Book Club Questions for Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

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Book club questions for Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt explore all the key themes of grief, loneliness, and second chances. There will be spoilers, so for more context about the book, check out my spoiler-free review first.

I really enjoyed this novel overall! It’s quite impactful and very moving. The unique storyline of Tova’s friendship with Marcellus is so engaging and interesting. I wish they had even more scenes together. There’s a good stretch where they don’t see each other, and while it makes sense for the story (Tova’s injury is why Cameron gets hired at the aquarium), I would have more Tova/Marcellus interactions.

I’ve seen mixed thoughts about Cameron, and in my opinion, I thought he was fine. He definitely is immature for his age at 30, but that’s also the point. He never knew his father, and his mother is an addict who left him behind with his aunt. And while she did the best she could, he still is missing that paternal relationship.

But that said, I did prefer Tova’s scenes over Cameron’s, but again, I think his actions made sense with his unstable background. And of course, I loved the ending and how Tova and Cameron finally found the family they’ve been missing.

Let me know what you thought about the book in the comments section below!

Summary

The story follows 70-year-old Tova as she works nights cleaning the floors at her local aquarium in a small town in Washington. She keeps busy to avoid thinking about the unimaginable loss of her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, who mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago.

During her nights alone at the museum, Tova eventually strikes up a friendship in the most unlikely place, with Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus is an extremely intelligent octopus that is one step ahead of the humans; he even leaves his tank every night for a taste of freedom (and to sample some of the other sea creatures at the aquarium).

While he’s used to humans not seeing his potential, Tova sees he’s special, especially as she finds Marcellus out of his tank and saves his life. From there, the two start their unique friendship journey as Tova finally has someone to listen to her talk about Erik.

Marcellus also starts to help put the pieces together about what happened to Erik.

Meanwhile, we also meet Cameron, a lost 30-year-old without a job and a place to stay, as his girlfriend kicked him out of the apartment. His mother is an addict, and eventually, his aunt took over custody. He never knew his father, but after receiving some of her mother’s things, he finds a class ring and starts the journey to find his dad.

Eventually, Tova and Cameron’s paths cross at the aquarium. And the two will soon learn they share a deep connection.

Book Club Questions for Remarkably Bright Creatures

1. Let’s first talk about the title of the book – what is the title—remarkably bright creatures—describing?
2. Why did Tova decide to start working nights cleaning at the aquarium?
3. Tova’s son Erik went missing at sea when he was 18 years old. While the police decided it was a suicide, Tova was never convinced that it was the case. Why do you believe Tova held on to the fact that something else must have happened that night?
4. This novel really explores grief from Tova losing Erik, and then her husband, to Marcelleus grieving his freedom, to Cameron grieving a lack of parental involvement in his life. Let’s talk more about the theme of grief and how it impacted each character.
5. Why did Tova and Marcelleus bond, and even become friends? What did the two see in each other, and also need from one another? Would you have liked to have read more scenes between the two of them?
6. How did Marcelleus figure out what happened to Erik?
7. Why did Tova decide to sell the house and move to a retirement center?
8. Cameron eventually crosses paths with Nova, and the two start to connect. Did you know right away that Cameron was Tova’s grandson, or were you surprised at this reveal?
9. What are your thoughts overall on Cameron and his actions? Did you feel he matured across the novel, or did he remain somewhat the same?
10. Cameron’s mother is a bit of a question mark. Why did she never tell Erik’s parents she had a baby, and therefore, they had a grandson? Do you believe her addictions stemmed from the night Erik died?
11. We never really got a clear answer on where she is—do you think she’ll ever try to reconnect with Cameron?
12. What do you feel happened that night Erik died?
13. What were your thoughts when you read the scene where Cameron finds out Tova is his grandmother?
14. What was your impression of Marcellus’ return to the water (even though it’s brief)? Let’s discuss Tova and his final moments together. How did Marcellus change everything for Tova?
15. What happens next for each of the main characters?
16. After finishing the story, were you left with any unanswered questions about any of the characters? If so, let’s discuss now.
17. This book has plenty of staying power and is constantly on the bestseller’s list. Why do you think it has resonated with so many people?

Additional Recommendations

Hope you enjoyed the book club questions for Remarkably Bright Creatures! Here are some more recommendations, along with links to discussion questions.

Newly retired pharmacist Augusta Stern is about to turn eighty, and she is relocating to an active senior community in southern Florida. However, once there, she unexpectedly crosses paths with Irving Rivkin, the delivery boy from her father’s old pharmacy―and the man who broke her heart sixty years earlier.

Sixty years later, confronted with Irving, Augusta is still haunted by the mistakes of her past, but also has plenty of unanswered questions. More of my review can be found here.

For book clubs, check out my discussion questions here.

This time, his protagonist is a 72-year-old English widow who has experienced unimaginable grief and loss. But when she inherits a house in Ibiza from an old friend, a new adventure awaits.

She books a one-way ticket and has no plan. Among the rugged hills and golden beaches of the island, Grace searches for answers about her friend’s life and how it ended. What she uncovers is stranger than she could have dreamed. But to dive into this impossible truth, Grace must first come to terms with her past. More of my review can be found here.

Check out my book club questions here.

Happy reading! Let me know if you need any more book recommendations for your next book club meeting.