It’s a hug in a book.

My wife said she was reading this and gave me a brief synopsis that involved missing people and an octopus - I was intrigued so decided I’d take the plunge.

Less the mystery thriller I was half expecting, more the romantic drama that verges on the silly but despite really not being my usual genre, was a fitting vibe to an otherwise fraught and tricky life period.

Its characters are well thought sculpted and the performances are wonderful, particularly the narrator for Marcellus who had me laugh out loud more than once.

Yes, the Scottish accent is dreadful. But it has its charm and I soon just heard Ethan rather than longing for something more realistic.

It’s a warm cardigan of a story with some ups and downs along the way to keep you on your toes.

Worth a read / listen. 🐙

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3 people found this helpful

Very enjoyable, terrible Scottish accent😂

Very enjoyable, not too heavy and fairly predictable narratively. But still a good listen, would recommend. The only thing that I did not enjoy was the awful attempt at a Scottish accent. As a Scot myself I can assure everyone that no matter where you go in Scotland, no one sounds like that. 😂

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2 people found this helpful

Brilliant Bright Creatures

This is a marvellous book for all ages above 13 probably. The octopus connects up the shattered pieces of the lives of a mother who lost her son when he was a teenager and a young man brought up by an aunt with no knowledge of his parents. We learn about the Pacific Giant Octopus, named Marcellus who is a rescue but been an exhibit for most of his life, through his own voice, escapes, collection of treasures, and astute understanding of the humans who visit or work at the aquarium. Their lives are told with poignancy, humour and realism in the main narrative. Definitely a good read and listen. Original and in some ways similar to Navaselva, The Call of the Wild Valley where human and wild species and their stories are interwoven too.

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1 person found this helpful

Magnificent tale!

If I was to mention I was listening to a story about an octopus and a grief stricken old lady, I do think no one would give this book a chance.
However, it’s so good. The writing is superb. I’ve gasped and cried and held my breath. Marcellus (the octopus) is my new hero! Take a chance on this one please.

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1 person found this helpful

such unusual subject

This book held me captivated all the way through. The readers' voices were excellent and the characters were brilliantly portrayed.

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1 person found this helpful

A sweet read

Read this because it was so popular in reading circles. It was a very enjoyable story but not as awesome as I had expected. For me, a book really hits the right note, if I immediately say I would read it again. This was a good read but I wouldn’t read it again.

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Loved a great debut.

Great novel, beautiful story, well narrated. I look forward to the next one. slightly dodgy Scottish accent but got used to it!

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Wow. Audio genius.

I have trouble deciding if the story or the production was what worked best. Great storyline and characters and brought to life so well.

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Wow

My favourite book of the year so far it was a wonderful insight into relationships human and octopus

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Lovely!

Really lovely book. Great story and something different. However, the Scottish accent is the worst I’ve ever heard! But don’t let that put you off - it’s still worth listening to.

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