I loved this concept! I loved the wacky octopus point of view. I loved the people and how they all came together. I felt like there were so many places this book could have gone wrong but it didn’t. I like books about older women and this didn’t disappoint.

In this heartwarming story an Octopus trapped in a tank who understands English befriends and changes the life of the grieving elderly lady who cleans the aquarium.

Oh, how I wish I could hold on to this warm, fuzzy feeling in my chest a little longer! “Remarkably Bright Creatures” by Shelby Van Pelt” is…well…truly remarkable! I loved absolutely everything about this book, especially the chapters from Marcellus’s point of view. He is easily one of my favorite literary characters of all time. It’s hard for me to believe this is a debut novel because it’s just so perfect. The characters come alive from the pages and I was completely invested in their lives. The plot is quirky and unconventional; I loved every part of it! Not since “A Man Called Ove” has a book filled me with such joy! Five out of five stars for this beautiful and heart touching story! I wish I could read it again for the first time!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the privilege of reading an advanced digital copy of this truly marvelous book.

This sweet, sweet book is an absolute triumph. Perfect for fans of Fredrik Backman (particularly, as the synopsis predicts, "A Man Called Ove"), "Remarkably Bright Creatures" boasts a tender, almost poignantly-human quality that so many writers fail to get right.

Tova, our 70 year-old protagonist, works at the Sowell Bay Aquarium in coastal Washington. For Tova, everyday has been quite predictably the same for a long time; that is, until the aquarium's precocious and curiously intelligent giant octopus, Marcellus, enters her life.

For me, this story was everything I needed and so, so much more. It pulled at my heartstrings, made me laugh, and kept my full attention even in its "quieter" chapters. Some chapters center on Tova, others on Marcellus as he scrupulously documents his captivity in the aquarium, and others on central characters that emerge throughout the story.

What I loved most about "Remarkably Bright Creatures" was the seamless way Van Pelt wove her refreshingly imperfect characters together by the end. If you need a story that will evoke a symphony of emotion and renew your faith in humanity's goodness, this story is for you. If you're simply curious on whether a story about a self-aware octopus and an old widow can really be that good (it can, trust me!) this story is also for you.

I'm predicting now that this title will end up in my top 10 reads of 2022, because this book is nearly-perfect.

*Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher Ecco Books for my advanced review copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

Remarkably Bright Creatures is such a charming book. I cherished every minute of reading it. Marcellus, the octopus, is a wise and witty character...and the people are great characters too. This is a book I'll long remember.

This is a charming novel elevated by the presence of a cephalopod narrator. Sounds bizarre, but it works!

This story is so charming. The pacing was so well done, and I loved the characters. I love that Marcellus got his own chapters. This was such a heartwarming book, and I absolutely adored it!

This is the story of Cameron, a man who never seems to live up to his potential, finishing nothing, succeeding at less, who decides he is going to track down his biological father, despite not even knowing the man’s name. This is also the story of Tova, an elderly woman who cleans the local aquarium at night as she is incapable of sitting still. During her tenure at the aquarium, she forms a friendship with an intelligent and impatient octopus named Marcellus.

The lives of these three characters intersect and intertwine eventually, with each of them providing a path to a better future for one another. This was a beautiful story that slowly revealed their pasts, connections, and the evolution of their relationships.

This is an absolutely charming and heartwarming novel about so many things---loss, loneliness, mystery, hope and caring. Genius idea to have it narrated by Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus. Sounds silly but it worked for me. I read it in one sitting.

A wonderful debut novel Realy well written .A book about a unique friendship with a touch of mystery.Quirky intriguing enjoyed from beginning till the last page.#netgalley #eccobooks.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I'm gonna be honest, the description of this one sounded a little ridiculous. Paired with the bright cover, I thought this was gonna be really silly. I ended up absolutely LOVING it. Some of the twists were a little predictable, but a few caught me off guard and surprised me. I totally loved it and would read it again?

