For this month’s Writer’s Book Club, I enjoyed listening to the audio version of Shelby Van Pelt’s charming novel Remarkably Bright Creatures (narrated by Marin Ireland and Michael Urie). Then, halfway through the book, I didn’t want to keep listening because I didn’t want it to end.
The creatures include seventy-year-old Tova who cleans the Sowell Bay Aquarium, thirty-year-old Cameron who can’t get anything right, sixty-plus-year-old Ethan, a gossiping Scottish shopkeeper with a tender heart, and Marcellus, an incredibly intelligent Pacific octopus who understands the humans better than they do.
What I liked about the book
Lately I’ve been reading a lot of dystopians and thrillers, so the gentle nature of this book was refreshing. That’s not to say there wasn’t conflict—there was plenty, as each character found themselves in untenable positions with no apparent means of relief. For instance, Tova’s son disappeared twelve years—an apparent drowning—and her husband recently passed away. When Tova falls and suffers a bad sprain, she knows she should give up her job and move to assisted living. But how can she leave the house her grandfather built or her job at the aquarium where she’s made friends with Marcellus?
The book starts with Marcellus’s first person point of view and immediately sets the tone and establishes a ticking time bomb—Marcellus has only 160 days left to live. Michael Urie narrates the Marcellus chapters and expertly establishes Marcellus’s pretentiousness and tender heart.
Marin Ireland narrates all the other chapters. She’s exceptional with both male and female voices and does a mean Scottish accent.
Van Pelt’s descriptive writing paints a picture without being overly flowery. And there’s wonderful humor sprinkled throughout. Here’s the beginning of chapter two, introducing Tova, a scene I can picture perfectly in the first three sentences:
Tova Sullivan prepares for battle. A yellow rubber glove sticks out of her back pocket like a canary’s plume as she bends over to size up her enemy.
Chewing gum.
“For heaven’s sake.” She jabs at the blob with her mop handle. Layers of sneaker tread emboss its surface, speckling it with grime.
Tova has never understood the purpose of chewing gum. And people lose track of it so often. Perhaps this chewer was talking, ceaselessly, and it simply tumbled out, swept away by a slurry of superfluous words.
In these few sentences, I can picture Tova and understand her personality. Van Pelt has created likable, but flawed characters who are endearing and unforgettable.
What I didn’t like about the book
Marcellus discovers a secret and lets the reader in on it, so the reader knows this before the other characters do. While I appreciate this dramatic irony, the revelation is so obvious that it should have been clear to the characters. Or there should have been some explanation as to why they were in denial of the truth. This was frustrating. Also, there are some pretty amazing coincidences, but they didn’t bother me as much.
I wanted more (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing)
While Van Pelt ties up the story well, there is one unanswered question, so I’m hoping for a sequel—I miss the characters. The good news is they’re making this novel into a movie starring Sally Field. I can’t wait to see it.
How this book has affected my writing
After finishing The Devil Particle Series and the third book in the Leo Townsend series, I’d like to write a charming book like Remarkably Bright Creatures. When the time comes, I’ll re-read this novel and take notes, paying close attention to how Van Pelt crafts the characters and adds tension to her scenes.
Remarkably Bright Creatures gets 👍🏻 👍🏻 👍🏻 👍🏻 for well-developed characters
and wonderful descriptions.
I’m out and about this summer — come see me!
Wednesday, May 21 at 6:30 p.m. at the West Allis Library, 721 W. National Avenue – I’m teaching the workshop Start Writing Your Novel or Memoir – Here is the description: In this workshop, we’ll discuss how to start writing your novel or memoir and the difference between plotting and pantsing—and which approach will work best for you. Discover tips for dealing with procrastination and writer’s block. We will work on exercises to inspire you to get your novel or memoir underway. Whether you have several chapters already or simply an idea, this workshop is for you. Presented by Kristin A. Oakley.
Tuesday, May 27th at 6:30 p.m. at Daydreamer Books in Lake Mills, 130 East Lake Street – Author Marisa Dondlinger and I will discuss writing thrillers.
Saturday, June 21st, Hedberg Public Library Book Fest, 316 S. Main Street, Janesville – I’m taking part in two workshops. At 9:30 a.m., I’m teaching my Crafting Unforgettable Characters Workshop. At 10:45 a.m. I’m on a panel with Authors Peggy Williams, Christine DeSmet, and Ken Humphrey discussing the different ways to publish a book. And at 2:30 p.m. I’ll be selling my books during the book fair.
Sunday, June 29th, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Kenosha Book Festival, 5031 7th Avenue — Along with other indie authors, I’ll be on hand to talk about my writing and to sell (and sign) books.
