Title: Remarkably Bright Creatures

Author: Shelby Van Pelt

Publisher: Ecco 2022

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 360

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: UnRead Shelf; 52 Book Club - Book About Secrets

After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she’s been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago.

Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors—until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.

Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova’s son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it’s too late. 

I resisted reading this book for so long. When someone describes a book as “heartwarming,” I usually run screaming in the other direction. And so, I did not pick up this book last year. Then, a friend picked it for January’s book club selection and I, grumbling, sat down to read it. Surprisingly, I actually enjoyed this one. Mostly, I enjoyed it for the slim interludes chapters narrated by Marcellus. I think I would have loved any entire book narrated by Marcellus. Instead, we have to add a few humans into the mix and a whole host of secrets. The tidy nature of the secrets were a bit too much for me to give this book 5 stars. That and the chapters focused on Cameron really bugged me. I grew to really love Tova and the story of her life. I would have liked more about her and her interactions with the various members of the town. The chapters about Cameron were tough to get through. He was not a great and lovable person and I really struggled wanting to reach through the pages and slap him. A mixed bag. Overall, It was a nice story and I am interested to see everyone’s reaction at book club tonight.

Next up on the TBR pile: