While fanciful, this story still had me engaged throughout. The novel is nicely paced and I was never bored. Predicting endings or twists is not my skill set, but I saw this coming. It did not take away from my enjoyment since the characters meant so much to me then. How would the average person respond in the face of so much loss? Tova leads the novel as a woman who goes about her business in life because what else can she do? Marcellus, the Giant Pacific Octopus, has the advantage of knowing everything as a literary device in which we see the tragedy behind the character’s ignorance. Given the current state of the world, one needs a charming story that tugs at the heart yet is uplifting. “Remarkably Bright Creatures” is the perfect novel that will take your mind away from current politics and an unsettled world. Plus, an octopus is one of the main characters! Who doesn’t love a good cephalopod story? For those who are familiar with octopuses and their clever antics, you enjoy this story.

Author Shelby Van Pelt expertly weaves the characters’ stories together. Although each character has sad emotional issues such as loss, grief, aging, and secrets, the story remains hopeful. Van Pelt keeps the secrets hidden from the reader, and the unveiling of the secrets is a reader’s joy. Marcellus has the best secrets. This must be my Year of the Octopus. After watching and loving My Octopus Teacher on Netflix, I’m more than a little obsessed with these amazing, intelligent creatures. This is my second book featuring octopuses (no, it’s not octopi), in as many months. The character development, dialogue, and drama of Tova, Cameron, Ethan, and Avery are terrific. Van Pelt does an amazing job on dealing with tough topics like death, loss, and grief as well as more positive issues of relationships, friendship, and interconnectedness. Tova is a seventy year old widow who lost her son many years ago and spends her nights cleaning the local aquarium. Marcellus is an octopus nearing the end of his life. He is a Remarkably Bright Creature. One night he and Tova forge a bond. Cameron is a wayward young man floating from job to job and lamenting that his mother abandoned him when he was young and never told him who his father was. When he finds a clue that leads to a man in Washington state, Cameron leaves California to go confront him. I received a digital copy of this book via NetGalley. All opinions are my own. III. [Quote] Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

How do you interpret the book’s treatment of the truth and its revelation? How does this affect the characters and their relationships, and what does it suggest about the importance of truth in our personal and interpersonal lives? After listening to this book and loving it, I of course had to Google The Giant Pacific Octopus. I found that it is indeed extremely intelligent and there are many articles about them solving puzzles, escaping from enclosures, etc. You will enjoy learning more about them if you liked this novel! The exploration of aging and mortality forms a strong thematic undercurrent in “Remarkably Bright Creatures,” particularly through the character of Tova. Throughout the novel, we see her grappling with the pain of past losses, the encroaching reality of her own old age, and her fears of becoming a burden to her loved ones. Some trees aren’t meant to sprout tender new branches, but to stand stoically on the forest floor, silently decaying.” This is the story of Tova the janitor and Marcellus the octopus, both old-timers. Don’t worry, we don’t have a talking octopus here (he and Tova don’t have conversations)—that would have been a turnoff for me. Instead, we get to hear Marcellus’s clever thoughts as he observes the humans around him. He’s a wise creature who occasionally escapes his tank in search of food treats. He’s funny and smart. (In real life, octopuses are smart—a cool fact that had me running to Google to learn more.) Oh, and Marcellus is curmudgeonly—but yet he’s also very helpful. Putting tape over my mouth because I don’t want to give anything away.

One of the central narrative threads of the book involves the mystery surrounding Erik’s death. It was ruled a suicide, but Tova never believed this to be true. The uncovering of the truth about Erik’s death and its impact on Tova’s life forms a crucial part of the narrative.After she lays her eggs she does with any new parent would…carefully watch over her progeny. She stays with them and protects them from predators blowing water over them to keep them oxygenated, writes Nicolas Bakalar for the New York Times”. This is s love story, but not the kind you expect considering my heading. It’s about love, lose, friendship, and second chances. But most of all it’s about hope and destiny.

Tova is 70 years old and has no more family. She’s tough and energetic so she spends her nights working as a janitor at the local aquarium. Remarkably Bright Creatures is the rarest of feats: a book that manages to be wry and wise, charming and surprising, and features one of the most intriguing and satisfying characters I've encountered in fiction in a very long time – Marcellus the Octopus. I don't know how Shelby Van Pelt managed to make this uncommon tale sing so beautifully, but sing it does, and I defy you to put it down once you've started Listened to the audiobook narrated by the stellar Marin Ireland with a bit of help from Michael Urie as Marcellus (the Giant Pacific Octopus). If you have a choice, the audiobook is a fantastic way to experience this lovely, heartwarming book.

CAMERON STILL CAN’T seem to wrap his head around the shape of the sea here. It’s like a monster with hundreds of long fingers is gripping the edge of the continent, tendrils of deep blue cutting channels through the dark green countryside in every unexpected way.” The two stories meet in a somewhat predictable but quite delightful way. This is a tender, almost magical novel that explores both the perils and wonders of what it truly means to grow up, as well as to grow old. Tova works in the town's aquarium and is still grieving about her son she lost at sea years ago, presumed dead and ruled a suicide. Tova has doubts about the unanswered questions surrounding the mystery of her son's death. Shelby Van Pelt's debut novel, REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES, will be published by Ecco/HarperCollins (US) and Bloomsbury (UK) in Spring 2022. Tova wonders sometimes if it’s better that way, to have one’s tragedies clustered together, to make good use of the existing rawness. Get it over with in one shot. Tova knew there was a bottom to those depths of despair. Once your soul was soaked though with grief, any more simply ran off, overflowed, the way maple syrup on Saturday-morning pancakes always cascaded onto the table whenever Erik was allowed to pour it himself.” Book excerpts: Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

Tova can’t just sit home at night. Evening is the most difficult time for the widow who recently lost her husband of 47 years, and has no surviving children after losing her only son Erik, when he was just 18. So, she decides to “train” the new guy, Cameron Cassmore, who will be temporarily cleaning the Aquarium while she recovers.

Tova loves cleaning the floors, windows, tanks, and the seal statue that was a favorite of her son when he was little. For Tova, this job is a life saver, a place for her to be, a place she is needed, welcomed, and cherished by the aquarium manager. And then something very special happens! Tova meets curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. She already knew Marcellus, just as she knew all the other aquarium creatures but she never KNEW him before she and Marcellus meet face to face in an amazing way. Thus begins a lifelong friendship between Tova and Marcellus. Lifelong considering the short length of life that Marcellus has left since he is at the end of his four year lifespan. Bonus: You’ll learn a lot of fun facts to know and tell about octopuses. 5. LIZ Review Remarkably Bright Creatures Truly original and touching, Remarkably Bright Creatures is a story of family, community, and optimism in spite of darkness. Prepare to fall in love with a most exceptional octopus.” — Helen Hoang, author of The Heart Principle I realize that I like more edge, which I thought I would get, of course, with an octopus as a main character. The deal is, it’s realistic fiction with a dab of magical realism. It sort of reminds me of Kevin Wilson’s Nothing to See Here, which I loved. In Wilson’s book, we have a realistic story line, but it also happens to have kids who explode. Here, we also have a realistic story line, but it’s an octopus that’s the weird part. Marcellus reminds me a little of cool Charlotte the spider in the kids’ book, Charlotte's Web. What would be your suggestion for a Puget Sound-area beach where people could read this book this summer?