Meet Shelby

Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Shelby Van Pelt now misses the mountains in the Chicago area with her husband and children. REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES, her debut novel, was an Instant New York Times bestseller. More

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Remarkably Bright Creatures

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“Shelby Van Pelt has done the impossible. She’s created a perfect story with imperfect characters, that is so heartwarming, so mysterious, and so completely absorbing, you won’t be able to put it down because when you’re not reading this book you’ll be hugging it.”
— Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
Remarkably Bright Creatures is the rarest of feats: a book that manages to be wry and wise, charming and surprising, and features one of the most intriguing and satisfying characters I’ve encountered in fiction in a very long time—Marcellus the Octopus. I don’t know how Shelby Van Pelt managed to make this uncommon tale sing so beautifully, but sing it does, and I defy you to put it down once you’ve started.”
— Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney, author of Good Company and The Nest
“Truly original and touching, Remarkably Bright Creatures is a story of family, community, and optimism in spite of darkness. Prepare to fall in love with a most exceptional octopus.”
— Helen Hoang, author of The Heart Principle
Remarkably Bright Creatures is a beautiful examination of how loneliness can be transformed, cracked open, with the slightest touch from another living thing. Shelby Van Pelt makes good on this wild conceit, somehow making me love a misanthropic octopus, but her writing is so finely tuned that it’s a natural element of a larger story about family, about loss, and the electricity of something found.”
— Kevin Wilson, author of Nothing to See Here
An Instant New York Times Bestseller!

Upcoming Events

Apr 15

OLNEY, IL
One Book, One Community
5:30 PM CT
Olney Public Library at Richland County High School
More Info

Apr 18

LOS ANGELES, CA
LA Times Festival of Books
2PM PT
University of Southern California
More Info

Apr 24

VICKSBURG, MI
Pulp & Press Lit Arts Fest
7PM ET
Vicksburg Performing Arts Center
Tickets Here

May 12

SPOKANE, WA
Northwest Passages and Gonzaga Performing Arts presents Shelby Van Pelt: Remarkably Bright Creatures
In conversation with Spokesman-Review Managing Editor Lindsey Treffry
7PM PT
Myrtle Woldson Center – Coughlin Theater
Tickets and More Info

May 30

KENDALLVILLE, IN
Literary Lunch
11AM ET (lunch)
12PM ET (author talk)
The Community Learning Center
Tickets and More Info