Join our Instagram channel to discuss our book of the month, Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt, as we read it. From every-thought-you-had-while-reading to exclusive notes from the author, there’s a lot to unpack here.
The first pick of our book club was Luminous by Silvia Park, a razor-sharp, thought-provoking debut that dove deep into AI and its implications for our daily lives. It was intense, timely, and exactly the kind of book that gets your brain buzzing. So, for our next pick, we wanted to shift gears a little, to something softer, more hopeful, and grounded in nature. Enter Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt.
Another incredible debut, this one has been a certified sensation on BookTok, BookTube, and Bookstagram and, honestly, it deserves every bit of the spotlight. Van Pelt gives us a story that’s warm, quirky, and quietly profound, starring a grieving woman, a drifter trying to find his place, and a gloriously snarky octopus.
If heavy book club titles scare you off, or if reading has felt like a chore lately, Remarkably Bright Creatures might just be the one to pull you back in.
So, what is Remarkably Bright Creatures about?
Remarkably Bright Creatures, Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel, is a tender, quirky small-town story with a surprising narrator: a giant Pacific octopus named Marcellus. Yes, he talks (in his head), and yes, he’s smarter than most humans. With only 160 days left to live, Marcellus passes his time at the Sowell Bay Aquarium observing the strange, flailing humans around him. Chief among them is Tova Sullivan, a 70-year-old widow who works the night shift mopping floors and quietly nursing the grief of losing her son in a boating accident decades ago.
Set in the warm, close-knit seaside town of Sowell Bay, the novel is told through alternating chapters from three perspectives: Tova, Marcellus, and Cameron. The latter is a directionless 30-year-old searching for the father he’s never known. When Cameron rolls into town in a beat-up camper van, his story slowly begins to entwine with Tova’s, and the threads of the past begin to unspool.
Along the way, we meet a cast of endearing small-town characters—from Ethan, the local grocery store owner (and unspoken romantic interest), to the Knit-Wits, Tova’s tea-sipping, gossip-loving crew, and even a stray cat named Cat who keeps showing up on Tova’s porch. But at the heart of it all is the unlikely friendship between a grieving woman and a secretly heroic octopus who just might hold the key to healing more than one broken heart. It’s warm, funny, and quietly profound in the way only small-town tales can be.
Why should I pick it?
Everyone on BookTok and Bookstagram calls it that octopus book, and for good reason. Remarkably Bright Creatures is a quiet stunner. Shelby Van Pelt’s book isn’t just about an octopus (though Marcellus, the salty, tentacled diva, is iconic); it’s about finding hope and connection in unexpected places. In a world where the headlines feel apocalyptic—wars, climate anxiety, AI doing...whatever it’s doing—this novel feels like a breather, a reminder that life can still surprise you with kindness.
It’s also a sneaky way to spark conversations around conservation and marine life, wrapped in a story that never feels heavy-handed. And while it’s gentle in tone, it packs enough emotional punch.
Personally, I think this is the perfect read if you’ve been in a bit of a book slump. It’s charming, uplifting, and the kind of book you’ll want to hug when you’re done and pass along with a “trust me on this”. Bonus points: Netflix is adapting it, so read it now before Marcellus swims onto your screen.
Tell me a little about the author...
Shelby Van Pelt, originally from the Pacific Northwest, now lives near Chicago with her husband and children. A former financial consultant, she made a spectacular literary debut with Remarkably Bright Creatures, which became an instant New York Times bestseller. The novel has sold over two million copies and earned her the 2023 Heartland Prize for Fiction and the McLaughlin-Esstman-Stearns First Novel Prize. She’s currently working on her second novel.
