An octopus!

That’s the short synopsis of Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. But just like the sea is deep and multifaceted so is this novel.

This story follows a woman, a young man, and an octopus. Tova, 70-year-old woman is a grieving widow and mother. Her son died when he was a senior in high school, and she lost her husband to cancer. Alone and working in an aquarium in Sowell Bay, Washington, she befriends an old and extremely spry octopus. As the story unfolds you see a cold cephalopod come to care (in his own way) for Tova and she him.

Cameron is a 30-year-old dead beat. He lost his job and his girlfriend all in the same week. He is angry at the world because his mother abandoned him when he was nine. He has an aunt that loves him to distraction, but even she does not put up with his self-pity parties. His story intersects with Tova’s when he begins his search for his father.

As these two stories become intertwined, the fabric of the story begins to switch from unbelievably boring, and at times crass (Cameron’s language is appalling at the beginning) to tender and sweet.

My initial reaction to this novel was one of distaste. I would scowl at Cameron. His language, his outlook on life, his “oh woe is me” attitude really caused me to almost not finish the book. But I really wanted to see what the hype was about.

I am so glad I did.

Shelby Van Pelt laid out in a beautiful story of how important family is to each person. It shows that inherent desire that everyone has to know where they come from.

Cameron’s search to find belonging and a family. Tova’s longing to have her family back and desire to not be alone as she gets older. And Marcellus (the octopus) a desire to be free from the cage of the aquarium and back in the sea where he belonged.

As I reached the climax of the tale I became more and more excited. I was solving the father mystery for Cameron, and excited to see how Marcellus would answer the questions bombarding Tova’s mind and heart.

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Overall rating: 7 seahorses out of 10

It wasn’t a 10/10 because I really struggled with the language that Cameron used. I find it to be completely unnecessary in novels or tv shows to use the “f” word or “sh-” word. It takes away from the readers experience for sure. At least this reader.

It also was a slow start. Unlike a generic mystery, this did not hook you in right away. It definitely let you float along the lazy river for a while before you hit the rapids of the tale. But honestly, it fits the characters so well to have this slow pace.

If you are looking for an easy and relaxing read, try Remarkably Bright Creatures. You may even discover you fall for a cephalopod named Marcellus!

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