Fall in Love with a giant octopus, and never eat calamari again!

Remarkably Bright Creatures

Shelby Van Pelt, 360 Pages

Harper Collins, May 3, 2022

This book! I bought a signed copy and I immediately knew I was going to adore Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel. Not only is the cover art bright and happy, but Van Pelt drew an adorable little octopus on the cover page and wrote “Happy Reading”. And happy I was to be introduced to this adorable story and these great characters that offer so much to us needy readers.

I was instantly obsessed with the quirkiness and narration of Marcellus, a giant pacific octopus on his last turn around the sun. I found myself wishing there was more from him and vowing to never eat calamari again. Marcellus watches the humans and studies them from his tank in a small-town Washington aquarium, offering harsh but straightforward, hilarious judgments to all those who visit the small attraction. Then we get to follow along with his sneaky exploits outside of his tank where only the night janitor, Tova, puts the pieces together after finding him stuck during one of his after-hours escapades.  Marcellus then takes a keen interest in his rescuer putting his own pieces together. We follow along with his empathy and deep level of caring despite his clear disdain for the other humans he sees day in and day out. And that’s that - the two are instantly intertwined and it is the beginning of everyone else being intertwined with these absolutely lovely main characters with whom you cannot help but fall in love. If you are going to read this book, and I do hope and vigorously recommend that you do, stop reading right here. Spoilers are ahead and I would hate to ruin the mesmerizing magic offered in this novel with a book review telling the world how much they will enjoy this story and that they should read this immediately.

---

Ok - starting again and assuming you have read Remarkably Bright Creatures and returned to finish this review, I’ll continue in good conscience not spoiling anything for you bibliophiles. Ready?

I wish I could read this book for the first time again and feel the connection and hope that emanated from the pages of this glorious novel. I went in not knowing much about it other than that I love octopuses and I would give this book a shot. While reading it, I could not get enough and by the end I was sobbing profusely, confusing the hell out of my husband who finally understood after putting his own pieces together that I was distraught over a fictional octopus named Marcellus and I would never be the same.  I was rooting for life despite knowing the end was near which is truly the sign of great work - making us hope beyond hope that our favorite characters will live on forever.  Van Pelt beautifully demonstrates through Marcellus, Tova, and later Cameron, that closed doors often lead to new beginnings and bright futures. I was relieved these characters found each other and were able to continue after the last page was turned, for a long time I hope.

I also hope this isn’t the last we read from Shelby Van Pelt - I eagerly await whatever she dreams up next and hope that Marcellus is enjoying himself in octopus heaven where he can feast on any aquarium-featured delicacy he may find.