This was a delightful, charming, & heartwarming story. I listened to the audiobook, & both narrators did a great job. I especially loved hearing the voice of the octopus (Michael Urie).

A sweet, heart-felt read about a broken family and an incredibly smart octopus. I have developed a bit of an obsession with these brilliant creatures since reading Sy Montgomery's Soul of an Octopus, so was happy to see it mentioned in the acknowledgements.

I loved everything about this book! The characters were amazing and it was a feel good book! Highly recommend - a must read!

This book did nothing for me. The writing and storytelling were dry and too wordy for me. The prose was over-detailed to death, and a lot of passages were unnecessary. I couldn't connect to the main character of the octopus for that matter. The story came across as hokey and cookie-cutter. I think I was the wrong target audience for this type of book. I need a novel with a little punch and intrigue.

Unusual book about a bond between human and the sea world. Really enjoyed learning more about the creature and the unusual bond. Great Read.

I had high expectations about this book with all the early buzz attached, but goodness it is slow. So very slow. I gave it my best shot, but no book should take his long to read. I am clearly not that into it.

The positive: the concept is unique and intriguing The Marcellus chapters were the only thing I found the slightest bit engaging.

For libraries: This will definitely find some readers who love it. But RA should definitely be directed to those that have some patience with their reads.

Lovely book about tolerance and loneliness. The characters are multi-dimensional and endearing, their back stories are heart-rending. One of the best books I've read this year!

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt is a wonderful book that I can not recommend enough. This book is one I could not put down and did not want it to end. You will love this book.

One of the most fabulous books I’ve read. Equally heartbreaking and hopeful. These characters will forever stay in my heart

Really loved this book! The found family and real family aspects, the mystery element, and especially Marcellus! Loved the chapters from the octopus's point of view. An overall lovely book to read.

Remarkably Bright Creatures is a unique and heartwarming novel about an unlikely cast of characters. The story is told in the perspective of Tova, a recent widow who lost her son several decades prior and is a janitor at an aquarium; Cam, a down on his luck 20-something who is constantly searching for more; and Marcellus, a Giant Pacific Octopus in an aquarium. It took me a little while to become invested in the story, but it paid off! I loved how three imperfect characters came together. Definitely recommend if you like Frederik Backman's novels or are searching for something unique.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

What a wonderful book! This has been my most favorite read of the year. The author strikes the perfect balance between humor and grief, and had me both laughing out loud and crying. The plot is clearly laid out, and you can't wait for the characters to make the connections as well. Shelby Van Pelt's debut novel is remarkably poignant and heartwarming, and will leave you with the understanding that you need more octopi in your life.

Remarkably Bright Creatures is like a warm hug...it's heartwarming and comforting. I can see why it's so hyped. It did combine two of my biggest complaints about books in general - which pertain to friction and telling. My main qualm was with Cameron who we were often told was rough around the edges but we hardly got to see it. I would've liked to see the struggle to grow and change instead of it magically happening in a new place. That does feel like nitpicking for the most part though.

I prefer to go into books blindly but it was spoiled that we get some narration from Marcellus the octopus before I read this. I was very nervous about how that would get pulled off. However, I worried for nothing as he was exceptional. Absolutely unique without trying too hard to be quirky. Loved it.

This book made me happy. It was like an after school special. Very sweet and uplifting.

This book was a delightful summer read. I loved the diverse, creative POVs. I have never read anything quite like it.

I loved everything about this book, from the main character, Marcellus, an octopus in captivity, to the story lines and setting. Tova works as a cleaner at the aquarium in Sowell Bay, when she slowly becomes aware that Marcellus has intelligence. Tova still mourns her 18 year old son whose death at sea was never solved. A second story line starts with Cameron, a smart young man who cannot hold down a job. He is trying to discover who his father is, as his mother left him with an aunt when he was nine. The way these story lines weave together is magic; heartwarming, emotional and lovely. I can’t recommend this book enough, a must read. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This is a cute book with a fanciful narrative. I liked that the book switched between the view points of the octopus and the woman. This was an Elinor Oliphant type book and one of the better ones of a market that’s become slightly flooded with them.

