It probably goes without saying that my experience reading this dystopian near-future "buddy cop" sci-fi novel featuring a technologically-enhanced octopus was a bit... different. Thus, if something unusual and unorthodox is what you're after, you'll likely have a good time with "The Scorching: Just Press Play."

Personally, I enjoyed the rich world-building, the sense of immersion, and the level of detail present in descriptions of the people, places, and events that comprised the story. I also found some of the plot twists, and the way that certain aspects of the relationship between the two main characters were revealed, very interesting and compelling.

There were some elements that either weren't a great fit for my personal taste, or that I felt were a bit lacking in their execution, such as a few instances of scientific inaccuracies, or stylistic choices that I found jarring, heavy-handed, or otherwise off-putting. Fortunately, these were brief and infrequent enough that I was able to easily look past them and focus on the positives when considering the work as a whole.

It's also worth noting that for me, this was a bit of a slow burn, finding myself somewhat tentative and unsure throughout the first few chapters for various reasons. That said, once things got going, I was increasingly intrigued and compelled until the last fifth or so, when some of the aforementioned issues I had slowed me down and somewhat dulled my enthusiasm.

Overall, I'd say that "The Scorching: Just Press Play" was an entertaining and thought-provoking read. Moreover, I think most speculative-fiction fans, particularly those who crave darker themes and significant sums of horror and social commentary in their sci-fi, will find it worthy and feel compelled to give it a "like."