“Humans. For the most part, you are dull and blundering. But occasionally, you can be remarkably bright creatures,” (Van Pelt 350).
Tova Sullivan is a woman who knows how to cope. Thirty-years ago her eighteen-year-old son Erik vanished on a boat in Puget Sound, and only a few years ago her husband Will died of cancer. But Tova enjoys her job working as a night cleaner at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, especially speaking to the mischievous giant Pacific octopus, Marcellus. Meanwhile in California Cameron has lost everything: his girlfriend, his jobs, and now his two best friends are having a baby. Something’s gotta give, and it might in the name of Simon Brinks, who Cameron believes may be his long absentee father. Determined to get his moneys worth from the man, Cameron finds himself in Sowell Bay looking for answers. Answers one octopus smarter than any human may just have.
This is a book club book. It isn’t bad, I’m just not used to reading stuff so fluffy. That being said, having read so many book club books this year I’ve begun to notice a pattern with them: 1) they’re often literary and 2) the characters are often serendipitously linked in ways that aren’t clear at the beginning but become obvious as readers read on.
Remarkably Bright Creatures employs both these aspects well. I really wouldn’t call this book a mystery, the so called “mystery” of it is pretty clear early on. I think I figured it out in the first fifty pages, but I also don’t think the book is meant to have a eureka moment, it’s not necessarily supposed to surprise. Van Pelt leaves the pieces for us to put together and then waits for the resolution readers hope and expect will happen.
It’s a well-written story. Tova is an endearing protagonist, and I really enjoyed Ethan and was annoyed when his perspective just sort of dropped off. I definitely think we needed more Marcellus, and I do think I would have enjoyed it more if there had been more octopus in it. I absolutely hated Cameron. He isn’t charming, he isn’t intriguing, he isn’t fun to follow. All Cameron does is complain about his life and blame others for the fact that he’s been fired from every job while also blaming his addict mother for abandoning him when his Aunt Jeanne was an AMAZING parent to him! And of course Cameron just HAS to tell us how smart he is over and over and over again when he has nothing to prove how smart he is. God I hated him.
Remarkably Bright Creatures is a book club book and one that will win the hearts of many readers. Light, cheery, and remarkably bright, plan this for your next book club now!
Publication: May 3 2022
Publisher: Ecco
Pages: 360 pages (Hardcover)
Source: Library
Genre: Fiction, Contemporary, Literary
My Rating: ⛤⛤⛤
Summary:
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.
Sarah O'Connor 