Book Reviews / Contemporary Fiction / Literary Fiction / Magical Realism

Book Review: Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

Dini @ dinipandareads20 Comments

Remarkably Bright Creatures
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Pub Date: 3 May 2022
Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Panda Rating:

(4.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

For fans of A Man Called Ove, a charming, witty and compulsively readable 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.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Death (of a secondary character, off-page, recounted), cancer (of a secondary character, off-page, recounted), grief, loss, childhood abandonment, substance abuse/addiction (of a secondary character, brief mentions), animal captivity

TL;DR: I knew this was a well-loved novel, but I didn’t know what to expect from it other than the fact that there’s a sentient octopus, and a woman who’s still trying to come to terms with the tragic and unexplained death of her teenage son three decades ago. I wasn’t expecting to fly through these pages, but it was compulsively readable, and I was keen to see how the storylines intersected. Van Pelt did not disappoint! Tova, Cameron and especially Marcellus were great characters, and the other members of the Sowell Bay community that we meet along the way were equally entertaining (and so cheeky)—especially Ethan and the Knit Wits! This was a wonderfully written and heartfelt reflection about loss, grief, love, connection, and above all, family in all its forms.

I think what I appreciated most by the time I closed the book was how it wasn’t a “perfect” story. I’m not sure exactly how to describe it properly without spoilers, but I guess it was more of a realistic ending, rather than a picture-perfect storybook ending. That’s not to say that it wasn’t a happy ending because it was, but it was an ending where not everything fell perfectly into place, as it should’ve always been from the start. It felt more real, and I think that also resonates with the characters in the story, especially when it came to Cameron.

Marcellus was such an endearing and charming character, and I didn’t expect to enjoy an octopus’s perspective as much as I did his! He said some rather poignant things about humans and human nature, and I loved how the title came full circle in the end. I definitely shed a tear or two over this creature!

I admired Tova and her fortitude. When we met her, she had lost her son over 30 years ago, and her husband had just passed. She’s alone, and despite leading a good and decent life with her husband after her son’s inexplicable death years ago, she still holds her grief so close to the surface. But she’s not one to dwell on her emotions, and she doesn’t let a lot of people see beneath her stolid exterior. I pictured her as the embodiment of the “keep calm and carry on” slogan because carry on she did! However, you could feel that she was treading a very fine line and that if at any moment she were to stop moving, she would break down and be pulled under by her grief. She had a great sense of humour, and I loved following her story and where it led in the end!

Of the three perspectives, I have to admit that Cameron wasn’t always my favourite, and this would’ve been a solid 5-star had he just been less of a whiner. 😅 I very much felt for him because he’s clearly lost, desperately wants to feel connected and know what it’s like to be part of a family. And despite not actively doing much about it, he does want to get his act together. At the same time, it was hard to root for him when he wouldn’t take responsibility for the situations he found himself in or take the actions to change. It was great to see him slowly get his act together while living in Sowell Bay thanks to the support and care he receives from Ethan and Tova. It was great that he recognised how he can do and be better, but he was also still very much a man-child. I often had to remind myself that he wasn’t 20 or even 25, but 30! 🤭

Having said that, I still thought this was a great read, and I can see why it’s so well-loved. If you enjoyed stories like A Man Called Ove or The Thursday Murder Club, I think you will enjoy Remarkably Bright Creatures because the story gives very similar comforting and cosy vibes!

Have you read Remarkably Bright Creatures or is it on your TBR?

20 thoughts on “Book Review: Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt”

  1. Great review!! I am so excited to read this now! I was just here and didn’t see this so you just posted. haha. Forget that I said, I hope you enjoy the rest. haha!!

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  3. Ah I’m glad you enjoyed this one! It was not for me, not nearly enough Octopus POV as the blurb made me think, and as you know… Cameron. Oh my goodness, dealing with him as a primary character was a nightmare. 😅 I felt kind of distant the whole time in this one

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    • Hah. Yeah. Cameron really tested my patience at times. Like, please stop whinging like a little baby and actually do something, my dude. Something *positive*! I thought the story would go a slightly different way than it did but I wound up enjoying it all the same. But also yes, I wish that we had more octopus POV! Marcellus was a star ⭐️

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  5. Wonderful review, Dini. I absolutely loved this book and even though Cameron could be totally annoying and immature at times, I still gave it all the stars. This is one I often recommend.

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