Remarkably Bright Creatures: A Read with Jenna Pick

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As she works, Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium.

I admit I tried to read this book several months ago and felt Cameron, his laziness, schemes and mishaps belonged in another book, and the character had been inserted as a space filler. As Tova’s life intertwines with Marcellus, a cantankerous giant Pacific octopus, an unlikely bond forms, revealing a depth of wisdom within the cephalopod’s enigmatic world. How does each animal contribute to the characters’ development and understanding of their identities and relationships? Given the current state of the world, one needs a charming story that tugs at the heart yet is uplifting. Tova loves cleaning the floors, windows, tanks, and the seal statue that was a favorite of her son when he was little.A book begging to be read on the beach, with the sun warming the sand and salt in the air: pure escapism. It is an endearing novel about the tragedy of death, the anguish of grief, and the power of love to heal.

His journey from Modesto to Sowell Bay is filled with hope for a better future and his belief that finding his absent father, Simon, would solve his problems. Both of these strange and freshly-imagined stories go deeper into uncharted territory for the mystery novel. Although Tova and I had age and a fear of freeways in common, I did not identify with her need to clean. This is a tender, almost magical novel that explores both the perils and wonders of what it truly means to grow up, as well as to grow old. Cameron is the new employee, a struggling young man who is on a quest to find the father he never knew.And part of what I think stops her from being able to know is this fact that she is so closed off and receded into her own life, and unwilling to fully participate in her community. Were they interviewing him about trends in vacation home sales, or about “some” other “boring thing”? Then there is Cameron, a thirty-year-old man who is a deadbeat, down in his luck, and close to hitting rock bottom. Tova has always felt more than a bit of empathy for the sharks, with their never-ending laps around the tank. I avoid animal stories because I usually can't handle things happening to animals but this is a story about giving life to both animals and humans and that giving makes future loss bearable.