It may sound outlandish for an octopus to play such a role, but Remarkably Bright Creatures will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy. As their paths cross, Marcellus, who is wise and good-humoured for a creature with a lifespan of only four years, helps Tova and Cameron come to terms with their grief, their losses and newfound loves. Van Pelt has woven the story of Marcellus the octopus with that of widowed Tova and the young Cameron who comes to town in search of his father. While dual narratives are fairly common, it’s not every day that you read a novel with chapters told from the first-person perspective of an octopus. They are undoubtedly, remarkably bright creatures, and Van Pelt’s debut novel explores the characteristics, and indeed feelings, of one particular octopus in the Sowell Bay Aquarium. Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel is a reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible.Īnyone who watched the documentary My Octopus Teacher will know that octopi are incredibly intelligent animals, capable of forming bonds with humans. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it’s too late… One night she meets Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium who sees everything but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors – until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.Įver the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova’s son disappeared. Ever since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat over thirty years ago, keeping busy has helped her cope. After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night cleaner shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium.

Remarkably bright creature