Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

 

Remarkably Bright Creatures
by Shelby Van Pelt

Reviewed by Valerie Palmer

I read this book because it has been popular in a lot of the reading Facebook groups I am a part of and was recommended by a friend. I won't lie, I was a bit skeptical about this book and did not anticipate liking it. If you like authors like Barbara Kingsolver or Jodi Picoult, you may enjoy this read. I also thought I should mention this book does briefly discuss a suicide, which could be triggering to some readers. The book itself did not come with a trigger warning.

Summary
This novel is about a 70-year-old woman, Tova, who has recently become a widow. She works at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, cleaning and mopping floors. She loves to keep busy, and it has helped her cope with the loss of her son Erik, who mysteriously disappeared over 30 years ago on a boat in Puget Sound, and the death of her husband Will. Tova befriends an octopus named Marcellus who lives at the aquarium. He knows more than anyone can imagine, but he has a bad image of humans since he was captured, until he gets to know Tova. Somehow, he knows what happened the night of Erik's disappearance and needs to unearth the truth to Tova before it is too late. 

What I Liked
I can honestly say I enjoyed the chapters that were written from the perspective of Marcellus the octopus. When I originally picked up the book, I thought it would be strange reading from the perspective of an animal, but it added to the story. I enjoyed how the author was able to write in a way that I could connect to Tova and feel her sorrow and grief. I also felt sorry for her multiple times throughout the story and just wanted to give her a hug she seemed like such a kind-hearted woman. I loved the ending and cannot imagine it ending in any other way, all three main characters prospered.

What I Didn't Like
The story line of the octopus is impossible! But in all honesty, that is the only negative thing I have to say about this novel. 

Rating⭐⭐⭐⭐
I gave this book four stars on Goodreads as I was pleasantly surprised by it. It is worth the hype it has received and would consider reading more by Shelby Van Pelt. This book was her debut novel. I loved how the whole story wrapped up in the end.