A New York Times Bestseller

Soon to be a Netflix Film

A Read With Jenna Today Show Book Club Pick!

“Remarkably Bright Creatures is a beautiful examination of how loneliness can be transformed, cracked open, with the slightest touch from another living thing.” -- Kevin Wilson, author of Nothing to See Here

For fans of A Man Called Ove, a charming, witty and compulsively readable exploration of friendship, reckoning, and hope that traces a widow's unlikely connection with a giant Pacific octopus

After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she’s been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago.

Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors—until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.

Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova’s son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it’s too late. 

Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel is a gentle reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible.

Booklist Reviews

A widow who seems resigned to her well-ordered but lonely life, a rudderless young man searching for a father he never knew, a grocer starving for connection, and an octopus that takes the wheel from his tank in a small seaside aquarium. These four loners come into each others' lives bringing much needed understanding and care in intertwining stories that converge in a satisfying and emotional conclusion. Author Van Pelt weaves these stories together, slowly revealing the mystery while giving these characters room to breathe and change. Narrators Marin Ireland and Michael Urie bring the book to life, with Urie shining as the taciturn and practically omnipotent octopus, Marcellus, whose wry wit and blunt manner are pitch perfect. A timely reminder that friendship can bring light into uncertain times, the story is an easy and entertaining listen. Highly recommended for fans of cozy mysteries and emotional dramas alike. Copyright 2022 Booklist Reviews.