Book Review — Shelby Van Pelt

I was sitting at Eagle Harbor Book Co. on Bainbridge Island, reading this book, when a staff member told me the author was speaking at Elliott Bay. Of course I went.

That’s how I found out Shelby Van Pelt is from the Pacific Northwest — and that Remarkably Bright Creatures is being adapted by Netflix. I don’t say this lightly: it’s going to make a great movie.

I’m not a PNW native, but I’ve very quickly learned to love it and feel more at home here than anywhere I’ve lived before. This book felt like confirmation of something. The setting, the water, the quiet — it all landed differently because of where I was when I read it.

Tova is the kind of old lady women hope to become. Steady, perceptive, quietly formidable. She carries her grief without asking for credit. The ending was predictable — spoiler alert — I knew she and Cameron were going to be related long before the reveal. But predictable isn’t the same as unearned. They deserved their happy ending and I’m glad Van Pelt gave it to them without apology.

And then there’s Marcellus.

I don’t know exactly how to explain why I loved this character, but I did. He speaks with an eloquence and directness that can come across as cruel, though he never intends it that way. He sees everything clearly and says so. He didn’t deserve the life he was given — but then again, in my opinion, no animal does.

Sally Field and Alfred Molina are perfectly cast. Chef’s kiss.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ — 4/5 stars

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission at no cost to you.