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tamaralh7's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death of parent
kerosenelit's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This one will pull on your heartstrings! Three months after the loss of her mother, an Alaskan cruise forces indie singer-songwriter Greta James to address the fragile relationship with her father.
Filled with beautiful excursions and glimpses of wildlife, the backdrop of Alaska (and the ship) was amazing. It's not a pleasant trip for Greta, though, and I loved the interesting combination of her restless emotions intertwined with such a peaceful setting.
I tend to dislike reading about famous characters, mostly because of the totally unrelatable drama that comes with it. But the stardom surrounding Greta was more subtle. Her humbleness was so endearing! I loved reading about her career and ultimately how her mother's death had impacted her performance.
And if you're like me and love a dose of romance in your read, there's an absolutely adorable one here with a nerdy historian dealing with his own misfortunes.
I wanted just a tad more from the ending—one more chapter, please and thank you—but overall this was a winner!
(heat level: closed door)
Filled with beautiful excursions and glimpses of wildlife, the backdrop of Alaska (and the ship) was amazing. It's not a pleasant trip for Greta, though, and I loved the interesting combination of her restless emotions intertwined with such a peaceful setting.
I tend to dislike reading about famous characters, mostly because of the totally unrelatable drama that comes with it. But the stardom surrounding Greta was more subtle. Her humbleness was so endearing! I loved reading about her career and ultimately how her mother's death had impacted her performance.
And if you're like me and love a dose of romance in your read, there's an absolutely adorable one here with a nerdy historian dealing with his own misfortunes.
I wanted just a tad more from the ending—one more chapter, please and thank you—but overall this was a winner!
(heat level: closed door)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Grief
jadehusdanhicks's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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
3.0
Moderately short and fast paced this is a unique book of grief, growth and family reconnecting.
Following greta and her dad Conrad on a cruise that was meant to be her parents anniversary, we see them battle each other and their grief. Despite being a cheap shelf filler for me I was happily surprised at how well written this was and how connected I felt to Greta as she worked through her grief.
The additional plot of self-discovery for Greta was also really wholesome and made it feel very full circle to getting back to where she was with her work and music from before her mom suddenly passed away.
Following greta and her dad Conrad on a cruise that was meant to be her parents anniversary, we see them battle each other and their grief. Despite being a cheap shelf filler for me I was happily surprised at how well written this was and how connected I felt to Greta as she worked through her grief.
The additional plot of self-discovery for Greta was also really wholesome and made it feel very full circle to getting back to where she was with her work and music from before her mom suddenly passed away.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Alcohol, Death of parent, and Vomit
mj_86's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death of parent
aqtbenz's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Death of parent
passionatereader78's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Beautiful story of a father and daughter grieving the one person they never thought they would loss. Greta is a star! She loves her dream job, but it's not the same since she lost her favorite person in the world. She decides to go on a cruise to support her father. Jennifer did a great job telling this beautiful story of misunderstandings and miscommunications.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, and Death of parent
Father/daughter relationship, grief, cruise, Alaska, Iceberg, husband's grief, daughter's grief, musician, Indie Starchasingpages1's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Grief, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, and Infidelity
marpaige's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Grief
theonlybaillie's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Starting the year off with a bang! 😁
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death of parent
Minor: Alcohol, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
onemorepagecrew's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I picked up The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer E. Smith at a second-hand bookstore on a whim and sank into while I was off work for the new year. It was such a touching book, and I loved reading it. In it we meet Greta, an indie rockstar who is taking a break from touring to process the loss of her mother.
She’s taking an Alaskan cruise with her father, the one her mother is supposed to be on celebrating their wedding anniversary, to help them both process their grief together. Greta and her father don’t see eye-to-eye on her career choice and without her mother there to diffuse their tension, it leaves them navigating their new dynamic.
Also on the ship are her parents’ best friends and a historian, Ben, who she meets on the ship and forms an instant connection with. Greta is working through her relationship choices, her feelings for Ben, and trying to reconnect with her love of music. The grief is present, but it’s only part of the story. There’s so much more to it and I really encourage you to read it, if you enjoy books with wistful sadness with a hopeful undertone.
Content warnings: Death of parent, Grief
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death of parent