The story of a 70 year old and a giant Pacific octopus forming an unlikely but moving connection.

This book warmed my heart! It was charming, wholesome, and thoughtful. This book explores themes of grief, healing, aging, loneliness, and friendship.

I loved the bond between Marcellus and Tova, the switching POV’s - especially Marcellus’s, and how the story perfectly connected all together.

This is one that will pull at your heartstrings and make you smile!

Thank you to @eccobooks and @netgalley for this ARC/ALC in exchange for an honest review! ✨

Tova Sullivan cleans the aquarium in fictional Sowell Bay, Washington each night. She is a 70-year-old widow whose only child died young. She has longtime friends whom she holds at arms' length emotionally. She is just going through the motions of life. Cameron is a 30-year-old slacker from California, angry at the world, who is looking for the father he never knew. He and Tova meet when she is temporarily away from her job on medical leave and he takes over cleaning the aquarium. The journey these two characters take is one of taking emotional risks when every life experience tells them it's too dangerous.

Misunderstandings are the underpinning of this debut novel. People keep secrets, miscommunicate, fail to listen or pay attention. What makes this novel unlike others is that there is an unusual character observing Tova and Cameron, determined to help them figure things out. Alternating chapters are narrated by the giant Pacific octopus living in the aquarium. His name is Marcellus and he draws Tova's attention one night when he escapes his tank. Tova begins to spend time with Marcellus, letting him wrap his tentacles around her arms and telling him the things she's feeling that she can't express to any of the people in her life. Marcellus never behaves in a way that a giant Pacific octopus wouldn't behave. It's just the author's license to have him describe his reasons behind his actions. It's a delightful twist.

Recommended for anyone who enjoyed A Man Called Ove and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine.

70 year old Tova following the death of her husband is working at an aquarium at night to keep herself busy and she strikes a friendship with Marcellus, a Giant Pacific Octopus who has spent most of his life in captivity and loves to escape his tank and hoard treasure. Marcellus has figured out what Tova wants to know the most, the mystery of what happened to her son the night he disappeared over thirty years ago and he needs to figure out a way to tell Tova before it's too late.

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year and it did not disappoint. I loved the pacing of the story. Loved the charming characters and the small town setting. I also love seeing older main characters in books, just like I did with A Man Called Ove. The book has a similar tone to it, something about the Swedish elderly I guess. I loved the narration from Marcellus's point of view and I couldn't get enough of it. This is a sweet story with lots of love and reflection.

“And I won’t put that burden on my friends and neighbors.”
“‘There’s your problem,’ says Janice softly. ‘Assuming it’s a burden.’”

Book Details:
-Genre: Fiction
-Setting: Puget Sound, Washington (many scenes set in an aquarium)
-includes themes of family and connection
-features a Giant octopus named Marcellus 🐙🐙🐙

How did a book where an Octopus has a POV work so well?
Personally, I thought the idea seemed a bit silly when I first heard the description, but I was still intrigued (I love sea creatures after all). And it somehow wasn’t weird at all. The scenes with Marcellus were weaved in fairly well, and he was actually one of my favorite characters in the book. He was such an entertaining piece of the story and was very sarcastic and cynical (in an entertaining way).

Tone
This book was moving and witty all at once. It addresses many important topics, such as aging, family, grief, and friendship.

Pacing
It was a bit slower at the start, and so it took me a moment to get into it. But once the characters started to connect more, I was really invested!

Overall
This one comes out next week and I highly recommend giving it a chance! I never knew this was a book I wanted, but I am 100% going to need to get a physical copy now, because I am obsessed with Marcellus haha.

This is one of the best books I’ve read in quite awhile (and I read a lot). The characters and their situations seem so real. At times I was actually seeing the book play out in my mind like a movie. This is a book I’ll be recommending to everyone.

After losing her husband, Tova started working at the aquarium. she works the night shift, making sure the place is sparkling clean. Keeping herself occupied is how she has continued on after the tragic loss of her son when he was only 18. Tova is shocked during a shift to find Marcellus the octopus has left his tank. After saving him from the cords that entangle him, Tova and Marcellus begin an unlikely friendship. Tova has no idea that Marcellus is going to help her find out what happened to her son.

