Remarkably Bright Creatures - Shelby Van Pelt - ★★★★.¼

AUTHOR: Shelby Van Pelt

GENRE: Feel-good Contemporary fiction

PUBLICATION DATE: May 3, 2022

RATING: 4.25 stars.

In a Nutshell: A character-driven contemporary feel-good fiction coming from multiple perspectives. Detested one character, loved everyone else. Amazing voice of the octopus narrator, great use of the location, interesting plot, and a good close to all key arcs. Definitely recommended.

Plot Preview:

Seventy-year-old Tova Sullivan, all alone after her son mysteriously disappeared many decades ago and her husband passed away a few months back, works at the Sowell Bay Aquarium as a cleaner to pass her time. While mopping floors and keeping everything spotless, Tova chats with the residents of the aquarium. But she becomes intimate with Marcellus, the giant Pacific octopus who knows far more than the humans realise. For instance, Marcellus has his guesses about what happened to Tova’s son. But how can he communicate his information with his new friend?

The story comes to us in the first-person perspective of Marcellus, and the third-person perspectives of Tova and a couple more characters.

I've always found octopuses fascinating. Reading the splendid ‘The Incredible Octopus’ by Erin Spencer further enhanced my admiration for this magnificent ocean creature. So reading this book was not a matter of “if” but “when.” I am so happy that this mostly lived up to the hype.

Bookish Yays:

🐙 Marcellus, octopus extraordinaire. Loved everything about his narrative, made even better by his first-person perspective that includes some wry remarks on human behaviour. I wish there had been more chapters from his perspective, though what we get is also fabulous.

🐙 Tova – not the typical senior citizen we see in fiction. I admired her independence and her commitment to her work. But I mostly loved how sweetly she spoke to the creatures in the aquarium.

🐙 Tova’s bond with Marcellus deserves a separate Yay of its own. I loved all the scenes that had both of them interacting and/or bonding.

🐙 All the other characters (with one clear exception) are also sketched well enough, whether in major roles or minor ones. Tova’s friends group, funnily titled the “Knit-Wits”, is as quirky as a group of old ladies can be. The range of characters is interesting and diverse in age, behaviour, and background.

🐙 While the narration comes from several characters, there is no random head-jumping. The chapters, shortish in length, are neatly demarcated so we always know which character is speaking. They each have distinct voices.

🐙 The plot is gripping right from the start. Though, after a certain point, it was easy to see where the plot was going, this didn’t reduce my pleasure from the book.

🐙 The excellent Pacific North-West setting, which is brought alive via the author’s words.

🐙 The small-town setting is put to excellent use.

🐙 Several thought-provoking lines and observations to ponder over.

🐙 As a character-oriented book, its pacing is a bit on the slower side, but it doesn’t slacken at any time. The multiple perspectives ensure that the story keeps moving ahead steadily.

🐙 The ending is exactly of the type such a story deserves.

🐙 A debut work that sticks to its core focus without cramming in superfluous themes deserves extra praise.

🐙 The title has a special significance to it that you will learn on reading the book. I loved it!

Bookish Mixed Bags:

🦑 Ethan, a local shop owner of Scottish descent holds a candle for Tova. No problem with Ethan, but a problem with the metaphorical candle. A needless romantic addition to the plot that thankfully doesn’t overpower the main story.

🦑 The foreshadowing is a bit too strong. Not that I expect twisty surprises in this genre, but I would have preferred the hints to be subtler.

Bookish Nays:

🦈 Cameron, a main character who becomes Tova’s co-worker and confidant. Cameron is 30 going on 13 – Ugh! I don’t mind unlikeable characters as they offer great depth to a plotline, but there’s a difference between ‘unlikeable’ and ‘insufferable’. I hate irresponsible people in real life as well, so it was very tough for me to stay invested in his track, though I suppose he is written authentically as a thirty-year-old man-boy. He singlehandedly brought down my rating.

All in all, though I disliked Cameron, my love for Marcellus and respect for Tova more than made up for the shortfall. If you need only one reason to read the book, it has to be this amazing octopus. But the book delivers on several more factors as well.

Definitely recommended to those looking for a relaxing and heartwarming character-driven feel-good novel with a wise old octopus guiding you along the journey. Remember to “Keep Calm and Carry On” when Cameron gets his turn as the narrator. Not for those who don’t enjoy sappy stories.