Stephanie Sullivan: Review - Remarkably Bright Creatures

October 03, 2022

TITLE: Remarkably Bright Creatures

RATING: ★★★★

Summary (from Goodreads): Remarkably Bright Creatures, an exploration of friendship, reckoning, and hope, tracing a widow's unlikely connection with a giant Pacific octopus.

After Tova Sullivan's husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she's been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago.

Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn't dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors--until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.

Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova's son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it's too late.

Shelby Van Pelt's debut novel is a gentle reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible.

REVIEW: What a sweet story! I was intrigued right from the start about Tova’s friendship with an octopus, and I absolutely fell in love with Marcellus. I worried the author would give him a sad fate, but I was very pleased with how it ended. For some reason I can’t quite put my finger on, the characters and writing style reminded me a lot of A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman (which I also loved). Once I got into the story I couldn’t put it down. Tova and Marcellus’ friendship is so endearing and really tugs on the old heartstrings. I would happily recommend this book to everyone. It’s an incredible debut novel, and I look forward to reading more of this author’s work in the future.