‘Remarkably Bright Creatures’ is a remarkable, bright read

by Mary Jo David

On a recent visit to my daughter’s home, not only did I score some quality time with grandkids, I also came away with some great reads!

My daughter is a much more well-rounded reader than me. As I browsed her collection, I had my choice of genres spanning mysteries, fantasy fiction, historical fiction, self-help, political nonfiction, and more.

I ultimately landed on two novels—“Water for Elephants” by Sara Gruen and “Remarkably Bright Creatures” by Shelby Van Pelt.

Although both books are well written and held my attention, I think “Remarkably Bright Creatures” edged out “Water for Elephants” (4 stars) by an extra half-star. And that’s even after I give “Water for Elephants” more credit for character development. I suppose that’s not surprising, considering “Elephants” focuses on circus life in the 1940s, and circuses are all about characters!

Van Pelt’s “Remarkably Bright Creatures” is the newer of the two novels, written in 2022, and according to Audible.com, it has sold more than 2 million copies. If you’re like me, you’ll hear all the hype about this novel and wonder how a book whose main character is an octopus can draw in so many adult readers. It turns out “Remarkably Bright Creatures” is a sweet story—and although Marcellus the octopus is key to the story, most of the book is focused on humans.

Tova Sullivan is the main character in the story—a 70-something, recently widowed woman whose son died a mysterious death 30 years before. Tova shares the spotlight with another main character, Cameron, a 30-year-old young man who many would label a loser but whose aunt never gives up on him. Eventually Tova and Cameron’s lives intersect when Cameron travels to Sowell Bay, Washington, from California.

The story vacillates between Tova and Cameron with occasional interjections by Marcellus, who spends his days observing human nature from his tank at the Sowell Bay Aquarium. At night he takes little forays outside of his tank when he thinks no one is looking, and that’s how he and Tova become friends.

Tova fills her days having coffee with her longtime friends who call themselves the Knit-Wits; stopping into the local grocery story owned by Ethan, the town gossip, who has a thing for Tova; and working nights at the aquarium. She’s a loner, but Van Pelt paints Tova as someone who seems to have come to grips with her loneliness.

“But the family tree stopped growing long ago, its canopy thinned and frayed … Some trees aren’t meant to sprout tender new branches, but to stand stoically on the forest floor, silently decaying.”

Cameron, who was abandoned by his mother when he was young, can’t hold a job, is coming off of the dissolution of the one “job” he loved—his band called Moth Sausage, and follows clues that lead him to Sowell Bay to find his birth father.

When the reader is about halfway through “Remarkably Bright Creatures,” the ending becomes somewhat obvious, but you’re still wondering about the how—how will the story all come together. And, of course, Marcellus plays a key role in the beginning, middle, and the end. I dare anyone to read this book and not be tempted to stop midway through to confirm some interesting facts about octopus intelligence.

Unlikely elements definitely exist in the story. Yes, it’s entirely possible that a lonely widow who really doesn’t need the money might look for a job as an excuse to get out of the house. But a cleaning job … on the night shift … at the local aquarium—that might seem a bit of a stretch. And both Tova and Cameron’s personalities are difficult to pin down. Tova comes across as a solitary soul, stubborn, and a bit cranky. Her obsession with cleanliness and order seems a bit at odds with her willingness to befriend an octopus who enjoys escaping his tank and a young man who lives in a decrepit camper van. And as for Cameron, Van Pelt paints a picture of a young man who is extremely smart but has no common sense—until he gets to Sowell Bay, where he cleans up his act pretty quickly.

But none of these things stopped me from enjoying the story. The writing is light and enjoyable, and even with the incongruities, readers of “Remarkably Bright Creatures” are treated to a fun read that tackles the topics of aging and loneliness in—there’s no better way to say it—a remarkable and bright way!