This book has two equally intriguing storylines that you know are going to converge, but are unsure how and when. I really enjoyed picturing the setting in Puget Sound and getting to know the characters including Marcellus the octopus!

Brilliantly funny and full of fabulous characters. Marcellus and Tova’s relationship is both sweet and entertaining, while watching Cam find his place in this small community and learn to find himself made me smile at every step. A perfect summer read for fans of Bonnie Garmus and Elizabeth Strout

A very sweet little book about a clever octopus and how it helps it's favourite human find answers to family secrets. It was really wonderful and heartwarming

I didn't love this one.

The reveals felt like they happened too soon, and were paced badly. It was easy to guess the ending so a lot of time felt wasted. I didn't like any of the characters except the octopus and he was barely in it.

Also the implication of the octopus being sentient means the Aquarium is basically a prison which wasn't really addressed. Poor guy.

This book brought tears to my eyes regularly. I adored Marcellus as a character and his friendship with Tova, following their encounter, is really lovely. I particularly enjoyed reading his chapters . Remarkably Bright Creatures is a heartwarming and beautiful read with both likeable and loveable characters

I wanted to read this because I like slightly strange books, and I liked the idea of the octopus. This didn't turn out to be as strange as I thought it would be - it felt surprisingly normal to be reading a chapter from the point of view of an octopus. It also took a little while to get attached to the characters but suddenly I realised how invested I was in their lives and then I couldn't stop reading. Lovely book.

Much like the octopus Marcellus creeping out of his tank, this book snuck into my heart with sucker covered tentacles and has stayed with me long after finishing. A gentle but smart read, the many strands of the mystery of the various characters' lives intersecting is so satisfying as they resolve towards the end. The main character Tova is one of the best depictions of an older lady I have read in a long time - such a likeable and relatable character with an endearing respect for Marcellus, with an unfailing sense of honesty and morality that would have been grating in any other writer's hands. I spent most of the book wondering how her path would intersect with the down on his luck and far less likeable Cameron, and it did not disappoint in the slightest!
Some might be put off by the sections narrated by an octopus but here they felt inventive, not forced, and I was totally engrossed throughout. I would heartily recommend to anyone looking for an absorbing read to sink into this summer.

⚠️cw: death, grief, addiction, child abandonment⚠️
Seventy-year-old Tova Sullivan works the night shift at Sowell Bay Aquarium in the Pacific Northwest, where she forms an unlikely friendship with Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus. Tova is still grieving the loss of her eighteen-year-old son, some thirty years after his unexplained disappearance. Could Marcellus be the key to solving the mystery?
This was, without doubt, one of the most beautifully poignant stories I've ever read. Through four interwoven POVs, including that of remarkably intelligent cephalopod, Marcellus, we begin to understand how they intersect. Though I guessed a couple of the twists early on, it didn't hinder my enjoyment. Rather, I was just so giddy with excitement for everyone to catch up (rather like Marcellus). I definitely won't spoil any of those secrets, but I adored Marcellus. His observations were both sassy and incredibly thought-provoking, and it's a testament to the author's exceptional care and skill that she was able to encapsulate so much emotion within his chapters. I lost count of how many times I laughed and cried. I really loved the interwoven friendships that formed between the four main characters. Tova was incredibly strong, and I loved her kind nature. I also loved the friendship that grew between Ethan and the other characters, and I particularly appreciated Cameron's development, and the ending was perfect.
This was a truly unique and beautiful story. I look forward to what comes next from Shelby Van Pelt.

Overall Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

*Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to leave an honest review. Remarkably Bright Creatures is out now in the UK*

After the death of her husband, Tova begins working as the night shift cleaner at Sowell Bay Aquarium. Since her sons, Erik, mysterious disappearance almost thirty years ago, she find keeps busy helps her cope. On night, she meets Marcellus, a giant pacific octopus who sees everything at the aquarium, but would not dream of helping his captors – until her forms a remarkable relationship with Tova. Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened all those years ago to Tova’s son and now he must use every trick he can muster with his aging body before it’s too late…

Told in three perspective; Tova, Cameron, and Marcellus, this is a story full of love, friendships, and finding peace. It took me a little while to get used to Marcellus’ narrative (being the first time I’ve ever read from an animal’s point of view) but I really liked how he was portrayed and his attitudes towards his captors and his budding friendship with Tova and he really is a remarkably bright creature as Tova says.

