Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley

From Goodreads,

"“Lily and the Octopus is the dog book you must read this summer…a profound experience.” —The Washington Post

Combining the emotional depth of The Art of Racing in the Rainwith the magical spirit of The Life of Pi, Lily and the Octopus is an epic adventure of the heart.

When you sit down with Lily and the Octopus, you will be taken on an unforgettable ride.

The magic of this novel is in the read, and we don’t want to spoil it by giving away too many details.

We can tell you that this is a story about that special someone: the one you trust, the one you can’t live without.

For Ted Flask, that someone special is his aging companion Lily, who happens to be a dog.

Lily and the Octopus reminds us how it feels to love fiercely, how difficult it can be to let go, and how the fight for those we love is the greatest fight of all.

Remember the last book you told someone they had to read?

Lily and the Octopus is the next one."

Goodreads - Lily and the Octopus

The hardest part of living on campus during college was having to leave my dog behind.  It was also very difficult for me to officially move out of my parents house and into my own house because I knew that I would be seeing George, our English Bulldog, less and less.  This of course is heartbreaking to me because I know he is well into his golden years and he is considered old for an English Bulldog.  So naturally when I saw this book and realized it was about a man and his relationship with his dog, I was sold on reading it.  I kept putting it off because I knew this book would more than likely be sad.  I eventually worked up the time and courage to read this book, no matter the emotional roller coaster I would go on.

This book is about Ted Flask and his dog named Lily.  One day he notices that Lily has a bump on her head, and he soon dubs this bump as an octopus.  Throughout the book we see Ted struggle to accept what Lily's fate is and what he must eventually do.  Ted shares all of his adventures and stories that Lily has helped shape and create.  We learn how they met, how they bonded, all the little names he calls her, and the strength of their relationship.

This book was a pure work of art.  It was amazing to read a fictional story of a man and his dog and the strength of their relationship.  Nobody will ever understand the bond that exists between a dog and its owner.  This book allowed a glimpse into what the joys of having a dog are.  This book made my heart ache for my own dog, and every time I read this book I wanted to rush to my parents house so I could hold him.  I loved how real the book was and the emotions that were present throughout.  From the beginning I knew what the ending would be, but I was still just as heartbroken and upset when the time finally came for Ted to make the final decision with Lily.  My fourth graders kept inquiring if I had finished the book (I keep a poster in my room that states what book I'm reading.)  I finally told them I would finish it over the weekend.  I sat down and read the rest of the book.  It was about 4 AM when I finally reached the saddest part of the book.  I sat in my bed, drinking chocolate milk, crying like a baby.  I cried for a good 15 minutes before I was able to pull my life together and finish reading.  This was such a heart wrenching book that will tug at all your heartstrings.

The only downfall I had with this book is that Rowley gave Lily a voice.  I didn't like that Lily, the dog, would share her thoughts and excitement about things.  It made the book a little less realistic, and made Ted seem a little bit crazy for thinking his dog was talking to him.  My students wanted me to read this to them, but it is not suitable for children.  It has some choice language and makes multiple references to Ted and his boyfriends of past.

I really connected with this book because my dog George has a knot on his head that has been there since he was a puppy.  Recently his knot has gotten a little bigger and developed two smaller ones next to it.  I now constantly refer to his knots as his octopus.  This book deserves 5 stars even though it made me bawl like a baby.  If you have a dog, I recommend you read this.  It will make you love your dog just a little bit more than you already do.