Remarkably Bright Creatures
By Shelby Van Pelt
- Release Date: 2022-05-03
- Genre: Literary Fiction
Description
A New York Times Bestseller
Soon to be a Netflix Film
A Read With Jenna Today Show Book Club Pick!
“Remarkably Bright Creatures is a beautiful examination of how loneliness can be transformed, cracked open, with the slightest touch from another living thing.” -- Kevin Wilson, author of Nothing to See Here
For fans of A Man Called Ove, a charming, witty and compulsively readable exploration of friendship, reckoning, and hope that traces 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.
Reviews
Kindness. Can be found in the most unlikely places
5By Ti1212This a story of rooting for the underdog but also for finding connections where you thought there couldn’t be connections. And most of all for the kindness that each character that brought them all together.A Beautifully Well Written Tale
5By cecielphLovely, easy, enjoyable read from start to finish with characters, who are just that - interesting and remarkable.Remarkably Heartwarming
4By HAJS29A remarkably heartwarming story with memorable characters, with the best surprisingly being an octopus. Marcellus’ constant one liners and late night escapades were hilarious to read through. Not to mention how he was directly involved in linking the main characters together to help them see how their fates intertwined. A beautiful story with a very immersive setting, as I grew up in the Pacific North West. My only gripe was how the story was slightly stretched out, to add detail while simultaneously increasing length, enlightening but unnecessary. I am not typically one to read books of this genre, but judging by the fact that it hooked me in, I can say without a doubt that it is worth reading, despite what one’s personal genre preferences are. A remarkably enticing read, I highly recommend.I needed this book.
5By Jewel....So touching. Been a while since I couldn’t put a book down. I didn’t want this one to end.2025 Read
5By TayliaunaAmazing, calming, eye opener, gets you into your feels. 💕Heart warming
5By HAILEE101010101I went into the book knowing absolutely nothing about it. I am pleasantly surprised. It was an easy read, but I have finished it with my heart feeling full.Remarkably Bright Creatures
5By jejejwkejrbvyvehwSo loved this story of grief, loss, and resilience. A lovely read.Excellent Writing
5By Apjones2632014Read as a reader, this story is brilliant and engaging. Read as a writer, this story is smart and no stone is left unturned. Likeable, loveable characters and a well-presented setting round out this lovely story.Very enjoyable
5By Lisa in GVSweet and clever. Looking forward to the screen adaptation.Altogether Lovely -
5By Widget186Suspend your disbelief & enjoy a lovely tale. Well written & by the end tied all together neatly with an octopus’s twine. Shelby - please write us some more lovely tales.Love never ends
5By Mama WoschEndearing story of how an octopus and an older woman help each other. Friends become family and letting go can lead you to better things .One of The Best Books I’ve Read
5By A CullenWhat a pleasant surprise! I wasn’t sure about this book. I had it in my TBR for a while and I finally broke down and bought it thinking I would enjoy it. I LOVED EVERY SECOND OF IT. What a wonderful story. I looked forward to getting to my friends in my book everyday. I will remember this book forever!Stretched
3By .kdub.In this book, you can easily guess the answer to the “mystery”, but then to make that worse, midway through the book, the mystery is actually directly answered for the reader - but not the characters - and so you spend the book wishing the characters would make better choices to lead them to an inevitable and obvious end. It’s a sweet and easy story to read, but I wouldn’t recommend it to my friends for a “good read”.Boring.
2By Meme112I really wanted to love this book after reading the reviews but I found it so boring and confusing to keep track of all the characters that never developed into anything. Not sure I read the same book as all the people who loved it.Hooked!
5By A credible reviewerGreat read! A lovely mystery-esque novel that explores grief and loss in a relatable, humorous way. Characters were life like. Very well written!A clever, easy-to-read book full of heart
5By Mike EzepchickThis starts off a little bit slow but it would be hard to not love this book by the end of it. Van Pelt does a great job at creating a small-town setting and raising interesting, character-specific questions throughout it, and then answering them in extremely satisfying (and sweet) ways by the end. There’s not much of a memorable writing style to this, but the cleverness, and overall warmness of the book is strong enough to make this a 4.5/5. Absolutely worth a read for anyone looking for an easy-to-read and wholesome story.Excellent!
5By ABQBlytheI don’t give five stars easily, but this book definitely deserves it. Prepared to be enchanted and moved. I loved all the characters. My favorite? Marcellus, of course.Phenomenal first book
5By denhaireBlew me away and transported me to a previous time in my life. This author is transcendental in her story organization. Superbly written and I cannot wait for the next one.Warm and Uplifting
5By BigAppleGregThe most beautiful tale from both sides of the glass. Thoughtfully interwoven and profound. If you’re looking for smiles, this is for you.
