The Benefits of Being an Octopus

It's always total chaos as seventh-grader Zoey cares for her much younger brothers and sister after school every day while her mom works her shift at the local pizza parlor. They all live with her mom's boyfriend Lenny and his dad in Lenny's trailer. As soon as Zoey gets on the bus to school every day, she feels relieved to be away from the hubbub.

Lenny and her mom have a tough relationship, and life for Zoey and her siblings swings quickly back and forth from watching TV with their favorite tasty snacks to an empty fridge and no electricity. Zoey tries to fly under the radar at school—her only friend, Fuchsia, has her own issues, and no one expects anything of them, so why should they even try?

Zoey thinks how much easier everything would be if she were an octopus: Eight arms to do eight things at once at home. Incredible camouflage ability and steady, unblinking vision. Powerful protective defenses.

But she's not totally invisible, and one teacher, who keeps trying to "encourage" her, coerces her into joining the debate club. Ultimately, it leads her to see both her mother's relationship and Fuchsia's situation more clearly. Then it's up to Zoey to decide: Will she reach out to the hand being extended to her and open herself up to hope?

This debut novel is a close, personal look at life on the edges of society, through the eyes of one girl just trying to find her way forward.