Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

39 reviews

cassidy_rain's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This is not a book I would normally pick for myself but it was highly recommended to me so I decided to give it a try. It was not at all what I was expecting. The author writes from the perspective of the octopus in a way that does not feel cheesy. There were some parts in the middle that were a little bit slow for me, but overall I was really happy how everything wrapped up in the end. The additional of the octopus adds uniqueness and fun to an overall predictable story. Some of the characters annoyed me at times (though it is apparent why they act the way that they do), but they all came around for me eventually. I like the idea that we are so connected to those around us, which is a big theme of this story.

I love a happy ending, so the final chapter was really cute to read and gives us closure from the entire story. That said, I thought the ending on Marcellus would have been an amazing and more impactful way to end the story. I just loved his last line and thought it was a great wrap up.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Terminal illness and Child death

Minor: Abandonment, Drug abuse, and Pregnancy

sargasso_c's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective relaxing slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Death, and Grief

Moderate: Animal death, Death of parent, Cancer, Terminal illness, Addiction, Alcohol, Drug use, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Cursing

Minor: Pregnancy

bedtimesandbooks's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Death, Suicide, Abandonment, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Animal death, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, and Death of parent

purplepenning's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

A charmingly original debut with a Fredrik Backman vibe! Tova is an older woman who has lost her share of loved ones and, sometimes to her friends' dismay, copes by staying busy and applying Scandinavian stoicism. While staying busy at her cleaning job at the aquarium, she makes an unexpected friend — a surprisingly deft, gently humorous giant Pacific octopus named Marcellus. Observing what others may not,  Marcellus unlocks the mysteries of the past and opens the possibilities of the future. 

I loved Marcellus the first time I read this, but the audiobook version is so good that I fell even deeper for him on the second read/listen!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Child death, Chronic illness, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, Animal death, Cancer, Grief, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Minor: Drug use, Addiction, Blood, and Suicidal thoughts

nialiversuch's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Suicide attempt, Confinement, Cursing, Terminal illness, Abandonment, and Death

Minor: Animal cruelty, Addiction, Drug abuse, Animal death, Sexual content, and Drug use

hannahcstocks's review against another edition

emotional reflective relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Death, Drug abuse, Cancer, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, Medical content, Confinement, Addiction, Chronic illness, Animal death, Child death, and Grief

Minor: Blood and Alcohol

vireogirl's review against another edition

emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

The octopus narrator is the best. Snarky, intelligent, and other-worldly. A beautiful story. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cursing, Alcohol, and Grief

Minor: Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Vomit, Animal death, Cancer, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, and Drug abuse

honeybeewitched87's review against another edition

adventurous inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

Needs more octopus.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Addiction, Alcohol, Animal death, Cancer, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Violence, and Death

randirambles17's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I really enjoyed this book! The chapters follow several different characters throughout the book but ultimately revolve around Tova, Cameron, and Marcellus the Giant Pacific octopus. I loved that the characters were not normal protagonists: Tova is a 70-year-old widow; Cameron is a 30-year-old habitual failure; Marcellus is a freaking octopus! Yet somehow, all of the characters are relatable.
I found the pacing to be a little slow in the beginning, but overall, it was really well done. The characters are lovable and each have their own quirks. They feel like real people.

This book was a birthday gift, and I would definitely read this book again!

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Content Warnings

Minor: Addiction, Cancer, Terminal illness, Drug abuse, Abandonment, Suicidal thoughts, and Death

clr00's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Child death, Death, Alcohol, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Minor: Suicide attempt, Cancer, Suicide, and Terminal illness