4.5 stars

LIKES:
📝 quirky, jaunty, vivid writing
👥 multi-pov featuring…
🐙 a sentient, sassy octopus!
👵🏻 a fastidious, dependable, stubborn old woman
🧔🏻 a listless, indecisive, angsty 30-something bro
👨🏻‍🦰 a jolly, meddling yet caring Scotsman
🏡 small town PNW vibes
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 explores family dynamics
🤰 + motherhood
👫 + friendship
🖤 + grief & loss
👴🏼 + aging
💕 + second chances
🌱 personal growth vibes
📺 nostalgic
🥹 heartwarming & hopeful
•
DISCLAIMERS:
⚠️ DM me for TW!
🏊‍♀️ personally wanted just a ~lil more depth/intensity but I think I’m just not used to heavy topics being written with levity
•
VERDICT: a jaunty & light yet emotional & nostalgic read exploring family, loss, change, & second chances! A great pick-me up & book club choice!

This was a warm hug in the form of a book.

I admit, I wasn't too keen on Cameron at first and I worried that the book might drag because of it, but I came to be just as charmed by him as I was by Sowell Bay and the rest of its residents.

I love how everything in this book came together, and the moments we got to spend in Marcellus's head were an utter delight.

What a great novel that took a group of seemingly random people and an octopus and slowly revealed the connections between them all. I really enjoyed this book.

5 Stars!

Marcellus… you have my heart.

“Why can humans not sure their millions of words to simply tell on another what they desire?”

Remarkably Bright Creatures is an absolutely stunning debut novel by Shelby Van Pelt. Say that name again out loud so you don’t forget it. That way won’t miss other books by this author.

The story follows the character Tova Sullivan. She is the night janitor at the Sowell Bay Aquarium and one night at work, she saves an octopus who got caught in some cords after he escaped from his tank and they start an unusual friendship. The book also follows different points of view and we see why Marcellus, the Pacific Ocean octopus crosses paths with seventy-year-old Tova Sullivan.

One would say the main protagonist is Marcellus, but we spend most of the time in the book following the character Tova. She has spent years obsessing over the death of her 18-year-old son and believes his death was wrongly ruled a suicide. Her husband has recently passed away, and she is in stage of her life where she begins to plan for “what comes next.” She enjoys her time cleaning at the aquarium and keeping the sea animals company, but she knows she can't live alone for the rest of her life. Tova has a group of close friends she relies on, and Ethan who is the grocer in town and who has always cared for Tova.

Another character we follow is Cameron. He’s about thirty and is struggling in life to keep a job and a girlfriend. He bounces from one failed opportunity to the next failed attempt. His mother left him with his aunt when he nine years old, and she never returned for him. He decides to hit the road and try to find his long-lost father and hopes he can start a new life for himself.

There are a few chapters from Marcellus' point of view. He has been raised in captivity for most of his life and he knows his life is coming to an end. Marcellus knows what happened to Tova’s son and tries to spend his last 160 days helping Tova get the answers she is desperately searching for.

This book felt like comfort to me. Some books make me think. Some books have facts and information. Some books make me cry. Some books make me laugh. This book made me feel comfort. I’m not saying this book didn’t also make me cry and laugh, but I wanted to keep coming back to this book and I really didn’t want to put it down when I had to go run errands. I think this will end up in my top 5 favorites of 2022.

The writing style is unique, and I’ve read reviews that some people felt like it was like Fredick Backmann’s writing. I would agree with this statement, and that’s probably why I found such comfort in this book. The sentences are short and easy, and some would even say it feels choppy. I usually prefer my books to have a more lyrical writing style, but this book absolutely worked for me! I loved this with my whole heart.

Don’t go into this book thinking this is going to be a hard mystery to solve. It’s not. In fact, it’s very predictable, but this allows you to participate in this story with the characters and feel their grief and hardships. This book is farfetched, and you’ll need to suspend your disbelief a tiny bit to appreciate this story about grief, aging, and loneliness.

I’ve heard amazing things about the audio book, but I didn’t want to wait the months it would take for my hold to finally come in, so I physically read this book, and I’m so happy I did.

This is the type of book I could recommend to everyone. Even to people I don’t know anything about their reading preferences. I loved it.

*Thank you to netgalley for providing an e-arc copy of this in exchange for an honest review. I loved it so much, I already purchased my own copy!