Sometimes a book blows up in popularity but you just never get around to reading it for a million different reasons — the most likely being that you’re super busy raising little humans. The novel Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt was published in 2022, and if you haven’t read it yet, it deserves a spot on your “to be read” list. It truly lives up to its 4 1/2 star rating (and has more than 73,000 reviews posted on Amazon).
Book title: Remarkably Bright Creatures
Author: Shelby Van Pelt
Genre: Domestic Fiction
What it’s about (without spoilers):
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.
Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel is a gentle reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible.
Why we like it: I was attracted to this book’s remarkably bright, beautiful cover. Then I listened to a sample of the audiobook version, and it hooked me. This book is unlike any other novel I’ve read, and I’m so glad I didn’t let it pass me by. I still think about its characters, especially the brightest one of them all — Marcellus.
What other people say: How can more than 73,000 reviewers be wrong? This book gets a 4.6 (our of 5) star rating on Amazon, and you’ll see a ton of video reviews of it by readers who fell in love with it. It’s a New York Times bestseller and was also a “Read with Jenna” Today Show book pick.
About the author: When Shelby Van Pelt isn’t feeding her flash-fiction addiction, she’s juggling cats while wrangling children. Her debut novel, REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES, was published by HarperCollins in May 2022. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, she’s currently missing the mountains in the suburbs of Chicago. Find her at www.shelbyvanpelt.com, on Twitter @shelbyvanpelt, and Instagram @shelbyvanpeltwrites.
