A review by nickgalentine
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

adventurous emotional informative lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This is it. This is the book you're looking for. This is the summer read you need.

Put everything else down and pick up a copy of Remarkably Bright Creatures. A protagonist in the story is a giant Pacific octopus named Marcellus for crying out loud – what more could you ask for?

This was the last of four books I read on vacation in 2022, and it's probably the one I'm most happy I read. It was exactly what I had hoped. It was emotional, evocative, expansive. It brought to life characters that I, a certified Pessimist (capital P absolutely required here), was cheering for. I was jet-lagged when I finished the book. I stayed up after a day of travel to get to the end of the story. I had to know what happened.

It was so worth it. Five out of five, ten out of ten. I highly recommend Remarkably Bright Creatures