This was an excellent read. This is a book about families lost and found, second chances, and an incredibly intelligent giant pacific octopus named Marcellus. The main human characters are Tova and Cameron, two characters who are both very different and yet eerily similar in many ways. Tova started working as a cleaner at the Sowell Bay Aquarium after her husband Will died of cancer to help keep herself busy. Cameron is a 30 year old man who's adrift and listless and feels like the world keeps dealing him a bad hand, from having a mom who got addicted to drugs when he was a kid and leaving him with his aunt and never knowing who his father was. When his aunt gives him a box of things his mom left, he finds a clue as to the identity of his father, a picture of his mom and a young man wrapped around a high school class ring from Sowell Bay. He decides to track down the young man in the picture, hoping he can find his father and get some payback from all the years he was missing a parent. But the secrets of Sowell Bay aren't as obvious as he hoped...at least not to any of its human occupants.

The narrators for the audiobook were fantastic, especially Michael Urie as Marcellus. He did such a good job of capturing Marcellus's disdain and intellectual superiority throughout his chapters, all while still relaying his softer side as Tova grew closer to the octopus. I enjoyed the story over all, even the slight mystery at the heart of the book (which I felt incredibly clever for figuring out even though it wasn't really hard to do. I just wish the characters could've figured things out faster as well. Marcellus certainly tried to help them along the way).

This is a great book for anyone who wants some good literary fiction that has a lot of heart and is especially good at conveying the idea that animals can be very beneficial to humans in a variety of ways (I loved Cat and am glad he found a home...though I don't love the letting him wander outside as much because of a variety of reasons but that's a whole other topic) and that family doesn't have to be just the people you're blood related to (Ethan and the KnitWits are definitely part of Tova's family whether she wants to believe it or not). I thoroughly enjoyed it and was glad I got to read it as a little palate cleanser between the romances I'm reading for a book club.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me early access to this audiobook and ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Taunted as “feel good” fiction. Sort of in the vein of One in a Million Boy. The book begins with the narrative of an octopus in captivity. And, that’s sort of where it ends for me. The octopus POV was a risk but one that just didn’t work for me.

Remarkably Bright Creatures is an unexpected debut delight. One of the narrators of this title is a Pacific Octopus. But don’t let that stop you from reading this heartwarming novel. It almost stopped me. But it’s a story of love, loss and faith - however one defines it. I recommend this moving story to fans of The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell and Have You Seen Luis Velez.

Audiobook Review
Overall 5 stars
Performance 5 stars
Story 4.5 stars

This was such a unique and wonderful novel! It surprised me in the best way and I didn't want to stop reading. I wasn't sure if having an octopus as one of the narrators would work for me, but I found Marcellus absolutely charming. Having the different points of view kept the story moving and I loved how the different characters and plot points were woven together (even though it's clear early on where things are headed). There are quite a few emotional moments, but there are also lots of laughs throughout. I do recommend checking the CW's before starting though, since grief plays a large role in the story.

I both read and listened to Remarkably Bright Creatures and the narration was fantastic! Michael Urie was brilliant as Marcellus and I loved his POV chapters. Marin Ireland was also incredible and she voiced all of the different characters and accents so well. I highly recommend enjoying this uplifting and heartwarming novel on audio if possible.

Note: Bonus points to the author for working the title into the story in such a clever way ;)

CW: grief, death of spouse and child (cancer, drowning related), parental abandonment, mentions of drug addiction, loneliness, financial insecurity/loss of employment

*I voluntarily read and listened to an advance review copy of this book*

REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES by Shelby Van Pelt is a heartfelt, quirky and deeply moving story of friendship, family, grief and second chances at happiness. Seventy-year-old Tova Sullivan has a job as a cleaner, working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium to keep herself busy after her husband’s death. In addition to her husband, Tova is still mourning the loss of her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, who vanished without a trace from a boat in Puget Sound thirty years prior. Tova loves the creatures at the aquarium but is especially fond of Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus. Although he was a rescue, Marcellus hates every minute of his captivity and knows that his last days will be spent here in his tank rather than in the sea. When Tova discovers some of Marcellus’ special talents, the two form a special connection that binds them in many unexpected ways. Thirty-year-old Cameron has come to Sowell Bay searching for information about his family. He was abandoned as a child and raised by his aunt, but has recently learned of possible connections to this small community. Cameron gets a temporary job at the aquarium and soon the lives of these three characters become entwined. The story is told from the points of view of Tova, Marcellus and Cameron. I couldn’t help but be enchanted by this heartwarming story and the wonderful characters. I enjoyed every word of this unique tale and know it will remain on my mind for a long time to come. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read an early copy.

