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lightningmc_logyn 's review for:
Remarkably Bright Creatures
by Shelby Van Pelt
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This caught my attention because I love octopuses. Marcellus is a wonderful octopus and character, I wish there were more of him in the book. He’s very present in the beginning, and as the plot unfolds there are longer and longer stretches without him.
The protagonist, Tova, is a very endearing and relatable character. I was very invested in her story. She and Marcellus work well together as characters, and it’s a shame the book strayed from focusing on them.
This is an odd book. The plot is quite predictable, yet still has surprises. When another character is introduced named Cameron, the story fills out and goes in directions I didn’t anticipate and found less compelling. The authors approach to portraying grief isn’t my style. It was handled with grace and accuracy, but the plot resolutions and character arcs felt like slapping a smiley face-patterned bandaid over a wound, whilst being acutely aware that doesn’t address the wound of grief directly. It’s confusing to come to this conclusion, as she seems to understand grief very well.
I enjoyed reading it, and I’m glad I satiated my curiosity. It’s a good example of using an unexpected narrator (in the form of an octopus.) The predictable parts of the ending didn’t land for me, as I found them trope-y. There were parts of the end I enjoyed.
Van Pelt’s prose is engaging, and her humor was decent. I don’t think I’d recommend this book, as I feel simultaneously satisfied and unsatisfied with the experience.
The protagonist, Tova, is a very endearing and relatable character. I was very invested in her story. She and Marcellus work well together as characters, and it’s a shame the book strayed from focusing on them.
This is an odd book. The plot is quite predictable, yet still has surprises. When another character is introduced named Cameron, the story fills out and goes in directions I didn’t anticipate and found less compelling. The authors approach to portraying grief isn’t my style. It was handled with grace and accuracy, but the plot resolutions and character arcs felt like slapping a smiley face-patterned bandaid over a wound, whilst being acutely aware that doesn’t address the wound of grief directly. It’s confusing to come to this conclusion, as she seems to understand grief very well.
I enjoyed reading it, and I’m glad I satiated my curiosity. It’s a good example of using an unexpected narrator (in the form of an octopus.) The predictable parts of the ending didn’t land for me, as I found them trope-y. There were parts of the end I enjoyed.
Van Pelt’s prose is engaging, and her humor was decent. I don’t think I’d recommend this book, as I feel simultaneously satisfied and unsatisfied with the experience.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Grief, Abandonment
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse
Minor: Animal death, Sexism