Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt - Book Review

 

Remarkably Bright Creatures is a beautiful novel that weaves together themes of loss, longing, and the search for identity. Set in the quiet coastal town of Sowell Bay, the story follows two characters whose lives, though seemingly disconnected, are drawn together by fate—and by an extraordinary octopus named Marcellus.

Tova, a woman who has spent the majority of her elderly life working at a small aquarium, is the emotional core of the novel. The death of her son, Erik, many years ago—under mysterious and tragic circumstances—has left her with a lifetime of questions that she has never been able to fully answer. Her nights are spent cleaning at the aquarium and confiding in the wildlife, particularly Marcellus, a brilliant octopus whose keen intellect seems to mirror Tova’s own search for closure. As Marcellus nears the end of his life, Tova begins to sense that there may be more to the creature’s behavior than meets the eye—and perhaps more to the story of her son’s death than she has ever dared to believe.

Enter Cameron, a young man from a broken past. Raised by a mother who cycled through rehab, Cameron has spent most of his life searching for a father he never knew. After years of uncertainty, Cameron follows a thread that leads him to Sowell Bay. Unbeknownst to him, the answers he seeks are tangled in the same mysteries that have kept Tova awake for decades.

Remarkably Bright Creatures is a compelling read because it balances the deeply personal with the universal. The novel isn’t just about Tova’s grief or Cameron’s search for his father—it’s about the complex, messy way in which lives intersect, the way the past never truly lets go, and the way the smallest of things—a name, a letter, a creature in an aquarium—can change everything.

Marcellus, the octopus, is more than just an animal in the story; he is a symbol of intelligence, intuition, and the strange way the world sometimes aligns to guide us toward the truth. His relationship with Tova, particularly, offers some of the novel’s most tender moments. As he fades, so too do the answers Tova has been seeking for so long, suggesting that sometimes, the truths we need aren’t always clear, but they are always within reach, if only we know how to listen.

At its heart, this book is a meditation on grief, the passage of time, and the unbreakable connection between people and place. It is a novel about searching for something—whether it’s answers, family, or simply a sense of peace—and finding, instead, something even more elusive: understanding.

The characters of Tova and Cameron are richly drawn, each with their own baggage, fears, and desires, making their journeys of self-discovery both moving and relatable. The novel’s true strength lies in exploring how we shape our lives around the stories we tell ourselves and how we confront—or avoid—the past.