Remarkably Bright Creatures - Shelby Van Pelt

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This sweet, sweet story is an absolute triumph. Perfect for fans of Fredrik Backman (particularly, as the synopsis predicts, "A Man Called Ove"), "Remarkably Bright Creatures" boasts a tender, almost poignantly-human quality that so many writers fail to get right. 

70 year-old Tova works at the Sowell Bay Aquarium in coastal Washington. For Tova, everyday has been quite predictably the same (and quite lonesome) for a long time; that is, until the aquarium's precocious and curiously intelligent giant octopus, Marcellus, enters her life.

For me, this story was everything I needed and so, so much more. It pulled at my heartstrings, made me laugh, and kept my full attention even in its "quieter" chapters. Some chapters center on Tova, others on Marcellus as he scrupulously documents his captivity in the aquarium, and others on central characters that emerge throughout the story.

What I loved most about "Remarkably Bright Creatures" was the seamless way Van Pelt wove her refreshingly imperfect characters together by the end. If you need a story that will evoke a symphony of emotion and renew your faith in humanity's goodness, this story is for you. If you're simply curious on whether a story about a self-aware octopus and an old widow can really be that good (it can, trust me!) this story is also for you. 

I'm predicting now that this book will end up in my top 10 reads of 2022, because it's nearly-perfect!

Rating: 5 Stars
Publication Details: Out 5/3/2022, Ecco Books

Huge thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for providing my review copy!


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