You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
bloop 's review for:
Remarkably Bright Creatures
by Shelby Van Pelt
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Remarkably Bright Creatures is a book that I have had my eye one for a while because I'm drawn to those feel-good, Fredrick Backmanesque stories. Although it lacks the charm of Backman's books, it brings something unique to the table — a captivating cephalopod character! Like many others have noted, I wish that Marcellus the Octopus had more chapters. His voice was so distinctive, and I absolutely adored him.
Tova was also a great character, although I do wish we got to see more of her backstory, and potentially her story with Ethan. Cameron... I have conflicting feelings about him. He definitely seems like a whiny manchild at times, blaming his circumstances on everyone else but himself. However, he does have some degree of self-awareness, and his personality isn't completely irredeemable. He has his moments. I couldn't help but root for him. Additionally, although he was a minor character, I really liked Terry. He seemed like a kind, warmhearted man who truly loves what he does.
I do have a few complaints about this book. Sadly, it didn't live up to my expectations, but regardless, it was still very good. At times, I felt like Shelby Van Pelt spent too much time on exposition, describing pointless details to us that did nothing to move the story along and just bored me. Also, I wasn't too fond of Tova's friend group, the Knit-Wits. My eyes would just skip over paragraphs if I saw that they were involved. There was a lot of mention of Ethan, and I loved him as a character — I just wish that Van Pelt spent more time fleshing out his character and giving us more context behind who he is.
Overall, Remarkably Bright Creatures accomplishes its goal in giving the reader a memorable, uplifting tale of finding community within others who may seem different than you, but are very similar beneath the surface. I cried, I laughed, and everything in between. For her debut novel, Van Pelt exceeds the mark.
Tova was also a great character, although I do wish we got to see more of her backstory, and potentially her story with Ethan. Cameron... I have conflicting feelings about him. He definitely seems like a whiny manchild at times, blaming his circumstances on everyone else but himself. However, he does have some degree of self-awareness, and his personality isn't completely irredeemable. He has his moments. I couldn't help but root for him. Additionally, although he was a minor character, I really liked Terry. He seemed like a kind, warmhearted man who truly loves what he does.
I do have a few complaints about this book. Sadly, it didn't live up to my expectations, but regardless, it was still very good. At times, I felt like Shelby Van Pelt spent too much time on exposition, describing pointless details to us that did nothing to move the story along and just bored me. Also, I wasn't too fond of Tova's friend group, the Knit-Wits. My eyes would just skip over paragraphs if I saw that they were involved. There was a lot of mention of Ethan, and I loved him as a character — I just wish that Van Pelt spent more time fleshing out his character and giving us more context behind who he is.
Overall, Remarkably Bright Creatures accomplishes its goal in giving the reader a memorable, uplifting tale of finding community within others who may seem different than you, but are very similar beneath the surface. I cried, I laughed, and everything in between. For her debut novel, Van Pelt exceeds the mark.