I loved the mystery surrounding the disappearance of Erik, and although it broke my heart it was really well done, and I felt for Tova throughout it all. She is a stoic woman who thinks she can handle it all on her own, when in reality; she needs her friends more than she knows.
It took me a little while to get used to Cameron and his complaining about everything. He does not like to accept responsibility for his own actions and blames everything on actions of other or miscommunications. There is personal growth throughout the story and I liked the person he became at the end.

There were moments when I was stressed as I just wanted things to be resolved and for characters to see what they were missing and how they needed to connect dots together.

Highly recommend. 4.75!

Lots of reasons to love this tale of an octopus and an aquarium cleaner who has seen a lot of life and experienced devastating grief. A quirky, well-written story that I enjoyed. Thanks for the opportunity to read an early ARC.

I don't know why I didn't read this book earlier. But I am so glad I finally read it. It was so good. I don't read a lot of literary fiction, but sometimes a book comes along that just call to you. And this book with its octopus just called to me. 
The writing stile is fabulous, really fluid and beautiful. Marcellus (the octopus) POV was refreshing and gives the story that difference that makes it more interesting than other books in the same genre. Also, spreading some empathy towards animals that so many people lack. I cried reading the last scene where Tova and him interact  
The human characters are very real and complex, with a lot of variety not only in personality but in age and background as well, and all are extremely likeable. You know that feeling where after reading a book, the characters become a memory in the way that you feel like they are real people you've met at some point in your life? That what these characters now feel to me. 
The plot is interesting and keeps you interested from the beginning, but for me, the main attraction was the character development. 
Absolutely delightful, plus this paperback cover is the cutest. And is probably the first time ever I wanted to get the paperback rather than the hardback. But just look at that octopus!!!

Wow….I loved this. I received an eARC ahead of the paperback release on 20th July but as it’s out in hardback, audio and kindle I see no reason to wait for the paperback,

This reminded me so much of Lessons in Chemistry (so if that wasn’t your bag this may not be either). They’re both sad books with a quirky overtone, but overall full of hope. It’s narrated, in part, by an octopus, who absolutely steals the show (Marcellus is the Six-Thirty of this book).

I don’t want to spoil the ride, so I’ll leave it by saying that this is written beautifully, left me in tears at the end, snorting with laughter throughout and Van Pelt has captured humanity perfectly.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy of this book. This is my honest review.

Tova is in her 70's and works as a cleaner in the aquarium, where she befriends Marcellus, the resident Giant Pacific Octopus. Her husband died a few years ago, and their son died 30 years ago due to a presumed accident at sea. Tova is fairly lonely but tries to keep herself occupied. We also have Cameron who has arrived in town in search of his dad, whom he has never met.

There are a lot of things I really liked about this book, and a handful of things I didn't.

The writing style is really good, with great prose and realistic-feeling dialogue. The octopus's POV was excellent, I really loved him and I like how his personality really shone through. The characters were a bit tropey but that is part of its charm.

Our main character Tova in particular was great, I'd love to be her friend. She is exactly the kind of "old person character" I enjoy, realistically confused with technology and not some kind of larger-than-life super-granny. She actually feels fragile and old, unlike some elder characters who are shimming up trees at 80 (*cough* Beth O'Leary).

One of the main reasons this book gave me mixed feelings is our character Cameron. He is the most whiney, entitled, childish 30-year-old I have ever seen written in a book. He's not even really redeemed but the narrative seems to think we are going to like him by the end. Nope, he was intolerable and some of his sections really ruined bits for me.

The mystery element was so easy to guess I'm fairly certain it wasn't actually supposed to be a mystery. It was obvious as soon as the years matched up. I think this did bring down the rating for me slightly as I was hoping for there still to be a bit of mystery to be revealed.

However, it's about the friends we make along the way, and the characters' own journeys made for a largely heartwarming book about grief, small towns, growing old, and forming new connections with people.

I recommend for fans of character-driven contemporary fiction and octopus lovers!

In normal circumstances I wouldn’t have chosen to read a book where an octopus is the star of the show but I was intrigued by the hype surrounding this book when it first came out and the bucket load of five star reviews it received. Marcellus rightly earns his top billing and by doing so affords the book a charming quirkiness that kept me turning the pages.

