Remarkably Bright Creatures

Love, love, love, I loved “Remarkably Bright Creatures.” First, every other chapter is written in first-person by an octopus. Yep, an octopus. To be specific, a 60-pound giant Pacific octopus named Marcellus living in the Sowell Bay Aquarium in Washington state. And he is NOT happy about it! Understandably, Marcellus wants to get back to the ocean; according to him, he was forcefully removed from it and imprisoned at the aquarium. Sadly, he’s coming to the end of his life, but his last wish is to die in the ocean, not trapped in a tank. Luckily, a kind-hearted lady named Tova is there to help, which is the second reason I loved this book...she’s a great character! Tova cleans the aquarium and forms a special bond with Marcellus. She’s a 70-year-old widow whose only child drowned 30 years ago, so both Tova and Marcellus are in their “twilight” years. I think one of the main reasons I liked this book so much is that it shows how life can still surprise you, no matter what your age. And I thoroughly enjoyed the relationship between Marcellus and Tova. I fully enjoyed this book, as you can tell. The writing style is easy, yet beautiful. Each character is well thought-out with stories of their own, which all weave together into a wonderful story. I’m already waiting for the author’s next book (this is her first) since I enjoyed her writing so much. This book is one I have heard a lot about (it was a finalist in Goodreads Best Fiction for 2022), and now I see why. I highly recommend it!