From the Bookshelf of EVERYONE Has Read This but Me - The Catch-Up Book Club…

Remarkably Bright Creatures

Shelby Van Pelt

Start date: January 1, 2026

Finish date: January 31, 2026

Discussion: UPCOMING READS

Why we're reading this: January 2026 - Modern

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UPCOMING READS

Remarkably Bright Creatures - SPOILER-FREE
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last updated Nov 30, 2025 09:21PM

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What Members Thought

Mar 07, 2023 Kim rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: finished-in-2023

This was a light, fun story that was compulsively readable. When I first started reading it, I thought there was no way this book could be narrated by an octopus and be any good, and it turns out I was right, because very little of it is narrated by the octopus. He’s a remarkably bright octopus and if you accept that he can know and do remarkable things, then this is seriously cute. The rest of the characters are flawed but likable and sympathetic. Even when they’re making poor decisions (which ...more

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Nov 20, 2022 Cheryl rated it it was amazing

6 out of 5 stars.
So so good.

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Nov 16, 2024 Laurel Bradshaw rated it it was amazing

Shelves: domestic-fiction, debut-novel, color-rating-blue, animals, daytimers-book-club, washington

4.5 blue stars, rounded up.

Perhaps a bit generous, but this heartwarming story was just what I needed right now. Far-fetched but somehow totally believable. We are privy to the thoughts of the sentient and highly intelligent aging octopus, Marcellus, who loves to escape his tank and collect treasures. He forms a friendship of sorts with the older woman, Tova, who works as a cleaner at the aquarium. Tova is dealing with the loss of her husband of 47 years, and still grieving the loss of her only 4.5 blue stars, rounded up.

Perhaps a bit generous, but this heartwarming story was just what I needed right now. Far-fetched but somehow totally believable. We are privy to the thoughts of the sentient and highly intelligent aging octopus, Marcellus, who loves to escape his tank and collect treasures. He forms a friendship of sorts with the older woman, Tova, who works as a cleaner at the aquarium. Tova is dealing with the loss of her husband of 47 years, and still grieving the loss of her only son, who disappeared 30 years ago. She tends to push away the friends who care about her, but she has a soft spot for Marcellus and the stray cat she takes in. When she sprains her ankle, and can't work temporarily, a young drifter is hired to fill in for her. He's 30, has just broken up with his wife, and comes to Sowell Bay looking for the father he never knew. His mother abandoned him when he was nine, so he also has a lifetime of loss and grievance. There's a bit of a mystery here, which is actually completely predictable, but you'll want to keep reading for the happy-ever-after ending you know is coming.

Description: 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. ...more

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Dec 09, 2022 Terre J rated it it was amazing

I wasn’t sure if I would like this book, the premise seems odd. A cleaning lady and an octopus? How good could it be? I’ll tell you, it’s wonderful, one of my favorite books ever. The story is told POV of the main characters, and their stories interweave beautifully. And it’s such a surprisingly beautiful story.

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Jan 20, 2023 Debbie rated it it was amazing

Loved this book! Glad I read some reviews, would not have jumped on a book with an octopus as a character. I didn’t cry, but I did laugh out aloud more than once. I listened to this one, and the 2 narrators were fantastic.

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Dec 09, 2024 Marcia rated it it was amazing

Shelves: audiobook

This was a wholesome, entertaining and relatable listen. I would strongly recommend this as an audiobook for someone who appreciates some dry humor, earnest people and situations, and can empathize with the fragility of heartbreak, grief and belonging. I really enjoyed this book and though bittersweet when it ended, appreciated the opportunity to step into the world of Sowell Bay, WA for a brief period.

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Feb 10, 2025 Ketutar Jensen rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2025, ps25, ammp-s-plot-your-star-chart, aty25

It was a nice story, but... a bit too much... how to put it... Deus ex machina? Things, like, just clicked in place.
The octopus was amazing, though. 5 stars to him.

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