Marcellus! The octopus! He stole the show and my heart all at once and five stars for him AND this wonderfully warm, heartfelt novel!
What a creative tale of family, friendship, changes in life and rediscovery. All led by an octopus. I have no idea if all the octopus facts are true, part of me wants to know, part of me wants to believe without research because I was absolutely smitten!
Five solid stars - read this great summer book!

The title, Remarkably Bright Creatures, refers of course, to the two-legged characters in the book. The eight-legged character is so much more. Teacher, spiritual guide, adventurer, Van Pelt did an outstanding job of collecting an unlikely group of people and developing a family. There were unanswered questions at the end and I felt the side story of Simon’s hideaway speakeasy was a little jarring blip to the rhythm of the novel. But I loved the octopus’ chapters and the descriptions of his escapades were especially enjoyable.

I already wanted all the octopus things. And now I want them... even more. Marcellus is my alter ego, and Tova is me in 30 years. And I'm here for both of those things. This story is wonderfully written and I loved it.

I really enjoyed this book! I'll be totally honest - my favorite character was, by far, Marcellus. The storyline between he and Tova was really sweet and quite unique and was honestly probably the main selling point in attracting me to the book in the first place. I wasn't a huge fan of Cameron and found him to be incredibly annoying. Truthfully, he reminded me of my ex-husband and his father, for whom everything that went wrong was someone else's fault. Characters who can't or won't see their role in their own suffering irk me. I liked the way his storyline interwove with Tova's, but I could have done without him. Maybe if his "ah-ha" moment had come a bit earlier in the book I'd have found him less odious, but on the whole I'm not a fan of his. Overall, though, I'd absolutely recommend this book.

I’ve been so excited to read this and it didn’t disappoint. SO clever. Books like this are why I feel so lucky to be a reader. Tova and Marcellus are perfect. I really want to listen to the audiobook now!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Ecco Books for gifting me a digital ARC of this amazing debut novel by Shelby Van Pelt - 5 remarkably bright stars!

Tova has lost both her husband and only son. To fill the hours in her day, she works at the local aquarium at night, doing cleaning. She has become friendly with Marcellus, the Giant Pacific Octopus who has remarkable abilities to understand humans. Marcellus has figured out the mystery of Tova's son's death and is determined to help Tova.

I can't say enough about this book - it will give you all the quirky, heartwarming vibes you need in your life right now. The story is full of wonderful characters who exemplify the meaning of taking care of each other, as well as resolving past issues. I couldn't put it down and was sad when it was over!

Loved this quirky fun read - especially loved Marcellus the octopus! Seventy year old Tova is a cleaning lady at the Sowell Bay aquarium, and she takes pride in her work. Although financially stable, she is staying busy to cope with the recent loss of her husband, and also the disappearance of her son over 30 years ago. She is respectful and talks to the sea creatures in the aquarium, and especially is fond of Marcellus the octopus. One night she discovers him entwined in power cords outside of his tank and helps him get back to safety. Marcellus enjoys these nighttime jaunts to sneak a treat out of the sea cucumbers tank, or get a snack in the cafeteria. He is extremely bright, has a near perfect memory, and also likes to pick up "trinkets" and has a treasure trove which becomes important in the story.
Cameron is a irresponsible man (about 30) that continues to get fired from jobs, is dumped by his girlfriend, and is struggling to find himself. He doesn't know his father, his mother (who had a drug problem) left him at her sister's years ago, and he blames most of his problems on other people. When he discovers his possible father might be a wealthy real estate mogul, he travels to Sowell Bay in search of him. At first I could not stand Cameron, but he does manage to pull himself together by the end of the novel.
Remarkably Bright Creatures shines because of Tova and Marcellus - and highlights themes of grief, hope, and redemption. Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced reader copy.

Debut novel REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES by Shelby Van Pelt features Marcellus McSquiddles, a charming giant Pacific octopus who can read, calculate, and communicate. Fellow characters include Tova, an older women employed to clean the aquarium museum of a small town named Sowell Bay, and Cameron, a thirty-year-old who acts fifteen and is on a quest to find his biological father. Each of these three struggles with loneliness; they somehow find a way to help each other, sharing wisdom and gradually building trust. REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES is a wonderful, moving story about family, friendship, and redemption; it will have wide appeal, most especially to older readers and fans of novels like A Man Called Ove. Van Pelt's work received a starred review from Booklist, was a Library Reads selection, and was an Amazon Best Book for May 2022. Enjoy! 4.5 stars

At the start, this is the story of a surprisingly intelligent octopus and the woman who cleans his tank. It's actually way more than that, it's a story of finding yourself, solving a mystery, and finding friendship in the most unlikely of places. A unique story that will stick with me.

Remarkably Bright Creatures is a sweet story that deals in heavy subjects: ageing, death, loss. It's a fun little novel with engaging characters that feel real and relatable. Wrapping up nicely with a sentimental ending, RBC is a perfect read for when you want to be warmly cured of your heartsickness.

"Expect the unexpected." I got more than I bargained for with this beautiful, touching, and emotional story about unexpected friendships. Remarkably Bright Creatures centers around Tova, a janitor, Cameron, a bit of a wayward soul, and an exceptional octopus named Marcellus. It's one of those books that you can't put down, but you also want to savor it and linger with the characters forever. I loved it.

Thank you to Ecco and NetGalley for this ARC.

