Sea Change by Gina Chung

From Vintage:

ANEW YORK TIMESMOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF THE SPRING An enchanting novel about Ro, a woman tossed overboard by heartbreak and loss, who has to find her way back to stable shores with the help of a giant Pacific octopus at the mall aquarium where she works.

Immersively beautiful. A kaleidoscope of originality. Weike Wang, acclaimed author ofJoan is Okay

Ro is stuck. Shes just entered her thirties, shes estranged from her mother, and her boyfriend has just left her to join a mission to Mars. Her days are spent dragging herself to her menial job at the aquarium, and her nights are spent drinking sharktinis (Mountain Dew and copious amounts of gin, plus a hint of jalapeo). With her best friend pulling away to focus on her upcoming wedding, Ros only companion is Dolores, a giant Pacific octopus who also happens to be Ros last remaining link to her father, a marine biologist who disappeared while on an expedition when Ro was a teenager.

When Dolores is sold to a wealthy investor intent on moving her to a private aquarium, Ro finds herself on the precipice of self-destruction. Wading through memories of her youth, Ro realizes she can either lose herself in the undertow of reminiscence, or finally come to terms with her childhood trauma, recommit to those around her, and find her place in an ever-changing world.