Remarkably Bright Creatures

Sometimes the most unexpected friendship can help you find the answers you’ve been searching for.

After the death of her husband, Tova Sullivan keeps busy working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium. There she forms an unlikely friendship with Marcellus—a remarkably intelligent giant Pacific octopus who knows far more than anyone realizes.

Marcellus soon becomes determined to solve the mystery that has haunted Tova for decades: what really happened to her eighteen-year-old son, who disappeared more than thirty years ago?

Heartwarming, witty, and quietly mysterious, Remarkably Bright Creatures is an unforgettable story about friendship, grief, hope, and finding family in unexpected places.

Perfect for readers who love: heartfelt book-club fiction, unlikely friendships, found family, gentle mysteries, lovable animal characters, second chances, and emotional stories with uplifting endings.

Themes & Tropes:

• Unlikely friendship

• Found family

• Grief and healing

• Missing-person mystery

• Second chances

• Family secrets

• Small-town community

• Animal POV

• Older protagonist

• Hope and resilience

• Pacific Northwest setting

Author: Shelby Van Pelt
Genre: Adult Fiction / Contemporary Fiction / Literary Fiction
Audience: Adult
Language: English
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Ecco / HarperCollins
Publication Date: April 29, 2025
ISBN: 9780063204164