“ 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. But what makes Van Pelt’s novel most charming and joyful is the tender friendship between species, and the ways Tova and Marcellus make each other ever more remarkable and bright.” - BookPage Each character is profoundly human, with flaws and eccentricities crafted with care. “As Van Pelt’s zippy, fun-to-follow prose engages at every turn, readers will find themselves rooting for the many characters, hoping that they’ll find whatever it is they seek. Despite the unorthodox relationship at its core, the debut novel offers a wholly original meditation on grief and the bonds that keep us afloat.” - Elle “Infused with heartfelt humor, Van Pelt’s elegant portrait of a widowed woman who finds understanding and connection with a clever octopus is refreshingly, if surprisingly, relatable. “rilliant upcoming novel about hope and reckoning.' - Business Insider

“The best books about grief find a way to illuminate the darkness of loss, and Remarkably Bright Creatures offers a masterclass.' - Marie Claire

'A unique and luminous book.' - Booklist (starred review) “A debut novel about a woman who befriends an octopus is a charming, warmhearted read.” - Kirkus Reviews “ Remarkably Bright Creatures an ultimately feel-good but deceptively sensitive debut about what it feels like to have love taken from you, only to find it again in the most unexpected places. 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. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it’s too late.

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.Įver the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova’s son disappeared. Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. 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. Memorable and tender.” - Washington Postįor fans of A Man Called Ove, a luminous debut novel about a widow’s unlikely friendship with a giant Pacific octopus reluctantly residing at the local aquarium-and the truths she finally uncovers about her son’s disappearance 30 years ago.Īfter Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. “ Remarkably Bright Creatures an ultimately feel-good but deceptively sensitive debut. A Read With Jenna Today Show Book Club Pick!

Book review remarkably bright creatures