A review by taural41
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

emotional funny mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

I liked the concept behind this book - the Marcellus parts were the most interesting, and I found myself skimming through some of the story lines around Tova’s move and Cameron’s people in order to get to the Tova-Marcellus interactions. My favorite things about Marcellus was just the premise (an incredibly intelligent, aquarium-roving octopus) and his eventual deep love for Tova, but I didn’t love his personality or the tone with which he spoke. I know it added humor to the book and I’m sure absolutely delighted a lot of readers, but it struck me as a little dark and condescending and I don’t love that in a main character. I appreciated the sweet, easy ending as I wasn’t in the mood for it to end on a sad note. Overall, the book was fine, but I didn’t love it. I get why others do, but I don’t think the characters were deep and nuanced enough for me to really love it. 
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