Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

Amy     
Lynnie  

fiction, magical realism

Tova, a 70-year-old widow, is working as a janitor at the aquarium, has survived her share of tragedy, and is contemplating changes. Cameron, 30 years old, has never quite managed to grow up and accept responsibility for...anything...and is on a search for family. Marcellus is a giant Pacific octopus in the aquarium where Tova works and he has thoughts and goals.

Amy's Review

Delightful! Charming! Funny! Heartwarming! Refreshing!

This beautiful novel was so engaging and surprising. I mean, some expected resolutions do come to pass, but the overall concept was so creative and well-crafted. Several of Marcellus’ sections made me laugh out loud. He's so superior and cocky.

Remarkably Bright Creatures speaks to the importance of having friends in your life, even unlikely friends. None of the main characters could have made it through their struggles without support from others. All have been dealt serious blows, all have accepted their current situations, yet they also have unfulfilled desires. The story has tangential storylines concerning young parents and highlights people who are missing loved ones.

I loved every aspect of this novel--the plot, the characters, the settings, etc. I see no reason to withhold any stars! I already can't wait to read the next book Shelby Van Pelt writes!

I also loved the audiobook! The narrators were absolutely stellar.  Marin Ireland is always awesome and this audiobook was no exception. She displayed terrific vocal acting and a nice variety of voices and accents for different characters. But, oh, Michael Urie was absolutely perfect for the role of Marcellus. I’m quite sure that Urie’s vocal acting made me love Marcellus even more than I would have if I’d read the book. He didn’t have to worry about voicing any other characters in this limited role but he completely crushed it. I give this production an A+!  If you love audiobooks, I highly recommend you listen to this one.

Lynnie's Review

Remarkably Bright Creatures is an absolutely delightful novel! A great story, filled with charming, interesting characters, I was drawn in to the story from the first page.

There is a mystery to solve, connections to be made, friendships and family to discover. The cast of side characters, each with their own stories and subplots add to the dynamics of this fascinating tale. Sure, there are plenty of predictable elements in this novel, and it's clear their lives will come together somehow but it is a pleasure to watch it unfold.

I both read the book and listened to the audiobook and I enjoyed both, though I have to say that Michael Urie's voice acting for Marcellus was particularly fabulous. He gave Marcellus the perfect combination of amusement, condescension and love, and his small chapters were my favorite. Marin Ireland was also wonderful and had to rely on a much larger range of voices and accents- both get an A+ from me. However, it's Urie who steals the voice acting show here and because of him I would recommend you grab the audiobook if you are able.