Friendship can be found in the most unlikely of places. In the most unlikely of species.

“Remarkably Bright Creatures”, by Shelby Van Pelt, follows the story of Tova Sullivan, an elderly lady who cleans the local aquarium in Sowell Bay. Tova keeps busy, after the death of her husband, especially after the mysterious death of her son Erik thirty years ago. Among the inhabitants of the aquarium is Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus. Tova forges an unusual friendship with him, after finding him consuming takeout in the employees’ lounge. Marcellus is incredibly intelligent and helps uncover the mystery surrounding Tova’s son.

This is Van Pelt’s first novel, and for a debut, it is doing extremely well selling over 1.5 million copies worldwide. (It is also a New York Times bestseller, although it seems about every book is on that list.) From the beautiful cover illustration to the lovable characters, Van Pelt does a very good job keeping the tone lighthearted, even though the book explores the heavy topic of dealing with grief. The chapters switch between Tova’s and Marcellus’ points of view, with the addition of various other characters. Marcellus’ dry humor is funny, especially his observations of humans and his rather low opinion of them.

Marcellus perfectly captures the mundane small talk that people have on a daily basis. It is a reminder that humans are capable of thought-provoking conversations, whether that be with friends, teachers or family. The different POVs do a very good job of keeping the reader hooked. Van Pelt drops a little cliffhanger at the end of every chapter, making the reader resist the urge to skip ahead to see what happens next.

There are some plot twists, but the plot is simple, and a little too predictable. Yet, the complexity of each character really makes up for it. What makes each character so relatable is their authenticity. Introverted Tova interacting with her well-meaning and boisterous friends, the mysteries surrounding each character, Marcellus’ aquarium escapades. These characteristics make each person (and octopus) very real, even though this book has fictional elements. Tova teaches us the importance of maintaining old friendships, while Marcellus reminds us of the benefits of reaching out and making new ones.

This is an excellent book for people wanting to read for pleasure. It can be hard to pick up a book and read it not for homework, but this book is a great place to start a reading obsession again, as well as teaching some effective lessons as school starts up again.

Van Pelt tells us that humans are not the only intelligent species on this Earth. Marcellus offers a reminder that intelligence comes in many forms. Each living thing contributes to the wellbeing of the world. These lessons of acceptance are critical when contributing to the wide and diverse SPA community. A little empathy goes a long way, which is important to keep in mind as everybody is navigating the same busy and chaotic schedule.

Marcellus says it best. “Humans. For the most part, you are dull and blundering. But, occasionally, you can be remarkably bright creatures.”