Published: 2022
Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Magical Realism, Literary Fiction, Animals, Octopus
Trigger Warnings: Death
Audience: Adult
Summary: 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.
Review: Have you ever read a popular book and wondered why so many people loved it? Well, after reading Remarkably Bright Creatures, I am still asking myself that question. It’s not poorly written, but it’s not exactly a riveting tale. In fact, it’s rather slow. Tova is a likable character. She’s at the end of her life trying to figure out what to do with herself as she mourns her husband and son. She is seventy but acts more like a ninety-year-old. Cameron was an unlikable character who thought the world owed him everything. He is on a quest to find his father, but he’s miserable throughout the book. Marcellus, the octopus,is counting down the days until he dies. He’s the only interesting character, but not even he can carry this book.
The book is dull as tombs. I was waiting for something to happen, but nothing ever does. And when I read the big reveal and, well, it wasn’t big. I figured it out rather early in the novel. This novel is about Tova, at the end of her life trying to figure out what to do with herself as she mourns her husband and son. Cameron is on a quest to find his father, but he’s miserable and I didn’t care about him at all. Marcellus counting down the days until he dies too.
This book was depressing.
