A lonely widow works each night cleaning the Sowell Bay Aquarium needing to do something to cope with her losses—both the more recent death of her husband and the disappearance of her son thirty years before. While there she befriends the Aquarium’s escape artist—sneaking out for supplemental food and treasure to add to his horde—an aged Giant Pacific Octopus named Marcellus who also narrates parts of the book. This is a beautiful story on grief, living, and connections. Fans of Ruth Hogan and Fredrick Backman take note.

Heartwarming story of the unlikely friendship between Marcellus, a snarky and highly intelligent Pacific octopus and Tova Sullivan, the 70 year old night shift cleaner at Sowel Bay Aquarium. Quirky story in which the characters battle grief and loneliness . Marcellus is a brilliantly drawn character—curmudgeonly and sly who steals the spotlight and saves the day. Highly recommended.

I cannot express how much I loved this book!

When I read the description of the book I immediately thought this is going to be a very weird story. How can an octopus bring people together? I will say in a very unique and beautifully told story.

The loneliness of a young man, a widow, and an octopus come together telling a story of overcoming the many challenges of their lives.

I absolutely love this book and believe everyone should take it to the beach, the mountains, or whether they plan to travel this year.

This was a unique book and I really enjoyed it. It reminded me a bit of Sy Montgomery's book, The Soul of an Octopus, which was fascinating. I think our patrons will enjoy this one, so I've ordered a copy for the branch.

Remarkably Bright Creatures is a unique read that includes an octopus as a narrator. A heartwarming story with an element of mystery, I enjoyed this one.

The novel has a collection of narrators - Tova, the elderly janitor at the aquarium, Cameron, the lost soul searching for his father. And Marcellus, the sly octopus who loves to escape from his tank and wonder the aquarium at night. Tova learns of Marcellus's prowls when she has to free him from a tangled cord. They form a friendship and she keeps the octopus's secret. Later Cameron arrives in the small town, trying to track down his father after being abandoned by his mother as child. He befriends Tova and Marcellus. But there are secrets lurking in this town and it turns out Marcellus knows the answer. But how can an octopus reveal clues to Tova and Cameron?

I found the characters to be lovable and complex. You really get to know the town and the people living there. Tova is an especially good character who deeply cares about people despite a tragic loss from her past. The octopus narrator was a fun element, and I liked how he was the one to help tie up all the loose ends. The book is a bit long, especially once the reader has figured things out before the characters. But the plot keeps you reading and the characters have you rooting for them.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

This book….. it stole my heart. I loved it. I just LOVED IT!

It was not a fast read, it was not something that hooked me from the start and made me NEED TO KNOW what happened, that didn’t happen until about halfway through. I felt like the story was one I carried with me throughout the days I was reading it (and will stay with me for a long time now that I’m done).

This story has multiple points of view. Including one from… an octopus! I must admit the perspective of the octopus did NOT surprise me. I watched the documentary “My Octopus Teacher” last year and learned that there CAN be relationships between humans and octopus and octopus are VERY smart.

I loved all these characters in this book. But the octopus was probably my favorite and probably will be yours too 🐙🥰

This is a story of grief and searching for your place. Overall this book is a love story, but not romantic one. I feel that this author has gifted the world this book when we needed it most!

Thank you ECCObooks and netgalley for the advanced copy!

Remarkably Bright Creatures
by Shelby Van Pelt
Pub Date: May 3, 2022
Ecco Press
Thanks to the author, Ecco Press, and NetGalley for the perfectly delightful ARC! I have listened to several author interviews and I am in love with this book. Also don't miss the author's notes they are wonderful as well.
The star of this novel is definitely Marcellus and I enjoyed his POV the most! This story had me engaged throughout. The novel is nicely paced and I was never bored. I do have a fascination with octopi as our book club read The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery and I thoroughly enjoyed that one as well.
If you believe that animals can bring comfort and happiness to a person’s life and can help you heal from life's tragedies, you will love this book!
Definitely a 5-star book for me!!
5 star

This is a delightful tale of those at their ends, whether that be of their life, or at their wits, or of their heart, and how one wily cephalopod brings together people who thought they were alone.