Tova is living a quiet life following the relatively recent death of her husband and of her son many years ago. Cameron is looking for his father after finding himself at a difficult point in his life. Ethan runs the grocery store in Sowell Bay, the local tight knit communit where everyone knows everyone else’s business. Marcellus is an octopus living in a tank in the Sowell Bay aquarium at which Tova is the after hours cleaner. The story that links the four characters is wonderfully crafted. Barely a word is redundant, the writing is beautiful, and the pages are filled with humour, emotion and intelligence. This is quite the debut novel by the author.

I found the book an easy read. That’s not to say it’s a light touch book, because it deals with issues of grief, loss of a child and loneliness. But these are all handled with sensitivity and it felt as though the author was putting her arm around you to guide you through the characters’ various challenges.

I enjoyed the way Marcellus was given his own chapters to chat to us about his views on life as he sees it outside of the tank. I looked forward to his chapters and the reassurance that he was always going to give us a little gem to take away with us until his next appearance.

Overall an engaging, highly enjoyable read, that I’ve given five stars to as I can’t think of a single thing I’d want to change about this beautiful book.

Thank you to Netgalley for letting me review an advance digital copy of this book ahead of the paperback release.

Who knew that my favourite buddy novel of the year was going to be about a friendship between a pensioner and an octopus?!

Remarkably Bright Creatures was utterly charming - good setting, well drawn, likeable characters, and a page turning mystery. But Marcellus's parts were the best, I internally cheered every time I turned the page to see the next chapter was one of his.

Yes it was a bit predictable, but it's the exact type of story that you want to be a bit predictable!!

Really enjoyed it.

This book follows a wide range of interesting characters, one of which is a charismatic octopus named Marcellus. It's a story about friendship, loss and family and is written so beautifully I mostly smiled my way through reading it.

This book had an air of mystery to it, a mother still mourning her son's tragic and unanswered death many years later, a man whose mother abandoned him trying to find his father and get as much money out of him as he possibly can, and the octopus who observes everything that happens in the aquarium and knows all the answers. There was also a lot of fun humour scattered throughout the story which was very welcome and entertaining.

The author has captured human emotion so well and the characters were so perfectly fleshed out that I couldn't help but adore them all (especially Tova) in spite of their flaws. I love books in which people develop very close bonds with animals and as a result it changes their perspective on life - this book did that so well!! I highly recommend grabbing a copy of this one if you get the chance, seeing the world through the eyes of an octopus was an experience I'll be thinking about often.

Big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I wasn’t sure about this when it started! Narration by a captive octopus??? But … I am so glad I stuck with it. I actually ended up loving the octopus chapters and actually googled a picture so I could picture Marcellus the Great Pacific Octopus!
Tova is a widow and keeps herself busy by cleaning at Sowell Aquarium. She lost her only child, Erik, thirty years ago, his disappearance is a mystery. Whilst cleaning the aquarium… she develops a friendship with Marcellus! Honestly, the way the relationship develops is Totally Believable, and very beautiful!

I hate giving spoilers … so suffice to say, at the end of the book …. Tova is happy again! There are some really likeable characters in this book.

I am usually a historical fiction girl but …. this was a super change of genre! Intelligent writing, vivid descriptions and …. I found myself with teary eyes over …. an octopus!

A super summer read!!! I’m

I know people seem to love this book so I’m definitely an outlier but I just wasn’t that into it. I thought the way they brought the characters together was well done but I wasn’t a fan of any of the main characters so wasn’t as invested as I should’ve been.

Thank you to netgalley for providing an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have just finished this perfect novel and I am now very sad! I just did not want it to end, in fact I left the last few chapters for a short while postponing the end. ( very much in the way I saved the last episode of Ted Lasso ). I now find that this is Shelby’s first novel and no other books , as yet, by her….she had better hurry up as I am waiting impatiently.
Anyhow……the main character, an octopus, is so beautifully written that I cried at his release back to his natural home…you will find out why when you read the book. The characters are so well written that you feel instant empathy for them and wait breathlessly in case their happy ending doesn’t quite happen. Totally the best novel I have read since Beartown..thank you Netgalley, author and publisher for the privilege of being able to read this.

I requested this from Netgalley based on the interesting cover and description and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it. 

The story follows a captive octopus and the cleaning lady of the aquarium in which he resides. They form an unlikely friendship and help each other in ways they both thought impossible. 

It was such an engrossing and easy read for e and I found myself looking forward to getting back to it every time I was finished reading. The character of Tove was very likeable and relatable and Marcello was just brilliant. I loved the insights to his days in captivity. It was such a quirky and altogether unique story. 

I would recommend this 100%