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Update on reread:

The idea of rereading something that once brought you comfort can be daunting.

I had no desire to revisit this, to be honest. When I originally read it, I was enduring a great deal of emotional stress. I was high on anxiety while being trampled to the ground with depression. I needed the solace this story provided, but as time passed, I was not sure if I’d loved this solely because of that precise need, or if the story could stand the test of time for me. Sweet stories are rarely my thing, so it was hard to imagine this hitting the right notes a second time around.

Then it was selected for a book club I am in. Believe me, I audibly groaned. My husband can vouch for me. I genuinely feared not finding safety within its pages now that I’m in a better state. Sure, I could have opted out, but book club is one of the very few forms of face to face socializing I actually do. In the end, we didn’t even get to go, though. Our car broke down a few days before the meeting, but I couldn’t have predicted that when I reunited with these quirky characters.

It did not take long before I realized that it was not solely my state of mind that caused me to adore Remarkably Bright Creatures. Even on my best days, I still relish the coziness of a warm, familiar blanket, and that is what this book is.


Original review from 2022:

This is a reliable book. You know where it’s going and you can count on it to get you there safely. But the journey is perfectly lovely and you might not be in any rush to reach your destination.

It is also a unique book. In fact, part of it is told from the perspective of an octopus. We certainly seem to have a shortage of octopus perspectives, so I’m glad that Shelby Van Pelt had the wisdom to give the remarkably bright Marcellus a voice in her debut.

The story connects a woman who has experienced tremendous loss, an old, grumpy aquarium octopus, and a down on his luck man in search of the father he never knew.

This is a story of happy tears that made me want an octopus for a pet. My husband said “no,� though, which is probably all for the best, as Marcellus made it clear that captivity is not the way to live and certainly not the way an octopus near the end of his days wants to die.

I really enjoyed my time spent with these remarkably bright creatures. I was in love with Marcellus from his opening lines and could have easily read a whole book from his perspective. I did, however, love the story tucked between his layers. It’s definitely a book with heart. Or three (like an octopus).

Thank you, Partner, Bibliolifestyle and Ecco Books for my copy. All opinions are my own.