by Mackenzie Hahn

When I found a copy of Remarkably Bright Creatures at the library, I was beyond excited. I have been looking for this book for months, but I didn’t feel right about buying it for $22 at Target. The octopus on the cover grabbed my attention, as I was hoping for a light book about a friendship between a human and a sea creature. Certainly, this book did not disappoint, but it was more than the story between an octopus and an aquarium worker: it tells a story of learning to love and progress through life despite the grief and loss that we face.

First of all, most of the characters in this book were extremely charming. The reader gets an insight into what the octopus, Marcellus, thinks about what is happening throughout the book, and talks about the silly things that humans do; his featured chapters read as a diary of his captivity at the aquarium. Though he is witty and sarcastic, it is seen that Marcellus deeply cares for Tova, the widowed aquarium worker who takes care of the animals. Every character in the book is uniquely and thoughtfully crafted, even the insufferable 30-year-old man-child who somehow lands a job at the aquarium. For many authors, it can be difficult to be inside of their characters’ heads, especially when they have diverse personalities and other traits, but Shelby Van Pelt truly brings these characters alive as we dive into their inner thoughts throughout each chapter.

Not only this, but the plot was very well thought out, with unexpected twists and turns throughout the book. There are a lot of mystery aspects in the book, as Tova seeks out information on her son’s death. Fortunately for Tova, Marcellus seems to be an all-knowing octopus — he is a remarkably bright creature, after all — who tries his best to tell Tova what happened the night her son disappeared. The only problem is that there’s a slight language barrier between the two of them. Nonetheless, the octopus does whatever it takes for Tova to see the truth before the end of his days at the Sowell Bay Aquarium. Marcellus the octopus is a perfect representation of how animal companions will do anything for the human they love, which creates a feel-good aspect to a heartbreaking mystery. 

In my opinion, this book had a lot of great themes shown throughout the story. We see the importance of friendship especially in moments of sorrow. To many, this may seem like a theme that is overdone to the point where it is not truly significant anymore, but Remarkably Bright Creatures demonstrates this theme in the most captivating and bittersweet way, especially when Marcellus is released from his captivity. Nearly every character of the book has some kind of issue surrounding grief, loss, or some kind of secret, but the book stays upbeat and repeatedly calls for the need to love others and to find happiness despite the difficulties that we endure. 

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone —yes, really, anyone — who is seeking out a fiction novel to put on their bookshelf. As someone who is guilty of reading 10 pages of a book just to put it down and never look at it again, this book kept my interest for a long time. If your heart has a soft spot for old people, animals, or the way the two interact, Remarkably Bright Creatures is a must-read. Speaking of books, you should check out our new library.