What an unexpected delight! The synopsis of this one sounded excellent, but I was not prepared for how much I would love this book! Tova was such a lovable character, but who knew that Marcellus the Octopus would steal the show? I adored his insights into what he saw while people watching at the aquarium, and his escapes and antics were hysterical while also being beyond adorable. He was just the most lovable of all characters, it made me want to visit him! I stayed up until one am finishing this one and turned the final pages with tears in my eyes. This book is an absolute gem that you do not want to miss!

Remarkably Bright Creatures is a charming depiction of small town life and grief, I found the authors prose enjoyable, charming and easy to read. The highlight of the book were the chapters from the perceptive of the octopus, Marcellus, I found myself wishing that more of the book was centered around Marcellus and the aquarium.

While the book is charming I did find the plot and character development to be superficial. In particular I struggled to enjoy Cameron's perceptive, we are repeatedly told he is smart, but he comes off as an irresponsible man child and his troubled background was not explored enough to generate sympathy for his behavior. While he has some character growth, his actions near the end of the book were very much in line with his actions at the start.

Thank you to Ecco and Net Gallery for the advanced reader copy.

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt has such a terrific concept, a odd friendship, which serendipitously blossoms between Marcellus, a Giant Pacific Octopus, near the end of his lifespan, and 70-year-old Tova, the grieving cleaner of the Sowell Bay Aquarium. Cancer claimed Tova’s husband a while ago, but her mourning is chiefly for her son, who decades ago abruptly disappeared from his dockside job, and was presumed to have committed suicide. Tova tries to fill her life with the tidying up of other people’s messes, and also with her group of heavily stereotyped girlfriends, the Knit-Wits. But the obsessive depressive grip of her bereavement is too powerful, that is until she finds herself in another grip or multiple grips, those of Marcellus’s many tentacles, his powerful, all-knowing intelligence, and his overflowing trifecta of hearts. There are other characters that populate the town of Sowell, among them, a love-struck Scottish grocer, a “loser” 30 year old failed rocker, who is searching for his missing father; and various townies, each with their own predictable personality quirks, but they are mainly fill-in narrative foliage and treated as such.

Sometimes an ocean can lie between an idea and its successful execution. Recently we have learned much more about the manifold and mysterious aptitude and abilities of octopuses, and the disconnect between the apparent reach of their brains and the length of their lives. But little of that mystery and marvel of the unknown is evidenced in Van Pelt’s characterization of Marcellus. Yes, he is quite charming, and has an Oscar Wilde-like quality for witty observations of human banalities. And in addition to his talent of springing nearly any type of lock and solving complex tactile puzzles, Marcellus has an amazing facility for languages, the inner workings of copiers, and genetic decoding. He also has the intuition and skilled facility of a top-notch human psychologist and at times a telepath. This can be compelling, but the extreme anthropomorphizing of a creature that is truly wondrous in its own right, does the octopus and the reader a disservice.

And the mystery that ties the threads of these characters together is revealed with the subtlety of an avalanche, but it is an avalanche that advances in extremely slow motion, and I found myself exclaiming “get on with it!” more than once. However, to her credit, Van Pelt is quite good at pithy reflections, both in the voice of Marcellus and at times in Tova’s: “But young women don’t want bone china anymore. They have no use for old Swedish things. They have their own dinnerware, probably from Ikea. New Swedish things.” There are many wry remarks such as this throughout. And if you need a certain kind of escape from the disturbing national and global news that surrounds us, this fairy tale-like fable that pulls you over a comfortable well-worn track may be just the thing. It just wasn’t my thing. Great concept though. My thanks to NetGalley and to HarperCollins for the review copy.

This was a very enjoyable book about an octopus, the widow who cleans his aquarium, and a thirty year old vagabond who moves to town to find the father he has never met. Told from several points of view including the octopus, this was a somewhat predictable yet fun book to read. Kind of like a Hallmark movie where you already know the outcome but the journey is still worth it. Strongly recommended

This book is so heartwarming. The stories are so beautifully woven together through the author's incredible writing. It's amazing how believable and lovable the friendship between Tova and Marcellus (the octopus) was, and that was only one of the many amazing parts of this story. This book was truly breathtaking!

