In the quiet coastal town of Sowell Bay, Tova, a grieving old lady, finds solace in her cleaning job routine at the local aquarium, where she unexpectedly bonds with a clever Giant Pacific Octopus named Marcellus.
Meanwhile, Cameron’s search for his father leads him to the same coastal town. As their lives intertwine, secrets begin to surface, leading to a heartwarming mystery filled with unlikely friendships and emotional discoveries.
A Surprising Read: My Thoughts on Remarkably Bright Creatures
Title: Remarkably Bright Creatures
Author: Shelby Van Pelt
Genres: Fiction > Contemporary
Read Format: Kindle Edition
Total Pages: 362
Reading Date: 01st November – 07th November 2025
Remarkably Bright Creatures
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.
My thoughts…
First, let me tell you that I don’t usually read novels because I prefer series, and I rarely read non‑fantasy books, but this was an exception, all because my friend, Hani, mentioned this book to me. However, I don’t regret reading it at all! Here’s why…
The first chapter convinced me to keep reading. I loved diving into the point of view of the three-brained creature, Marcellus, and I must say, Marcellus was the reason that powered me up to keep turning the page.
At first, I enjoyed the creature’s sections most and found the human perspectives less engaging, mainly because it was difficult to keep track of everyone besides Marcellus. So many names were introduced, and the narrative kept alternating between characters, which made it harder for me to get to know each one.
But after a while, especially as the plot thickened, I began to better understand the story revolving around Tova, the seventy-year-old woman who takes pride in her cleaning duties at the aquarium, and Cameron, the thirty-year-old whose attitude occasionally irked me.
The mystery surrounding the death and Tova’s relationship with Marcellus, the GPO, was compelling. I had fun guessing how the story would unfold. Cameron’s journey in search of his father was also entertaining, though there wasn’t much suspense there since Marcellus had already let us in on that secret.
Overall, the book combined a pleasing balance of mystery, humour, and sentiment, though the pacing was a little slow. In the end, it was a truly heartwarming story! Just one thing, though…
I had hoped Marcellus would retrieve the key from the bottom of the ocean, leading to the discovery of the body. But that didn’t happen! Still, that was just my imagination running wild. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for light and enjoyable reading material.
Have you read this book? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