On occasion I read a book that I know I can’t do justice in a review and this is definitely one. It is remarkably wonderful!

Everything from the storylines to the characters and the descriptive details was so engaging. I connected so well with the characters - lonely, aging Tova, bitter and disappointed young Cameron and Marcellus the intelligent, insightful, curmudgeonly octopus.

I absolutely adored reading this book and am sorry to be finished. Highly recommend.

Thanks to @netgalley and publisher @eccobooks for an advance copy.

Remarkably Bright Creatures was such a lovely surprise. It gave me A Man Called Ove vibes where you have a somewhat grouchy main character and heartwarming story but with an octopus as one of the characters! We have 70-year old Tova who works as a nightshift cleaner at the aquarium. Marcellus, a giant pacific octopus. And Cameron, a thirty-something trying to figure out his life. It was emotional and captivating and I just loved these characters.

Thank you to Ecco (and HarperCollins) and Netgalley for the electronic advanced copy.

Such a heartwarming and emotional story that made me laugh, cry and feel all the feels. This also left me wishing for a pet or octopus friend like Marcellus. I loved Marcellus and Tova too. This was a story that I was hearing rave reviews about and was on my highly anticipated list so I was thrilled to receive an ARC and I can definitely say this book deserves all the love and rave reviews and more. This story lived up to the hype and more.
It's about a widow named Tova who after her husband died began working at the Sowell Bay Aquarium doing mostly janitorial type work at night. Working and keeping busy is how she copes which she's had to do because her 18-year-old son Erik mysteriously disappeared on a boat over 30 years ago. Tova and Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus at the aquarium get to know each other and become friends. Marcellus is the one who actually figures out what happened to Tova's son who vanished and does everything he can to help discover the whole truth for Tova before it's too late.
The way that the story plays out is amazing and blew me away at how Marcellus plays the part he does in the whole story and how he helps figure things out. I found myself emotional in parts and blown away by the way everything fits together to have the mystery of her son's disappearance solved right before your eyes. The outcome of solving what happened with her son and the friendship Tova develops with Marcellus is amazing and I did not see that answer to the mystery coming. It was a wonderful story that left me feeling uplifted and enlightened. I also found myself going to research giant Pacific octopuses after reading this and they're very intelligent and fascinating creatures.
I can't recommend this one enough. If you haven't heard of this book, well you have now so go check it out! You don't want to miss out on this one, trust me. Go read it! This may be one of my favorite books this year and maybe ever now. Thanks so much to NetGalley and Ecco for letting me read and review this gem. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This story follows multiple POVs from an aimless 30 year looking for his dad, to a 70 year old lonely woman who cleans the local aquarium, and my favorite POV… the octopus who lives at the aquarium.

The weaving of this story is beautiful and covers so many raw emotions of life and grief. It’s also such a quick read. I can’t recommend it enough. I’m also super shocked it wasn’t a BOTM selection.

This is a delightful tale of an amazingly bright but captive octopus, an elderly Swedish cleaning lady, a 30 year old man who can’t seem to hold a job, and a small town in Washington where their lives intersect in incredulous ways. Van Pelt writes of fate, second chances, and a longing for family in vivid, moving prose. Five stars!

A moving and haunting tale of a lost boy, an octopus and several members of a small town all looking for someone to love. What happened to Ethan on the night he disappeared? Who is Cameron’s father? How long does an octopus live? This story will grip your heart from the first page. Absolutely beautiful.

“Remarkably Bright Creatures,” by Shelby Van Pelt, Ecco, 368 pages, May 3, 2022.

After Tova Sullivan’s husband, Will, died of cancer, she began working as a cleaner on the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium in Washington.

Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she’s been doing since her son, Erik, 18, vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over 30 years ago. Police believe he killed himself. Tova doesn’t think so.

Marcellus is a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Or, as he thinks, being held captive. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine, but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors. For starters, he can read. He has lived longer than his anticipated life span of four years.

Tova is 70. She has a supportive group of friends in the small town. She talks to all the creatures in the aquarium, but Marcellus is her favorite. One night, Marcellus gets out of his tank and becomes entangled in power cords in the break room. Tova untangles him.

The third character is Cameron Cassmore, 30, who lives in Modesto, California. He can’t hold a job. His aunt, Jeanne, raised him from the age of nine after his drug-addicted mother, Daphne, left him. Cameron is a self-proclaimed loser and Jeanne is a hoarder.

Neither Cameron nor Jeanne know who his biological father is. But when Jeanne gives Cameron a box of his mother’s things, he finds a photograph of his mother as a teenager hugging a boy, Simon Brinks. The photo was taken in Sowell Bay high school. He also finds Brinks’ class ring. He decides to go to Sowell Bay to find Brinks.

Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces the truth. And now Marcellus must use every trick he can muster to revel it to Tova before it’s too late. 

If you suspend disbelief, this is very enjoyable. It is a charming story of friendship. “Remarkably Bright Creatures” is perfect for readers who like quirky characters.

In accordance with FTC guidelines, the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

I'm not always great at suspending disbelief, but I was completely charmed by Remarkably Bright Creatures and the curmudgeon Marcellus. The character I am describing is an octopus. Yep. That's right. I thought this might be too "sweet" for me, and it was sweet, but it's also wonderful. I loved this book!

Through intertwining stories about growing up, growing old, and remembering and discovering the past, this book shows us what humanity looks like through the eyes of an octopus.