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Remarkably Bright Creatures: A Novel by [Shelby Van Pelt]

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Shelby Van Pelt

Remarkably Bright Creatures: A Novel Kindle Edition

by Shelby Van Pelt (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

15,557 ratings

#14 this week

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A Read With Jenna Today Show Book Club Pick!

“Remarkably Bright Creatures is a beautiful examination of how loneliness can be transformed, cracked open, with the slightest touch from another living thing.” -- Kevin Wilson, author of Nothing to See Here

For fans of A Man Called Ove, a charming, witty and compulsively readable exploration of friendship, reckoning, and hope that traces a widow's unlikely connection with a giant Pacific octopus

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.

Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel is a gentle reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible.

Print length

362 pages
Language

English
Sticky notes

On Kindle Scribe
Publisher

Ecco
Publication date

May 3, 2022
File size

4994 KB
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Popular Highlights in this book

What are popular highlights?

Humans. For the most part, you are dull and blundering. But occasionally, you can be remarkably bright creatures.
Highlighted by 1,828 Kindle readers
Why can humans not use their millions of words to simply tell one another what they desire?
Highlighted by 1,422 Kindle readers
She understands what it means to never be able to stop moving, lest you find yourself unable to breathe.
Highlighted by 1,206 Kindle readers

From the Publisher

Read with Jenna Pick Amazon #1 Best Book

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Shelby Van Pelt lives in the suburbs of Chicago with her family. Remarkably Bright Creatures is her first novel.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Amazon.com Review

An Amazon Best Book of May 2022: What does a misanthropic octopus have in common with Tova, a widowed aquarium employee? Not much, until a friendship develops following a daring tank rescue, and Marcellus McSquiddles happily uses all eight of his tentacles, his three hearts, plus his sharp brain, to solve the soul-scarring mystery of Tova’s son Erik’s disappearance thirty years ago. Utterly original, funny, wise, and heartwarming (be warned: there’ll be tears as well as giggles), Remarkably Bright Creatures will have readers falling hard for an acerbic invertebrate whose intervention in his new friend’s life sets her up for healing lessons in love, loss, and family. —Vannessa Cronin, Amazon Editor --This text refers to the paperback edition.

Review

“A debut novel about a woman who befriends an octopus is a charming, warmhearted read.” -- Kirkus Reviews

"A unique and luminous book." -- Booklist (starred review)

“Truly original and touching, Remarkably Bright Creatures is a story of family, community, and optimism in spite of darkness. Prepare to fall in love with a most exceptional octopus.” -- Helen Hoang, author of The Heart Principle

“Remarkably Bright Creatures is the rarest of feats: a book that manages to be wry and wise, charming and surprising, and features one of the most intriguing and satisfying characters I’ve encountered in fiction in a very long time—Marcellus the Octopus. I don’t know how Shelby Van Pelt managed to make this uncommon tale sing so beautifully, but sing it does, and I defy you to put it down once you’ve started.” -- Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney, author of Good Company and The Nest

“Remarkably Bright Creatures is a beautiful examination of how loneliness can be transformed, cracked open, with the slightest touch from another living thing. Shelby Van Pelt makes good on this wild conceit, somehow making me love a misanthropic octopus, but her writing is so finely tuned that it's a natural element of a larger story about family, about loss, and the electricity of something found.” -- Kevin Wilson, author of Nothing to See Here

“Shelby Van Pelt has done the impossible. She’s created a perfect story with imperfect characters, that is so heartwarming, so mysterious, and so completely absorbing, you won’t be able to put it down because when you’re not reading this book you’ll be hugging it.”
-- Jamie Ford, author of The Many Daughters of Afong Moy and The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

“The best books about grief find a way to illuminate the darkness of loss, and Remarkably Bright Creatures offers a masterclass." -- Marie Claire

