Author: Shelby Van Pelt
Genres: Mystery, Drama, Domestic Fiction
Originally Published: 2002, May 3
Number of pages: 500
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt is one of the few contemporary books that I really enjoyed, although the ending could have been more revealing. The book is about compassion, friendship, and love. It caught my attention from the first chapter where a giant octopus shared his thoughts about humanity. Remarkably Bright Creatures is about three parallel stories that are deeply interconnected, although this isn’t apparent in the first few chapters.
Synopsis
Like I said the book tells about three parallel stories:
- The first story follows an old octopus Marcellus who loves exploring the oceanarium in the small town of Sowell Bay. We even hear his own thoughts about people and events happening around him.
- Next, we meet Tova, a woman grieving her son Eric, who disappeared 30 years ago.
- Finally, there’s Cameron, a 30-year-old man struggling to settle down, but determined to find his biological father.
Cameron is having a tough time at work, and his relationship with his girlfriend is falling apart. He returns to his Aunt Jenn’s trailer, where he grew up after his mother abandoned him. While searching through his mother’s belongings, he finds some jewelry, a man’s graduation ring, and old letters. Among these items, he also finds hope that he might finally find his father. His search leads him to Sowell Bay, but on his way to there, he loses all his money and gets stuck in Sowell Bay. Soon he takes a job at the local oceanarium as a janitor.
Tova, a 70-year-old woman, used to work at the oceanarium before an accident forced her to retire. She fell from a ladder and injured her leg while trying to help Marcellus return to his tank. Over time, Tova and Cameron become close and dear to each other. Through Tova’s story, we learn about Erik, his son who passed away at the age of 18.
However, when Cameron finally meets Simon Brinks, the man he believes to be his biological father, he discovers that Simon was just an old friend of his mother. Then who is his father and what connection there can be between Cameron and Sowell Bay anyway? I will stop here if you came to this page just to find out whether read the book or not, but if you want to know what happened in the end, keep reading and do not forget to share this article with your friends.
Full Summary with Ending Explained
While Cameron searches for his father, Tova also discovers new details about her son Erik’s life. Erik used to work at the local Safeway, and through Tova’s memories, we learn that he was a smart and responsible young man. However, Erik’s life ended under mysterious circumstances—his body was found in the lake, and his death was officially ruled a suicide, though Tova never fully accepted this conclusion.
As the story unfolds, an old schoolmate of Erik’s reveals that Erik had a girlfriend, but very few people knew about the relationship because Erik was very secretive. This discovery awokes emotions in Tova, as she begins to imagine how different her life might have been if Erik had married and started a family. She envisions a future where she would have been a happy grandmother, surrounded by grandchildren—a life that now feels impossibly distant.
Meanwhile, Cameron’s journey to find his father takes a frustrating turn. After following various clues, he finally meets Simon Brinks, the man he believed to be his biological father. However, Cameron soon learns that Simon was merely an old friend of his mother, Daphne, and not his real father. Furious and heartbroken, Cameron shares his frustration with Tova. In an act of anger and hopelessness, he throws a ring from his mother’s belongings into Marcellus’s tank and prepares to leave.
Octopus Marcellus, in a pivotal moment, places the ring where Tova finds it. This discovery reveals a shocking truth: Cameron is Tova’s grandson. The ring’s initials, EPOS, stand for Eric Peter Oscerson Sullivan – (Tova’s son full name). All this time Cameron was looking for Erik and Tova was looking for any kind of information about Erik’s mysterious girlfriend. The truth brings Cameron and Tova together.
Although we never learn exactly what happened to Eric, Tova concludes it was likely an accident. She believes Eric wouldn’t have taken his life knowing he was going to become a father. Meanwhile, Daphne’s grief likely led her to addiction and abandoning Cameron.
In the end, Cameron and Tova move to Ethan’s house and find peace. Tova frees Marcellus, releasing him into the ocean. Cameron begins a healthier relationship with Ivory his new girlfriend, and Tova finds new purpose in her life through her grandson.
Remarkably Bright Creatures Review
Overall, I rate Remarkably Bright Creatures a 7 out of 10. Let me explain. At nearly 500 pages, I felt the book should have revealed more about Erik’s fate and Daphne’s struggles. Perhaps the author plans a sequel story to answer these questions. Who knows?
From the analysis of the book, I assume that Erik and Daphne were together when the accident happened. Daphne had probably never forgiven herself for Erik’s death and became addicted to drugs. She could not handle the grief of losing Erik and left Cameron with her sister. I also want to believe that one day, Daphne and Cameron will reunite.
The novel is easy to read, but it didn’t offer many memorable quotes. The talking octopus, Marcellus’s perspective, which we read in the book, while unique, wasn’t as profound as expected. The first 18 chapters felt disconnected, but once the threads came together, the story became captivating.
I’d recommend this book to readers who enjoy fiction with elements of mystery.
As for readers ratings, Remarkably Bright Creatures has been well-received:
- Goodreads: 4.37 out of 5 stars, based on 950,108 ratings and 112,792 reviews.
- Google Play Books: 4.7 out of 5 stars, from 142 reviews.
- LiveLib: Approximately 4.0 out of 5 stars, based on 105 reviews.
