adult who deals with kids should read. It will be eye-opening for teachers and other school leaders.