A warning about this book if you are A) a person who loves dogs B) a person who doesn’t necessarily love dogs, but likes them or C) a person with a beating heart.  In other words, if this book doesn’t destroy you, you’re a monster!  I haven’t cried this hard over a book since I read Little Women last year.  Also, please know that I was quietly losing it and when I looked over, Joey was scrolling Twitter while eating chips and salsa shirtless in our bed.  We may as well have been on different planets!

Please note how much that drawing on the cover looks like Huni!

Basically, this is the story of a single man named Ted and the love of his life, a 12-year-old dachshund named Lily, who develops a tumor, aka “the octopus.”  The rest of the book delves into Ted’s past — the ups and downs he and Lily have had, the ups and downs of his now-ended long term relationship — as well as he and Lily’s current situation and all the way he’s avoiding the truth about Lily and her octopus.

I’m not going to lie, there is a fair amount of immaturity and cheese you have to deal with to make it through this book — the lengths Ted goes to put off the reality that his dog is dying are childish and at many points, had me questioning his sanity (“is he actually the one with the tumor?!”) but his characterization of Lily was just so sweet and lovable and amidst all Ted’s crazy actions, you could find moments of relatable grief and sadness.

Just don’t read the end of this one in public, okay?