“ [B]eautiful novel about friendship and family.” -- GoodHousekeeping.com

“[B]rilliant upcoming novel about hope and reckoning." -- Business Insider

“As Van Pelt’s zippy, fun-to-follow prose engages at every turn, readers will find themselves rooting for the many characters, hoping that they’ll find whatever it is they seek. Each character is profoundly human, with flaws and eccentricities crafted with care. But what makes Van Pelt’s novel most charming and joyful is the tender friendship between species, and the ways Tova and Marcellus make each other ever more remarkable and bright.” -- BookPage --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09BNH4TLW
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ecco (May 3, 2022)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 3, 2022
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 4994 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 362 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #179 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #2 in Humorous Literary Fiction
- #3 in General Humorous Fiction
- #5 in Contemporary Literary Fiction

Customer Reviews:
15,557 ratings

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Shelby Van Pelt

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When Shelby Van Pelt isn’t feeding her flash-fiction addiction, she’s juggling cats while wrangling children. Her debut novel, REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES, will be published by HarperCollins in May 2022. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, she’s currently missing the mountains in the suburbs of Chicago. Find her at www.shelbyvanpelt.com, on Twitter @shelbyvanpelt, and Instagram @shelbyvanpeltwrites.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5

15,557 global ratings

5 star		72%
4 star		22%
3 star		5%
2 star		1%
1 star		1%

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Gifted Guru

A great personal and book club read

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 3, 2023

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This story crosses so many genres. Modern fiction, book club fiction, magical realism (octopus narrator), coming of age, and probably more. It nails all of them.

In addition to a great story, the book is beautifully laid out. The chapters where the octopus is narrating (trust me, they're great), have gorgeous design elements.

On the surface, this is a story of three people and one octopus making their way through grief and challenge and fear to find their path. We have Tova, who's had more grief than any one person should endure. Cameron, abandoned by his mother and never living up to anyone's expectations (not even his own). Ethan, attracted to Tova, but too hesitant to make a move. Marcellus, the octopus, determined to make the most of the little time he has left.

The story is set on the coast of Washington, north of Seattle. I appreciated the setting's treatment in the story because it was clear and important, but the author didn't hit you over the head with it. There was no showing off ("Look how much research I did about this place!"). That can be so annoying.

What I loved:
- The characters are developed. Ethan needed more backstory, but other than that the character development was terrific.
- The premise is unusual, but it works.
- The narrative shifts are easy to follow.
- The layout is lovely. I love a well-made book.
- The author resists easy solutions, and she leaves one story not completely resolved. This can be dangerous, but here it fits completely.
- There are strong life lessons and takeaways, but the author doesn't beat you over the head with them.
- The story moves apace. There's no lagging. There's also no rushing. It's well-paced.
- The solutions aren't easy and pat. There is a definite deux ex machina feel in a few of the story points, but I think that's to expected when there's an octopus afoot.

What I didn't love:
- Nothing worth mentioning. Well-crafted, well-designed, and well-executed, this book is a winner.

Overall, this is a great person read, and a great book club read.

46 people found this helpful

Helpful

Lynne M. Spreen

Heartwarming story of people finding each other

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 5, 2023

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Tova is 70, dealing with widowhood and the mysterious disappearance and presumed death of her son. Stoic and resolute, she works at the city aquarium as a cleaning woman, and it's there that she befriends Marcellus, the Giant Pacific Octopus. Marcellus is a point-of-view character in this book, and he's so smart...if he were human, his IQ would probably be around 150. His observations about humans are spot on. Marcellus has knowledge that can mend Tova's heart, but how to convey it without being able to speak? And he's on a very short timeline.

Meanwhile, Cameron is a thirty-year-old failure-to-launch character. Abandoned in childhood by a mysterious father and drug addict mother, Cameron is down to his last four dollars when he gets a job filling in at the Sowell aquarium. An unlikely friendship is born, one that'll be wrenched apart when Tova sells her house and moves north to assisted living. The clock is ticking. Will Marcellus be able to convey his news before it's too late?

This is a compelling, smart, funny tale of lonely humans coming together. Put me in mind of the writing of Fredrik Backman ("A Man Called Ove" and "Britt-Marie Was Here"). Highly recommended.