Told in varying perspectives, Remarkably Bright Creatures, is centered around Tova Sullivan, a 70-year-old woman who cleans an aquarium at night, a wayward 30-year-old man named Cameron, and an elderly Octopus named Marcellus. Marcellus is by far the stand-out character, followed by Tova. I really loved the dry humor of the octopus and the warm steadfastness of Tova.

Remarkably Bright Creatures had me hooked immediately, but some of the connections and plot turns seemed very obvious to me. This is what brings this rating down o a 4 star for me. Don't get me wrong, I ADORED this book. It is great for anyone who loved A Man Called Ove, or community based tales with an older person at the heart of the story.

Tova loves to clean. Since her husband's death she has been keeping busy by cleaning at the local aquarium. She makes the glass tanks shine and she talks to the creatures. Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus, pays attention and looks forward to her visits. Tova knows that Marcellus has been escaping from his tank and wandering about in the evenings, but she keeps his secret. Marcellus studies Tova. Aware of her loneliness and grief over the loss of her son years ago, he sets out to help.
Meanwhile, a young drifter comes to town to try and find his father. He too takes a job at the aquarium and meets Marcellus.

This is a review of a digital galley provided by NetGalley.

This debut novel is 5 stars with no hesitation whatsoever. I loved it from the first page to the last. A heartwarming story that gives you a bit of faith in humanity at a time we can all use it. A 70-something recently widowed finds friendship and more with an octopus living his last days at the local aquarium. This has been compared to a Man called Ove, and I agree, but it is also completely unique. Also, I loved the author's acknowledgements at the end.
I always read them, but rarely would I say I enjoyed them. These were delightful! Thank you NetGalley and publishers for providing a digital ARC for review.

When I've read "animal fiction" it has always been at the behest of my much younger sister who would force me to read A Dog's Purpose or various related dog or cat books. I have always been a strong hater of books that are exclusively about animals such as White Fang, Where the Red Fern Grows, etc., with the single exception of Watershed Down, which considering I read it almost 10 years ago I would probably not enjoy as much now.

When I decided to pick up Remarkably Bright Creatures, I did so tepidly, but I was quite curious about the premise of the novel so I decided to read it anyways. Without giving too much away, RBC follows the POVs of Marcellus the Giant Pacific Octopus, Tova, a widowed cleaning lady who cares for Marcellus and Cameron, who's in the Puget Sound for somewhat mysterious circumstances. While the plot is somewhat predictable, I was in the perfect mindset for a predictable plot with interesting narrators, though I definitely found myself caring the least about Cameron.

Overall, Remarkably Bright Creatures is a perfect book for when you need to waste some time with a somewhat predictable mystery with a mystery solving octopus, and a number of remarkably bright creatures. I would describe this as Finding Dory meets the Shape of Water (not the fish romance part, just the part with the friendship between the invertebrate fish and his caretaker) meets Watershed Down.

This story begins 1,299 days after Marcellus was captured, after he’d been taken from his home and robbed of his freedom, and left in this small space, surrounded by glass walls. He’s fed, and observed through the glass that surrounds him by various people throughout the days, but he longs to return to his home. To be free. Periodically he manages somehow to escape, but is always found by Tova, who makes sure the boss isn’t aware of how often she finds him .

Tova began working there after her husband died, preferring to share her time with those who don’t ask a lot of questions, and so she and Marcellus develop a kind of silent bond. Tova shares some stories, but Marcellus can also see the sadness that weighs her down, and so periodically he will leave her small tokens. While he manages to, periodically, stray beyond his glass walls that are meant to keep him from straying, Tova’s fondness for him grows. Her affection for him grows, as does his for her.

This is a love story, but not your typical one.

