Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

 

About this book, author Kevin Wilson said, "A beautiful examination of how loneliness can be transformed, cracked open, with the slightest touch from another living thing."

Shelby Van Pelt said, "This is a story about getting unstuck."

I had heard that the audio version of this book was amazing, mainly because one of the main characters has a British accent.

I was in.  (Have you met my husband???  ;-))

Performed by Marin Ireland and Michael Urie, this story is about an octopus living in (and out of) a tank at an aquarium, a lady who works at the aquarium, and how they form a friendship of sorts that ends up with each of them helping the other out with their loneliness.  Set in Washington State, we learn about Tova's life and heartbreaks and her friend group, the Knit Wits (haha! They are actually based on a group of friends the author's grandmother had!  I loved that!).  We also learn that Marcellus, the octopus, is VERY observant about the humans who observe him through the glass.  So, pay attention.

I don't really want to say much more about what happens here.  What I really want you to know is that this is an AMAZING debut novel.  Yep, this is Van Pelt's first novel!  Do WHAT?  I was amazed.  This is such good writing, and weaving of a story, and she keeps the direction she is going tightly bound.  She writes about living with grief and about life as an older person and what it is like to have your life go in a direction you were not planning on.  I can hardly wait to discuss this with my book club.  There is a LOT to talk about here with the structure and the storyline and just the fact that we get inside the head of a giant Pacific octopus.  And yes, I did google the videos of how octopuses can squeeze themselves through the smallest of spaces. Then I went to an author event with Shelby Van Pelt and learned even MORE about octopuses!  She is a very bright creature too, so bubbly and excited about her first novel, and very cagey about what she might write next. Marcellus started as a character for a creative writing class she took ten years ago.  I asked her if there would be another animal featured in her next book, and while she didn't think she would write a sequel to RBC, she did not deny the possibility of having another non-human character featured in the future.

Remarkably Bright Creatures with its fantabulous cover is ultimately a book that will leave you smiling and wishing you could read it again for the first time - and wanting to go to the aquarium.