Faith‘s Pick
August, 2025
Remarkably Bright Creatures
Shelby Van Pelt
Ecco Publishing, May 3, 2022
I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect when I first downloaded the audiobook for Shelby Van Pelt’s Remarkably Bright Creatures. But what I got was a tender, surprising debut that seamlessly weaves together grief, connection, and the magic of unexpected friendships. The premise is certainly an unusual one—a friendship between a widowed night janitor and a highly intelligent giant Pacific octopus. Told in three alternating points of view, the book kept me on my toes, and I wasn’t always sure where the twists and turns would take me but I found myself dying to get back into my car and drive somewhere, anywhere, for an excuse to listen more.
The story centers around Tova Sullivan, a 70-year-old woman quietly grieving both the loss of her husband and the earlier disappearance of her teenage son. She finds comfort in her job cleaning the Sowell Bay Aquarium at night. There she encounters Marcellus, a regular cephalopod Houdini with a deep disdain for human foolishness. Marcellus quickly became my favorite character (no offense, Tova). His chapters, narrated in his own voice, are completely delightful and, somehow, after a little while it starts to feel not at all unusual to have an octopus as a point of view character. I was also utterly charmed by the narration. Michael Urie as the voice of Marcellus provided surprisingly humorous moments that I hadn’t been expecting.
The novel also follows Cameron, a young man without a lot going on his life. His storyline initially feels disconnected from the others, but eventually everything comes together in a tapestry of threads that all tie together beautifully (even if I admit I did see a few of them coming – it is a testament to the charm of the book that I didn’t mind in the slightest).
Ultimately, Remarkably Bright Creatures is a novel about loneliness and found family. It deals with the grief that lingers long after a loss, but it also celebrates the resilience of the human (and cephalopod) spirit. Whether you read the physical version or listen to the audiobook, you’re in for a treat.