I received a copy of this book through Goodreads in exchange for on honest review.
On the whole this was a fascinating book with beautiful descriptions and unique information. Montgomery tells the stories of the octopuses and the people she met through immersion journalism and offers some analysis of octopus behaviors.
While I usually love flowery language, however, this book seemed to over-utilize similies and descriptions, which created beautiful imagery, but made for slow and tedious reading at times. Certain sections kind of drag on and nothing really seems to happen.
I was also expecting this book to be a little more scientific. The book reads like a memoir of Montgomery's experiences with some octopuses at the aquarium and in the wild. While she provides a lot of information on octopuses, both general and specific, there really isn't too much insight into actual "consciousness" besides what Montgomery hypothesizes based on her own experiences. A lot of the book also deals with Montgomery's own life and the people she meets along the way, which leads to interesting stories, but doesn't really add to the octopus narrative. It felt more like filler.
But the journey itself was definitely unique and the book proves that there is a lot to learn about the intellect and minds of octopuses, as well as other animals. Through this book, Montgomery suggests that animals are smarter and more complex that humans believe.
A very interesting read.