Remarkably Bright Creatures, by Shelby Van Pelt

HIGHLY RECOMMEND! 

My husband gave me this book for my birthday, since he knew I’d fallen in love with octopi after watching My Octopus Teacher (Netflix Original documentary).
 
I loved this book.  (I realize, looking at my prior review posts, that I always say I love the books, but that’s because I don’t generally persist with a book I don’t love going into it.  Life is Too Short.)
 
I strongly identified with the two protagonists – an older woman who cleans an aquarium at night and the octopus she meets while working.  There’s an intriguing mystery, but I would have gone on reading it just to hear the octopus’ internal dialogue, which entranced me.  I wish I could get to know one, but a. I live near the ocean but not THAT near, and b. my son tells me I’m “too old” to scuba dive.  Ha!  What does he know?
 
The book was a good blend of very un-scary suspense, low-key drama and elderly romance  – the woman’s son died under somewhat mysterious circumstances as a young man, another man is looking for his real father, a barkeep finds his soulmate but is too shy to tell her so, the octopus yearns for freedom.  I couldn’t stop reading it, and stayed up until 3am, for which I paid dearly the next day, but it was worth it.
 
I won’t give away the ending, of course, but I can say that I found it satisfying, the straggling ends tucked in neatly and convincingly.  I hope you enjoy it too!
 
Buy it on Amazon by clicking here.

#RemarkablyBrightCreatures #ShelbyVanPelt #MyOctopusTeacher