Review: Remarkably Bright Creatures

 

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt tells the story of Tova Sullivan, who befriends a Giant Pacific octopus named Marcellus while she works the nighttime cleaning shift at the town aquarium. Described in the book jacket blurb as “curmudgeonly,” Marcellus is funny, observant, and remarkably bright. With his help, Tova is able to uncover new information about the disappearance of her son, Erik, who mysteriously went missing in 1989. Even though his body was never recovered, local police believed that Erik had died at sea and ruled his death a suicide. Tova, however, never believed or accepted this version of events and continued to wonder what had happened to her son. After an unfortunate accident at work, Tova has to take time off from her cleaning job at the aquarium, and a young newcomer is hired as her temporary replacement.

Overall, I would give this novel a 4 out of 5-star rating. What I liked most was the unique perspectives of the characters. Tova’s character is endearing and reads as strong, kind, fiercely independent, and a bit obsessive-compulsive. Though Marcellus’s chapters are distinctly short (2.5 pages at most), he still adds levity to the story while enlightening readers and advancing the plot. Cameron Cassmore’s character, the temporary hire at the aquarium, isn't as well defined as Tova and Marcellus, but he is charming and humorous in his own way.

Unfortunately, many of the other characters also felt underdeveloped. And—while the heavy foreshadowing and predictability of the plot successfully added an element of suspense for much of the novel—somewhere around the 200-page mark, waiting for the big reveal started to feel more tedious than thrilling. That said, the reveal ended up being worth the wait with a big emotional payoff.

Ultimately, Remarkably Bright Creatures is an exciting debut novel centered around a multi-generational mystery and an anthropomorphic octopus. It explores themes like grief, abandonment, and self-actualization while keeping readers on the edge of their seats!