“Remarkably Bright Creatures” is like coming home to a good hug after having a long day. It follows Tova Sullivan, a 70-year-old woman who works the night shift at the Sowell Bay aquarium, and the interesting personalities that makeup Sowell Bay. After losing her husband and son she makes friends with Marcellus, a giant octopus living at the Aquarium.
I was hooked from the first chapter told from the perspective of Marcellus. It is an exploration of hope during times of loneliness and how things are never what they seem. I loved this book more than I thought I would. Its charming and witty tone made me smile with joy the whole time.

So what do you get when you cross an octopus, a widow, and a 30 year old wastrel with a small town, a lot of weird factoids, and a mysterious disappearance and death? This delightful novel.

It's really the story of all those things. And, yes, the octopus does indeed narrate his own chapters.

I really didn't know what to expect from this book going in, but what I got was a very lovely novel about how we all connect in odd ways. And how important it is to keep an octopus mentally stimulated. Shelby Van Pelt has written a great novel that is full of heart and reads very quickly.

More like a remarkably bright COVER! This one called out to me with its dreamy colors.

I've heard this compared to A Man Called Ove, and it is spot on! Tova Sullivan is a sweet little old lady that cleans a local aquarium every night, especially bonding with Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus who lives there. Tova has definitely been through some tragedies in her life, losing her son mysteriously when he drowned at age 18 and she’s been recently widowed. All of a sudden a new person moves to town, the grocer asks her out, Marcellus keeps leaving his tank, and a clue or two comes up that could shed some light on her son's disappearance.

So not only is Tova a narrator, but Marcellus the octopus is too! He notices everything from his aquarium tank, especially how remarkably NOT bright humans can be. However, he warms to Tova and even helps her piece together the mystery of her son's death.

Okay, so I know this can sound kinda corny. Like, it's Angela Landsbury and a genius octopus, crime solving duo! 👵🏻🐙 But it really doesn't come across that way in the book at all. From Marcellus' first chapter in the beginning of the book, I was completely charmed by the original premise.

And honestly, I just wanted to love on these characters who are all searching for something and mourning parts of their past. Well, maybe not Tova's small group of girlfriends. They are terribly annoying.

The ending really is lovely and I found myself tearing up. If you're looking for a wholesome, feel-good, sweet sort of read, pick this one up. Also, excuse me while I go Google everything there is to know about the giant Pacific octopus.

Remarkably Bright Creatures is a beautiful, astounding debut novel by Shelby Van Pelt. There is great compassion shown for every creature mentioned. I absolutely loved it!

This gorgeous novel is my favorite release of 2022 so far.

It's a story about grief, yet it's also hopeful and life affirming. There's a large cast of characters, and the chapters give us their viewpoints, including that of a Giant Pacific Octopus named Marcelle.

The writing is beautiful and poignant. I loved the descriptions of the sea creatures in the aquarium that is a frequent setting throughout the book. I also appreciated how these characters all showed up for each other in different ways.

I highly recommend this one for readers of literary fiction.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

Yes, definitely interesting. Worth a read.

With a well-rounded set of characters (including a Giant Pacific Octopus), Van Pelt has crafted a charming debut novel without the cloying sweetness resulting in a genuinely heartfelt story. We all have challenges and face a variety of adversities in our lives, many of which are out of our control. Yet, it’s how we confront these difficulties with the assistance of others that is the true test. A fantastic palate cleanser after reading austere non-fiction and twisty-turny thrillers.

I graciously received an advance copy from NetGalley and St Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.

Charming and unusual book with multiple stories that tie together in the end. Told with alternating points of view, including that of an octopus, the story is unique and engaging. Highly recommend for those who enjoy heartfelt and unique stories. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

I grabbed this one because I was intrigued by the title and cover, and also by the fact that it's narrated in part by an octopus. It turns out that this story is made up of everything I love: wonderful characters, complicated families, deep friendships, a bit of mystery, lots of real life, and the tenderness of animal/human relationships (without any sadness!). I keep thinking about the story and would actually love a sequel. I believe that REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES is a title that will endure. I absolutely loved this book.

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.