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fkshg8465's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Hard to say how I feel about this book. I think the closest I can get to it is that it’s bittersweet. Love lost, family lost, family created, love found, metamorphoses, letting go, hope - these are all the things the book is about. Dispute its many unresolved issues, the ending still provides a kind of unexpected closure. The only open question for me is whether or why or how Wren is a common denominator no one in the book considers. Three people in her life, two of whom she loved dearly, end up with illnesses that are presumably extremely rare. Yet she knows three such people. So what is she doing to be on the receiving end of that so many times?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Child death, Grief, and Physical abuse
kelseyr713's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This is one of the most beautiful, fascinating, and lyrical novels I've ever read. Highly recommended.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Grief, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Violence, Death of parent, Gore, Pregnancy, Animal death, Domestic abuse, and Blood
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Abortion
silversparkles50's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Medical trauma, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Blood
Minor: Death of parent and Pregnancy
cc_shelflove's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
”Would you like to be a family?” “Family. I thought it would never happen to me.”
This book was funky! I will definitely be on the lookout for the author’s next release. Wren’s husband is turning into a great white shark. 🦈 What if she can learn to scuba dive, so that she can stay with him forever? 🥺 You will get a lot of weird looks when describing the book you are reading to others, but honestly, it was so emotional and raw! At times I was confused why certain characters were being introduced, but as I kept reading the author revealed how their stories added to the overall plot. If you’re not sure at first, stick with it. This book was so well done. Loved loved loved it!
This book was funky! I will definitely be on the lookout for the author’s next release. Wren’s husband is turning into a great white shark. 🦈 What if she can learn to scuba dive, so that she can stay with him forever? 🥺 You will get a lot of weird looks when describing the book you are reading to others, but honestly, it was so emotional and raw! At times I was confused why certain characters were being introduced, but as I kept reading the author revealed how their stories added to the overall plot. If you’re not sure at first, stick with it. This book was so well done. Loved loved loved it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Domestic abuse, and Death of parent
Minor: Abortion and Violence
eviemayhem's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I chose this as my Book of the Month, unsure if I would like it. As someone who has both lost a child and has a turbulent relationship with my mother, the premise spoke to me and I'm so glad I gave it a chance. The book is beautifully written; lyrical and flowing like a river. It is hard to believe this is the author's first book. There were so many points where I wanted to cry, and at times I didn't want to finish because my heart was breaking for Lewis and Wren. As someone who lives with a chronic disease, it is easy to see the story fold out from both sides: Someone living with a disease that is changing them at their core and that they can't stop, and the person giving up themselves to take care of a loved one.
Bring a box of tissues.
Bring a box of tissues.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Pregnancy, Chronic illness, Medical content, Abandonment, Violence, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Confinement, and Death of parent
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Ableism, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, and Pedophilia
overthefroggymoon's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A true life affirming novel.
Despite my adoration, I do find some of the messages and themes it's going for odd at best.
But anyways, the formatting of this book was continously grabbing and entertaining. Just a fantastic read all round.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Terminal illness, and Death
jacquelynrovene's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
servemethesky's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I took a chance on this book based on the intriguing description and I'm so glad I did! I'm a big fan of weird, dark books and surprisingly, this one was weird and...happy?! Ultimately, it's all about what it means to be a human and how all the mundane moments of daily life are what counts, not the big fancy accomplishments or material things that occupy so much of our mental energy.
It's fascinating to read others' reviews and see how people are interpreting the whole mutation into an animal thing. Lewis transforms into a great white shark, and as someone married to a person with depression, I read that mutation as being a metaphor for mental illness. Despite my mother dying of cancer, I didn't read it as a cancer metaphor like so many other readers did. I love that you can interpret the animal mutations any way you please--either way, humans are fallible, and life can throw all kinds of unexpected tragedies and traumas our way. What can we make of it when there's so much pain in the messy middle? How can we find joy?
At times, I found Lewis absolutely insufferable. He doesn't seem to see Wren as a whole person. Overall, Wren felt underdeveloped as a character despite being our protagonist. I LOVED the Angela section and by the end of it, I felt like I understood Angela more than Wren!
Sometimes it feels like this book is trying really hard to be deep, but I think sometimes it actually *is* deep. It may just depend on your mood when you read it.
Margaret C. Finnegan was a damn delight and I cackled picturing her singing Avril Lavigne songs to a miserable Lewis in the ocean.
Lastly, I'm glad there was no final scene where Wren and Joy meet Lewis in shark form, and no depiction of what Joy could mutate into someday. It's better without that cheesiness.
My only lingering qualm is... when the heck did Lewis have time to impregnate Wren?!? They could not have been having sex when he was 99% shark, right?!? I suspended disbelief the whole way through, and could not get past this one last thing haha.
I took a chance on this book based on the intriguing description and I'm so glad I did! I'm a big fan of weird, dark books and surprisingly, this one was weird and...happy?! Ultimately, it's all about what it means to be a human and how all the mundane moments of daily life are what counts, not the big fancy accomplishments or material things that occupy so much of our mental energy.
It's fascinating to read others' reviews and see how people are interpreting the whole mutation into an animal thing. Lewis transforms into a great white shark, and as someone married to a person with depression, I read that mutation as being a metaphor for mental illness. Despite my mother dying of cancer, I didn't read it as a cancer metaphor like so many other readers did. I love that you can interpret the animal mutations any way you please--either way, humans are fallible, and life can throw all kinds of unexpected tragedies and traumas our way. What can we make of it when there's so much pain in the messy middle? How can we find joy?
At times, I found Lewis absolutely insufferable. He doesn't seem to see Wren as a whole person. Overall, Wren felt underdeveloped as a character despite being our protagonist. I LOVED the Angela section and by the end of it, I felt like I understood Angela more than Wren!
Sometimes it feels like this book is trying really hard to be deep, but I think sometimes it actually *is* deep. It may just depend on your mood when you read it.
Lastly, I'm glad there was no final scene where Wren and Joy meet Lewis in shark form, and no depiction of what Joy could mutate into someday. It's better without that cheesiness.
My only lingering qualm is... when the heck did Lewis have time to impregnate Wren?!? They could not have been having sex when he was 99% shark, right?!? I suspended disbelief the whole way through, and could not get past this one last thing haha.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Death of parent, and Alcoholism
gondorgirl's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Death of parent, Grief, and Medical content
Minor: Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Adult/minor relationship, and Pregnancy
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