Shelby Van Pelt
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt weaves different story threads that merge at the end of the novel.
Tova, a woman in her seventies, works as a cleaning lady in the aquarium at Sowell Bay. She recently lost her husband and, thirty years ago, her only son died in a tragic drowning accident. Tova has friends, but she is lonely. She takes pride in cleaning the aquarium and talks to the sea creatures, especially Marcellus, the giant Pacific octopus.
Cameron is an immature thirty-year-old who was abandoned by his drug-addicted mother to be raised by his aunt. He never knew his father. Short on money and in-between jobs, Cameron decides to go to Sowell Bay where his mother attended school to confront the man whom he assumes to be his father. He takes a temporary job at the aquarium to cover for Tova when she is injured. Not unexpectedly, Cameron and Tova’s paths cross and they become friends. Tova educates him on proper cleaning procedures and introduces him to her other friend, Marcellus.
Observing the two interact is Marcellus. Speaking in the first-person in short chapters interspersed throughout the narrative threads, Marcellus comments on the quirks of human behavior. Observant, astute, and intelligent, he recognizes the familial connection between Tova and Cameron long before they do. He drops mementos connecting the two in strategic places where Tova can find them, thereby orchestrating her gradual awareness of her connection to Cameron.
The novel drags in the beginning but then it picks up the pace. The characters lack depth and complexity. The diction is without frills and straight forward. The feel-good ending is very predictable. And although the series of coincidences coupled with the improbable antics of an octopus require a high suspension of disbelief, the novel is a quick, easy, and somewhat enjoyable read.