Remarkably Bright Creatures Book Review
Hi everyone and welcome back to the blog! I am so excited about this month’s book club book; I’ve heard so many things about Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. Especially with the movie out on Netflix. This felt like a no brainer, so let’s get into it!
Remarkably Bright Creatures follows Tova Sullivan as she works as a night cleaner at an aquarium. She strikes up an unlikely friendship with the giant Pacific Octopus there named Marcellus. Tova lost her son, Eric, years ago in a tragic accident, and with the recent loss of her husband, she’s been trying to keep busy.
We also meet Cameron, who is down on his luck. He’s dealing with a breakup and losing his job but has a plan to seek out the father who abandoned him. Which takes him on a very interesting journey to say the least.
This story shows how people can heal from their grief through unexpected friendships and community. It shows how you’re never alone and meaningful connections can overcome loneliness.
Since this was my July book club pick, I did read through the questions in the back of the book, and one of them asked about in what ways are Tova and Marcellus similar? I’ve taken a few days to think about this because at first I wasn’t sure how to answer this. How can they be similar, but they really are.
They’re both lonely. When we first meet Marcellus, he tells us that he doesn’t expect to live much longer in captivity and he’s the only creature in his tank. Tova is on her own a lot too. Yes, we has her knitting club, but she's mostly alone. Both are very observant. We see this in the way Tova cleans the aquarium at night, and we see this in Marcellus as he spends his days watching the people that come to see him. They care about others, and they both seek connection. Through their friendship they are both able to help each other achieve what they’ve been looking for.
This was honestly such a heartfelt read, and to be honest, not at all what I was expecting. I wasn’t expecting Cameron’s whole side of things, but I loved the relationship between him and Tova. I loved seeing him grow and mature because he was kind of cringey in the beginning. He really needed to get his life together and take responsibility.
Although I was expecting something different, I still really enjoyed this book. It’s crazy to me that this is Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel. It’s so well written, all the characters are so lovable. I love the cozy small-town vibe. Honestly, a perfect summer read in my opinion.
Overall, I gave this 4/5 stars! I would highly recommend it especially to anyone who loves a wholesome, easy fiction read. Now it’s time to watch the movie!
Alright folks, that is all I have for this week! Come back next Wednesday for another blog post. As always, thank you for reading:)