Pub date: 5/3/22
Genre: literary fiction
In one sentence: Retiree Tova is a cleaner at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, and her job gets a lot more interesting when she makes friends with Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus.

Remarkably Bright Creatures is a remarkably lovely book. The blurb compares it A Man Called Ove, and I agree there are some elements in common. But I also think that RBC is very special in its own way. I loved Marcellus' voice, his adventurous spirit, and his eagerness to make Tova's life better. His relationship with Tova warmed my heart.

This book was a perfect break from real life - I felt so invested in the aquarium world. I read the book in two sittings, and I absolutely loved the ending. 5 stars!!

If you love animals and/or you loved My Octopus Teacher, don't miss this one!

Thank you to Ecco for my NetGalley and physical ARCs in exchange for an honest review.

Seventy year-old Tova Sullivan enjoys her work as a night janitor at Sowell Bay Aquarium, where she has plenty of time to reflect on the recent death of her husband and the tragic disappearance of her teenage son, her only child, nearly 30 years ago.

Cameron Cassmore is sleeping on the couch of his two BFFs from high school, now married and expecting their first child, after his girlfriend has kicked him out. He's lost another job and his band is breaking up. When his aunt gives him a box that his mom left behind when she split town decades ago, he discovers a photo and a class ring and decides it's time he finds his father and collects backpay for child support.

And then there's Marcellus. Marcellus is a giant Pacific octopus who has been in captivity at the Sowell Bay Aquarium for 1,299 days. Well, not entirely in captivity. Marcellus has learned that he can escape his tank and wander around the building for 18 minutes - often in search of tasty morsels in other tanks or in the kitchen trash - before he experiences The Consequences.

Marcellus has gained a lot of insight and knowledge in his nearly 4 years at the aquarium. He has also gathered quite a collection of items he's found on the floor. Like coins, and earrings, and keys. When Cameron shows up at the aquarium to fill in for Tova while she recovers from a fall, Marcellus recognizes that he has one last mission to complete - and it must be completed soon - his friend Tova is quitting and moving away, and the life span for a giant Pacific octopus is 3-5 years - and Marcellus is feeling it.

Endearing characters, engaging and unique storyline, medium-paced, and even though the reader may initially not believe that an octopus could be that smart, it is completely plausible by the end. Highly recommend.

A heartwarming and haunting story of a wonderfully unique and original friendship, REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES has a bright thread of a mystery running through it, but the true delight is in the characterizations. Many thanks to Ecco and to Netgalley for this fresh and intriguing read.

First of all, I wanna thank Ecco Books for an e-arc of “Remarkably Bright Creatures” by Shelby Van Pelt, available on the U.S. on 05/03/22

As soon as I saw the cover and what the story was about, I immediately clicked that NetGalley “request” button. I’ve always been fascinated by octopuses and how amazing those creatures are. I’ve never read a book with one in it, let alone one like Marcellus who has his own narrated chapters in which he addresses the reader! Those quickly became my favorite to read due to his personality and little insights on the world around him here and there.

The pacing is not the fastest and I’d consider this a character driven story even though it had a solid plot. The writing was mesmerizingly pretty and had me crying a few times.

At the beginning I did find Cameron’s chapters a little pointless and boring but he definitely grew on me by the end of the book.

Even though I vaguely had an idea of were the story was going and was right on my predictions, that didn’t take away my enjoyment of the story in any way.

Marcellus will forever be my favorite remarkably bright creature.