A new employee joins the ranks, a young man, Cameron Cassmore, who has recently arrived in search of a father he never knew, and a mother who disappeared from his life when he was young. He’s not really qualified for much, employment-wise, and so it’s up to Tova to make sure he knows what the job entails. Cameron thinks he’s there just as a maintenance worker, but he’s surprised when there’s much more to this job than mopping floors. There’s Marcellus. And Marcellus is full of surprises.

Have I mentioned that Marcellus is a giant octopus?

This is a book that is touted as being for fans of A Man Called Ove , and I can see that, but for me, this reminded me more of Kevin Wilson’s ’Nothing to See Here’ - in the best way. The quirkiness, the unexpected twists and turns, and the somewhat bizarre premise that managed to completely pull me in despite how outside the box this unfolded. Filled with a quirky unconventional charm, I’ll be smiling every time I think of this story. A story that embraces the idea of love and connection across borders in every sense, and a story of family lost and found.


Pub Date: 03 Apr 2022

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Ecco

A friend suggested this title, excited about a narrating octopus, but this book turned out to be just so-so for me.

The octopus' narration is stilted, formal, tending toward cliché. I get that he's an octopus and is obviously different, but wouldn't he be... more different than this? Nervous tissue in each arm, which can operate and maybe even think on its own but we get a douchey-sounding guy over-impressed with his own intelligence?

The human story is fine. Several characters start out with separate stories and eventually interweave in a rather predictable way. I guess it could be a "feel good" story if you prefer light contemporary fiction.

Overflowing with humanity and heart, Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt addresses grief, family and belonging with magical aptitude. Tova, navigating life alone after the loss of her husband and son, takes a job at the local aquarium to stay busy. An unexpected connection with Marcellus, the resident Giant Pacific Octopus, leads Tova to open her heart and discover that she's not as alone as she thinks. Complete with charming characters and an utterly unique narrative, this novel is perfect for fans of Fredrik Beckman or Maria Semple.

Wonderful story beautifully written! I absolutely loved this book and was drawn in right from the first page. I love the way the narrators vary as it offers different perspectives. Highly recommend! I’m so glad NetGalley allowed me the opportunity to read and review this story! Don’t pass this book by!

When you feel sad or that life is just too much, this is the kind of book you need to read. Magical and heartfelt. Yes there are happy endings , and that's not always how life ends up, but that's why these kind of books are written....for escape. I loved the characters immensely. Look forward to more by this author. We need a talking cat!

This is such an absolute wonderful story. I love all the characters especially the octupus.. What an extraordinary debut novel. I am looking forward to anything else she writes. This is the type of book that you love so much that you want to know the ending but you do not want it to end.

A fun read with a great new narrative voice....a captive octopus in an aquarium. An elderly night cleaning lady at an aquarium. An aging giant Octopus inside his exhibit. A young man who can't catch a break who is in search of his father. Mix these characters with a dash of small town Washington state and you have the threads of an interconnected story. Even if you figure out how the story ultimately ends it is an engaging tale of friendship, connection and joy during our time of pandemic and isolation.

What an uplifting, quirky and well written story. The characters are lovable and Sowell Bay Washington begins to feel like home and Tova, Cameron, Ethan and the knit wits feel like old friends. The biggest surprise is Marcellus, a Giant Pacific Octopus, who narrates part of the story from his unique and surprising human perspective. Everyone is dealing with loss and then make/find surprising connections that change everyone for the better.

This debut novel is unique and clever, but requires a willing suspension of disbelief from the reader. If you can do that, you will experience much joy and satisfaction while you read. One of the main characters in this story is Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus, who is facing the later years of his life living in a tank at an aquarium in the Pacific Northwest. Tova is a 70-year-old woman who cleans the aquarium and strikes up an odd friendship with Marcellus. The small town and its citizens are beautifully described by the author, who writes in a very descriptive voice. I enjoyed reading her words and spending time with Tova and Marcellus. Thanks to NetGalley and Ecco for providing an ARC.