16 people found this helpful

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L. Brown

A perfect grumpy/sunshine friendship.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 16, 2023

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This is such a beautiful, gentle story with great characters. Tova is not a character we get to see often in fiction: an older woman grappling with what it means when you aren’t sure of your purpose anymore. But Marcellus is the true wonder here. He is funny and wise and clever. His voice is well written and strong. And the extended characters are all well drawn and create a world that I wanted to stay in

The only thing I can say is that I did not like Cameron for a very long time. But to the author’s credit, she recognizes that he has a lot of growing he needs to do. His self-pity and immaturity are commented on and he is given realistic opportunities for growth. I don’t mind when a character behaves in ways I don’t like as long as no one thinks those ways are reasonable.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes sweet and unusual stories.

9 people found this helpful

Helpful

Heartwarming

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 31, 2022

Verified Purchase

So glad to end 2022 with one of the best books I have read this year. I was immediately drawn to it by the character of Marcellus, the Great Pacific Octopus who played a major role in the story. Without turning him into a cartoon character or deviating from the true nature of this sea creature, the author adds an element of magic realism to the story that in turn enhances every character’s narrative.
This is a story of love, both lost and found, and the deep-seated need we all have to make that connection. Tove, a woman mourning the recent loss of her husband and the never forgotten disappearance of her son 30 years ago, has come to a crossroads in her life. Should she sell the home built by her father and move into a retirement community? Cameron, a young man who has screwed up his life at every turn is also ready to make an important decision for his future. The aquarium in the small town of Sowell Bay, Oregon and resident Marcellus play a significant part in the story of both these lost individuals. It is a wonderfully constructed story as the readers enjoy watching the strands of the story come together.
I eagerly await the next effort by Shelby Van Pelt.

15 people found this helpful

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PAULA WESCOTT

A Must Read For Everyone

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on June 8, 2022

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I have to say that this book will stay with me for a very long time to come. Tova is a kindred spirit who I cannot shake off, nor do I want to. She’s so adorable - quirks and all. Every character you bring into this story has a history and life that we want to invest in as readers. We adore Marcellus, we wonder initially about Cameron - but are so rooting for him to succeed. Ethan is also easily lovable … as is Terry, etc. I love it all, basically. I miss Marcellus even though he is now free, be it only for a short while. I can feel his absence in the hearts of your characters, and…. The conclusion resolved really well. We wanted to know about Erik and that closure was both important but well delivered. I can’t tell you how much this book affected me, it is so beautiful and almost reads like a creative nom-fiction piece. Very, very well done. Your characters will remain with us for longer than you think 🤔☺️

6 people found this helpful

K. Porter

Tears at work, colleagues think I’m nuts!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on November 23, 2022

Verified Purchase

Absolutely love this book but don’t read the ending at work as people will look at you strange for crying! (No one at my work reads)

It’s like those books with a dog character - at some point you realise it’s not immortal and you will have to say goodbye.

This had a lovely goodbye different from what I expected. I will have a book hangover for some time as going to miss the wonderful characters who all felt like friends in this book.

2 people found this helpful

Mrs. K. Watt

intriguing book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on June 4, 2022

Verified Purchase

I loved the way the story is told in different voices Surprisingly I even liked that we know the solution to many of the questions before the main characters. Trying to figure out how the solutions were going to be given to the characters was not easy.
I don’t want to give away any of the plot lines, suffice to say nothing was done in my house until I came to the end!! Happy reading.

2 people found this helpful

jenny plows

Great book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on July 19, 2022

Verified Purchase

This was a great book that I couldn’t put down. Be warned it’s a tear jerker in places

3 people found this helpful

LauraRo

An absolute joy!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on October 14, 2022

Verified Purchase

I bought this book after a recommendation from someone and I read it over just a few days.
The characters are fantastic & you are totally rooting for them especially Marcellus in particular. I loved every page of this book. Totally worth the buy!

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