Remarkably Bright Creatures

Bookseller recommendation

“A heartfelt story about challenging assumptions and healing from trauma with a fun cast of characters set in a small town in the Pacific Northwest. Tova is a kind-hearted, stubborn, and ultimately courageous heroine whose friendship with an octopus (one of the story's narrators!) helps to awaken a new chapter of life with connection, love, and adventure. Shelby Van Pelt's debut novel is funny, touching, and ultimately life-affirming.”

— Jeffrey • Riverstone Books

Bookseller recommendation

“Tova Sullivan is the pragmatic, diminutive widow who diligently scrubs the Sowell Bay Aquarium each night after the guests have gone. Cameron is a brilliant, yet clumsy man-child without parents, a job, or a plan. Marcellus is an octopus. And he is literally counting the days until his death. In this funny, bittersweet, beautifully plotted tale of luck and love, joy and despair, trial and error, Tova, Marcellus, and Cameron find their fates entwined with a decades-old tragedy that shook a sleepy town at the edge of the Pacific Northwest–and discover that what is lost is never truly gone.”

— Charlotte • Quail Ridge Books

Bookseller recommendation

“This delightfully offbeat novel strikes just the right balance between weird and funny on the one hand and tender and big hearted on the other. Marcellus is a clever giant Pacific Octopus with a slightly misanthropic bent who lives in a public aquarium. Tova is the aquarium’s recently widowed janitor who’s stuck in a rut and still mourns the unsolved loss of her son. Tova and Marcellus become best friends and mysteries get solved. What’s not to love? ”

— Josh • Underground Books

Bookseller recommendation

“Meet a hardworking widow, a lost soul, and a giant Pacific octopus (yes, an octopus) in this heartfelt story that reveals there’s still plenty of living to do for those with their eyes — and hearts — open to the unexpected. A bright debut!”

— Annie Romano • An Unlikely Story

Bookseller recommendation

“A night custodian for an aquarium is often alone with the sea creatures as she works. She befriends a mischievous octopus with his own intriguing history and we slowly learn their backstories overlap in a wonderful way. Written realistically (not fantasy), it made me wish I could be at the aquarium with them. A marvelous ending. ”

— Patience • Underground Books

Bookseller recommendation

“I did not want this book to end! It's the latest book I’ve fallen 'deep' for — and moved right into my instant recommendation booklist. A very particular septuagenarian keeps busy at her aquarium job, tidying up while keeping to herself — like her equally senior and solitary octopod acquaintance (who provides us with his own narration). I just loved this story that's full of heart, multiple even. Narrator Marin Ireland, who is always masterful in her vocal performance, is matched by Michael Urie who voices the octopus with perfect aplomb and a touch of cephalopodic sass. A delight to the ears.”

— Ernio • River Bend Bookshop

Bookseller recommendation

“Lovable and realistic characters with excellent narration! This book truly had me gripped tight and I cannot stop recommending it to others.”

— Alexandria • Golden Owl Bookshop

Bookseller recommendation

“In turns funny, heart-warming, and poignant, Remarkably Bright Creatures is the most unlikely tale of how broken hearts can be mended, in this case with the help of a brilliant giant Pacific octopus, Marcellus, observing humanity from his tank in a Puget Sound aquarium.It is only Marcellus who is bright enough to see a connection between two lost souls who have entered his sphere - Tova, the 70-year-old cleaning woman, and Cam, a 30-year-old drifter who works part-time at the aquarium. Marin Ireland is a remarkable narrator, allowing us to lose ourselves in proper Tova, a Scots grocer and slacker Cam. But my favorite passages are the first-person chapters where we hear Marcellus, narrated by actor Michael Urie, in a haughty voice dripping with superiority, and in the end, love.”

— Claire • Honest Dog Books

Bookseller recommendation

“The narrator, who is the voice of the octopus, is utterly delightful. A touching story of a woman finding what she never knew she lost. ”

— Sue • Maria's Bookshop

Bookseller recommendation

“A beautiful story that weaves together multiple characters in a wonderfully heartwarming way. The narration and the way the voices play off each other is fantastic and adds even more to the book. ”

— Rebecca • The Pile Bookstore

Bookseller recommendation

“Beautiful , funny, heartwarming story that intertwines interesting characters that you relate to, fall in love with and root for. ”

— Kimberly • Volumes Bookcafe

Bookseller recommendation

“Absolutely delightful story that is read by the perfect narrators! This is a feel good story that will have you laughing and crying. Michael Urie perfectly captures the curmudgeonly octopus's voice.”

— Kristine • Buttonwood Books and Toys