Remarkably Bright Creatures (Review)

I am smitten with a giant Pacific Octopus! I mean head over heels for the lovable invertebrate sea creature named Marcellus. Shelby Van Pelt has captured my heart with her beautiful book and the remarkable story she tells of Tova Sullivan and her growing relationship with a rescued octopus who lives at the aquarium. Shelby's story will long remain a favorite book of mine and I can't wait for you to read it. It is the author's debut novel and was part of #ReadWithJenna. In it you meet a wonderful cast of characters - Tova, strong, affable, smart and retirement age who is faced with the challenges of aging and how to reconcile a past with a hopeful future; Cameron, the likable young man who is on a journey to find himself; Ethan, the neighborhood friend and all around good guy; Aunt Jeanne, the woman who raised Cameron with a heart of gold; and Avery, shop owner and new love interest for Cameron; and my favorite character, Marcellus, the Pacific Octopus who deftly helps solve a decades long mystery with his intelligence and penchant for escaping his tank. This novel is a definite 5 Star Read. I absolutely loved every minute I was immersed with the book open and my imagination soaring over the creatively told story. Interesting facts about Octopuses from the Library of Congress; Published: 11/19/2019: The octopus has eight arms, three hearts, blue blood, and suckers which can taste and grab. The octopus’s ability to use its suckers to taste and grab demonstrates both consciousness and subjective behavior. The octopus is known to push the lids off tanks and subsequently walk throughout a lab. An octopus is capable of unscrewing a lid from a jar. They can solve puzzles, undo locks They seem to enjoy playing with toys as they engage in play behavior and they are capable of solving simple mazes with frequency. In both laboratory and ocean settings, the octopus is known to recognize faces. They are capable of facial recognition, and develop learned, memory responses to stimuli and their environment. Because it does not have a backbone, the octopus can maneuver in and out of very small spaces, often within an area comparable to the size of a human eye. When observed in its natural habitat, the octopus can be seen both walking and running. It is capable of propelling itself at speeds of up to 25 mph.