by Anthony Silverston, Raffaella Delle Donne, and Willem Samuel
4 stars
A heartwarming story of friendship, family, forgiveness, and moving forward. With the looming threat of not making rent and having to move away from the sea, Pearl gives in to the temptation of illegal abalone poaching. But during her dives, she makes a strange discovery, a giant sea monster she names Otto. Their unlikely friendship develops, but soon the past starts catching up with them both.
The artwork is absolutely stunning. Beautiful scenery. Great movement. Every one of Pearl’s dives are breathtaking. I especially loved Otto’s design. It was really cool how they worked in traits of real octopuses, such as changing color and morphing their bodies. And all of Moby’s expressions were perfection.
Nice pacing on the story itself. It’s fairly quick and keeps the reader engaged. Great themes of opening up to new experiences and relationships, and letting go of the past. Also touches are some darker topics such as the pressure of going against your own morals to make money, holding grudges, and parental abandonment.
A fantastic read with a lot of heart.