Sno-Isle Reads Together 2026
"Remarkably Bright Creatures" by Shelby Van Pelt
After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she’s been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in the Puget Sound over 30 years ago.
As she works, Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight tentacles for his human captors—until he forms an unlikely friendship with Tova.
Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova’s son disappeared. As his affection for Tova grows, Marcellus must use every trick his old, invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it’s too late.
Charming, compulsively readable, and full of wit, Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel is a beautiful exploration of friendship, reckoning, and hope—a reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible.
Meet Shelby Van Pelt
Book Discussion Questions
Ready to talk about "Remarkably Bright Creatures?" Here are some questions to get you started.
Question 1: What kind of person do you think Marcellus would be if he were human? What qualities do Marcellus and Tova both share that make this remarkable friendship a success?
Question 2: Each of these characters — animal and human — need each other in a specific way, even if they don’t realize this at first. What qualities bind these characters to each other? Are they connected by loss, grief or something else?
Question 3: On page 9, Tova empathizes with the sharks in the big aquarium tank, musing that she “understands what it means to never be able to stop moving, lest you find yourself unable to breathe.” Why do you think she feels so compelled to keep busy? What would happen if she simply stopped?
Question 4: In contrast to how Tova keeps busy, Cameron emerges as a character who deals with grief by remaining stagnant, refusing to even try to reach his potential, much to the frustration of those who care about him. Why do you think he sabotages himself? Have you ever had someone like this in your life?
Question 5: Marcellus is extremely smart — smarter than any human he encounters. Have you had encounters with animals — octopuses or otherwise — who demonstrated surprising levels of intelligence, emotional or otherwise? Have you felt “seen” by an animal or felt a relationship with an animal deepen upon earning their trust?
Question 6: "Remarkably Bright Creatures" takes place in a Pacific Northwest coastal town in the recent past. The watery Puget Sound setting plays a major role in the plot, but how else does the setting inform the novel? How do you think the novel would be different if it were set somewhere like Arizona or Minnesota?
Question 7: Marcellus remarks on page 59 that “fingerprints are like keys, with their specific shape. I remember all keys, too.” From the house key Tova loses to the ring of keys Marcellus finds at the bottom of the sea, the novel is filled with various types of keys. What do you think keys symbolize in this novel?
Question 8: Tova reflects on her experience caring for her husband through his illness and eventual passing, and with no surviving family to do the same for her, she worries about being a burden on her friends as she ages. How do you view the role of community and family in caring for older people? How did Tova’s views on this change throughout the book, and why do you think they did?
Question 9: In the middle of the novel, on page 177, Cameron says to Tova, “conscience does make cowards of us all.” What do you think he means by this statement? Do you agree with this?
Question 10: Tova’s Swedish Dala horses are some of her most treasured possessions. Why do you think that is? Are there heirlooms in your family that carry a similar significance?
Question 11: This novel explores different characters who are faced with major choices: They can open themselves up to something new and take an unexpected, daring opportunity, or they can continue on as they have been. Have you ever faced a moment in your life where a critical choice could change everything? Did you take the leap or not?
Question 12: Marcellus’s life in captivity is much different than the life of an octopus in the wild — and eventually, Terry reveals that Marcellus was rescued from the sea after a life-threatening injury. Aquariums play an important role in education and conservation, but some people view keeping animals, especially intelligent ones, in captivity with skepticism. What do you think?
Question 13: In the last few pages of the novel, Tova and Cameron realize how they are truly connected. What do you imagine they are doing a year from the novel’s end?
Remarkably Real Creatures: Cephalopods
The Ethics of Wild Animal Captivity
Remarkably Real Creatures: Cephalopods
The Ethics of Wild Animal Captivity
Further Reading
Want to learn more about marine life, friendship, and aging well? Check out our staff picks!
Octopus (and other cephalopod) Fiction
Octopuses and Other Cephalopods
Octopus (and other cephalopod) Fiction
Octopuses and Other Cephalopods
Unleash the Kraken!
Visit your community library to upgrade to a Kraken-themed library card.
Hear From Experts
Learn more about the life and times of octopuses from experts in marine biology or simply enjoy your own soothing aquarium experience.
Dive Into Nature
Visit Washington's Department of Natural Resources' water-access sites free with a Discover Pass from your library.
Learn More
Take a deep dive into the themes in "Remarkably Bright Creatures" with these online resources.
Giant Pacific Octopus
- Giant Pacific Octopus | Seattle Aquarium, opens a new window
- Giant Pacific Octopus | Monterey Bay Aquarium, opens a new window
- Giant Pacific Octopus | Alaska Department of Fish and Game, opens a new window
Marine Conservation
- Become an Octopus Advocate | SEA Discovery Center, opens a new window
- Octopus Protection Areas in Puget Sound | Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, opens a new window
- Sound Water Stewards, opens a new window
Aging
- Island Senior Resources, opens a new window (serves Camano and Whidbey Islands)
- Homage Senior Services, opens a new window (serves Snohomish county)
- Coping With Grief and Loss | National Institute on Aging , opens a new window
About Sno-Isle Reads Together
Sno-Isle Reads Together is an annual program that encourages all adults in Snohomish and Island counties to read the same book, inviting exploration of new ideas and providing opportunities to experience the joy of discovery.
Read the Book
Each year we all read the same book.
Attend an Event
Learn more about the book with programs and lectures about its theme.
Meet the Author
Join us in-person and online for exclusive author events.
Help Us Find Our Next Book!
Have you read anything good lately--something you think everyone should read? Tell us about it! Books written for adults from all genres are considered, and there is no limit to how many titles you can recommend.
Past Selections
Check out other Sno-Isle Reads Together books.
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