Humans. For the most part, you are dull and blundering. But occasionally, you can be remarkably bright creatures.
Remarkably Bright Creatures
by Shelby Van Pelt
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
About: An octopus befriends the aquarium's cleaning lady. He has three hearts, and sees that her one heart is broken. Using unusual methods, the ingenious invertebrate attempts to unravel the mystery that destroyed her life thirty years ago.
The Good
The characters in this book are incredible. Of course I loved Marcellus the Octopus's POV, but Tova, Cameron and Ethan are given so much heart. Each voice is distinct and crafted with everything that makes us human. You can't forget them because they feel like real people and you go on such a journey with them. This is an emotional book. It deals with grief and abandonment in thoughtful ways but never feels too heavy. There's hope and kindness here. Character's memories and their relationships with others are multidimensional, certainly not without flaws and bring the narrative to life.
The Bad
I found this a slow read, though I wouldn't be surprised if others race through it as the plot moves at a good pace and the writing is very engaging. The reason I think I found it slow was because the most significant moments for all of the character's lives (including the octopus) have happened before this book's timeline. This makes it more of a reflective read. The two big mysteries were ones I wanted to know the answers to, but because of the timeline there wasn't a sense of urgency in solving them.
The Somewhat Iffy
You do have to suspend your disbelief in Marcellus's POV at times. I really enjoyed how inhuman, yet also very human, his POV was and the ways the author showcases his unique intelligence. However some things didn't quite make sense. How did he have items from the sea in his treasure trove?
Overall
A unique, heartfelt book with characters that feel like family by the end. A beautiful journey that is full of hope and miraculous wonderment.
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