Okay so if I am going to be honest with you all, I just posted Taste Test #2 just a few hours ago (at the time of writing this) and I wanted to sit down and read a bit of the book, well come to find out I read the whole part already and it is time for me to write this post so I can slowly (maybe) read the ending of this book. I highly doubt any of you care when I read this book and when I actually write the posts, as long as they are getting done, I think you should all be satisfied. There may be a chance you feel this post is different than #2 and that is because I actually have time to write this and I do not have to hurry to get it out since I am “behind” schedule.

So you might be wondering why I am writing this post so early, well that is because I am excited. One of my friends at the theater and I talk about books a lot. She was a listener to my podcast and she took the time to read the blog when it came to Addie LaRue and still is an active reader. So when I told her that this months book was Remarkable Bright Creatures she went out and got the audiobook and started listening right away. Now to why I was excited, yesterday she walked by me after rehearsal and with a huge grin said she finished the book, and for some reason it made me so happy. I mean this book was recommended to me and I thus recommended it to her, as she is a member of the book club and that just filled me with joy. So when Nick left for school, I sat down on the couch with nothing to do and decided that I was going to read this part tonight just so I can get a little more invested. And that is exactly what happened, I sat on the couch under the heated blanket (since it is below freezing here) and just read and took notes.

Part 3: Page 178 – 265 (A Rare Specimen)

Character Connections

This part of the book is heavy with the connections between our main characters and their connections with Ethan and Avery and I think this is where the book really shines.

So this this the first chapter is a conversation between Tova and Cameron and how smooth and easy and connected they become. There was even the moment where Tova had the feeling of connection to her son for a brief moment when Cameron looked up to the ceiling, which I now know. There was a second where I thought what if this is too obvious and Erik cannot be Cameron’s father and the author was just leading us there so we could feel a connection, and give Tova someone to remember her once she passes but as this part went on there was more proof to Cameron being Tova’s grandson.

Marcellus just drops the bomb that they are genetically related. He has become somewhat of a narrator for us and giving us an outside look at Tova and Cameron. Though it not fully needed as we get there within the other chapters I do find it fun to have this dramatic irony, where we know more than Tova and Cameron.

The other connection that really surprised me was the one that is forming between Cameron and Avery. I didn’t like her the first the first interaction with her, but I really like her now. I think she’s cool. And it seems that Cameron’s luck has turned around since getting here. I think Cameron is truly being himself with Avery and not trying to be someone else, and because of that their relationship really does feel organic.

Emotional Reactions

Alright. So I know. I know it’s a book, but something about Ethan telling Cameron about Tova and Erik and the two of them becoming friends is really making me emotional.

In addition, and I know I am repeating myself but, if this book ends with Marcellus passing away, which it seems like it’s going to be, seeing as how he’s noticing his cells are struggling to do their typical function and how he doesn’t know if he’s going to make it to the next month and that his end is drawing near I am going to scream and throw this book. Like when he is talking about Tove and wanting to fix her heart as his final wish.

I love it. I love it. I love it. I love it. I love it.

The other thing that made me emotional is Ethan. Yes this could go in the connection heading but I want it here in Emotional because that is what Ethan is doing to me. Ethan truly is not needed to be such a figure in this novel, he can be a simple passing glance in the plot and just a lifeline for Ethan to get his feet under him again, but he is not. He is a connection and a tether for both Cameron and Tova. Ethan clearly has a bit of a crush on Tova, and maybe it could be returned but I think it so beautiful that his thoughts and so selfless and caring and I am glad that he has a presence here. Even when his Grateful Dead shirt is ruined he still wants to take the time and tell Tova the truth so that she can hear it from a friend and not some random person. (yes there might be a bit of ulterior motive, such as a date, but its still sweet)

As for the ending, I hope he and Tova can move past their awkwardness. Maybe not in a romantic way—she doesn’t strike me as someone looking for love again—but in a way that allows them to share time together, to enjoy each other’s company. I don’t think she wants to be alone, even if she’s not actively seeking companionship. And in whatever way that unfolds, I hope Ethan can help her feel a little less lonely.

Grief & Healing

Tova’s story, to me, is about how you can bury your past, your history, even your grief. You can move on—or at least tell yourself you have. But moving, both literally and figuratively, has a way of unearthing everything you thought was settled. Without realizing it, Tova is being forced to confront her past—thinking about her son, going upstairs, reminiscing, grieving the life she never got to have.

Her journey is about making space for herself. Not in a defensive way, because no one is attacking her, but in a way that says: I deserve to exist beyond my losses. For thirty years, she’s put herself aside—first for her son, then for the weight of his absence, then for her late husband. Now, her friends are leaving, her world is shifting, and she’s left wondering what’s next.

Her story is about living while you still can—about experiencing, loving, and embracing what’s left, because nothing is promised. Grief doesn’t vanish; it lingers. Unlike heartbreak or rejection, which can fully heal, grief never really does. It scabs over, but the wound remains. This book presents a different perspective on grief—not the raw, immediate pain, but the quiet ache that stays even after you’ve “healed.”

I don’t want to call it refreshing, because grief never is, but it’s real. And after thirty years, it still has the power to stir up emotions, to reshape the way Tova sees her life. I just hope, in the end, she finds happiness.

The Past and Your Future

For Cameron, this journey is all about a fresh start—a chance to step away from the weight of his past and see himself in a new light. Sometimes, all you need is distance from the things that hold you back. People talk about taking a vacation, getting a change of scenery, or even just touching grass to reset. For Cameron, leaving behind his old life was that reset. It gave him space to breathe, to grow, and to finally see what he’s capable of.

His past felt like a self-fulfilling prophecy—he was stuck in a cycle where he always had a safety net, whether it was his aunt, his friends, or even a girlfriend he stopped trying for long before we met them. He never had the push to break free from that version of himself. But now, in Soul Bay, he’s thriving.

He’s held onto his job. He’s made friends. He’s even saved up enough to pay his aunt back. For the first time, he’s proving—to himself and to everyone else—that he can do this. And honestly? I can’t wait to see where his story goes next.

Farewell until the Last Page

And I’m excited to read on and to continue this journey and and to to read this. But overall, you know, thank you to those that read the blog. It means it means a lot to me because currently I’m rambling into a voice recorder and then I go on my computer and I use a software to transcribe my notes and then I then go through my notes and write a blog post. So I just I wanna say thank you. And there’s, like, there’s this one person, DirtySciFiBuddha who keeps reading, at least liking my post and shout out to you.

I don’t know you. Or maybe I do know you. I just don’t know I know you.