Ahh, I loved this so much!!! The story is wonderful and heartwarming. The setting is lovely. The characters are great, and I loved all of them.
The story is set in a coastal town in South Africa. The main character is Pearl, a young girl who spends her days diving in the ocean and gathering sea creatures. She lives with her dad and a dog. Despite the many jobs her dad takes, they don't have enough money to pay rent. Pearl decides to team up with 2 guys from a local fish shop, and sell them every sea creature she catches. One day while she is diving in the ocean, she stubles upon an underwater restricted area where she meets a giant octopus. Pearl and the octopus become friends, and she names him Otto. The rest of the story focuses on Pearl's relationship with the octopus, her dad, and her best friend Naomi.
I enjoyed the story and the character so much. Pearl is a brave, adventurous, and incredibly kind protagonist but she does have her own set of problems. I think there may have been a hint of her not liking boys, which I always like in fiction, especially young adult fiction.
I wish we would get a sequel to this because I want to see Pearl and Naomi's friendship develop. I am so happy I got the chance to read this. Thank you to Edelweiss for the review copy.