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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
brynhayes's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Alcohol
chasingpages1'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
hannely's review
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcohol
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
kelly_e's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Title: The Unsinkable Greta James
Author: Jennifer E. Smith
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 3.75
Pub Date: March 1, 2022
T H R E E • W O R D S
Light • Touching • Refreshing
📖 S Y N O P S I S
In the wake of her mother's death, wracked with grief, Greta has a breakdown on stage during a performance, one that goes viral and leads to her refusing to play again. With her career in jeopardy, her brother convinces her to accompany their father on an Alaskan cruise her parents had booked to celebrate their fortieth wedding anniversary. Greta and her father don't exactly see eye to eye, and this could be the chance to heal old wounds.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I was initially drawn to the distinct cover, and after reading the synopsis, was intrigued by the grief aspect. I went into it with the expectation that it'd be a highly emotional read, and it really wasn't.
What I like:
• Alaskan setting. The vivid imagery of Alaska and Glacier Bay really brought the natural beauty to life. I felt as though it was the ideal location to choose in order to mirror the plotline of grief. The cruise setting was something I liked in general.
• exploration of grief. One of the things this novel does really well is explore the concept of grief. It takes on a heavy topic is a lighthearted way that works. It offers various perspectives, demonstrating how grief journeys are different for each person, and how each must move through in their own manner.
• the father/daughter relationship. The tension. The healing. The relationship itself. I wish more books focused on the father/daughter relationship.
What I didn't like:
• the father/daughter relationship. I wanted so much more of this part of the book, and wish it had been the main focus.
• the romance. The relationship between Greta and Ben felt unrealistic, surface level, and wholly un unfinished. I'd have preferred if this portion of the book had been left out completely. It just didn't feel necessary and became the main plotline, which disappointed me.
• lack of depth. Aside from Greta, I didn't get to know the characters as much as I would have liked. I wanted more background, more communication, more of her mother. I feel there was so potential and the story just didn't go that way.
The Unsinkable Greta James is a solid exploration of grief, family and healing. It just wasn't everything I wanted it to be. I understand why it was such a hit in 2022, and still recommend it to readers.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• anyone in need of break from heavier plots
• readers who enjoyed The Float Plan and/or One Italian Summer
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Maybe the point isn't always to make things last. Maybe it's just to make them count."
"It’s a particularly strange kind of loss, when something you don’t think you even want gets taken away from you."
Author: Jennifer E. Smith
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 3.75
Pub Date: March 1, 2022
T H R E E • W O R D S
Light • Touching • Refreshing
📖 S Y N O P S I S
In the wake of her mother's death, wracked with grief, Greta has a breakdown on stage during a performance, one that goes viral and leads to her refusing to play again. With her career in jeopardy, her brother convinces her to accompany their father on an Alaskan cruise her parents had booked to celebrate their fortieth wedding anniversary. Greta and her father don't exactly see eye to eye, and this could be the chance to heal old wounds.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I was initially drawn to the distinct cover, and after reading the synopsis, was intrigued by the grief aspect. I went into it with the expectation that it'd be a highly emotional read, and it really wasn't.
What I like:
• Alaskan setting. The vivid imagery of Alaska and Glacier Bay really brought the natural beauty to life. I felt as though it was the ideal location to choose in order to mirror the plotline of grief. The cruise setting was something I liked in general.
• exploration of grief. One of the things this novel does really well is explore the concept of grief. It takes on a heavy topic is a lighthearted way that works. It offers various perspectives, demonstrating how grief journeys are different for each person, and how each must move through in their own manner.
• the father/daughter relationship. The tension. The healing. The relationship itself. I wish more books focused on the father/daughter relationship.
What I didn't like:
• the father/daughter relationship. I wanted so much more of this part of the book, and wish it had been the main focus.
• the romance. The relationship between Greta and Ben felt unrealistic, surface level, and wholly un unfinished. I'd have preferred if this portion of the book had been left out completely. It just didn't feel necessary and became the main plotline, which disappointed me.
• lack of depth. Aside from Greta, I didn't get to know the characters as much as I would have liked. I wanted more background, more communication, more of her mother. I feel there was so potential and the story just didn't go that way.
The Unsinkable Greta James is a solid exploration of grief, family and healing. It just wasn't everything I wanted it to be. I understand why it was such a hit in 2022, and still recommend it to readers.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• anyone in need of break from heavier plots
• readers who enjoyed The Float Plan and/or One Italian Summer
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Maybe the point isn't always to make things last. Maybe it's just to make them count."
"It’s a particularly strange kind of loss, when something you don’t think you even want gets taken away from you."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Death, Alcohol, and Death of parent
Minor: Cursing
partner deathjessgreads's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- 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
4.25
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⬜
Title: The Unsinkable Greta James
Author: Jennifer E. Smith
Genre: Fiction
Setting: Alaska / Cruise Ship USA
Month Read: March 2022
Book Type: Hardcover
Publication: 2022
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Pages: 320
TRIGGER WARNING-
Grieving / Death / Strained Family Relationships / Alcohol / Sex
"It’s a particularly strange kind of loss, when something you don’t think you even want gets taken away from you."
No Spoiler Summary:
The Unsinkable Greta James is a contemporary fiction novel about music star Greta mourning the very recent death of her Mother. She gets guilted into taking a cruise that her mother had planned with her estranged father and several of her parents' close friends. Both Greta and Dad have a lot of grief, both for the woman who is no longer there, and the relationship they haven't been able to salvage between themselves.
While being stuck on a boat (ship?), Greta also has to deal with her floundering career. Will she be able to play guitar again after the last show she did several months ago? Will her sophmore album happen after so many delays? Will she regain the confidence she used to have?
The Unsinkable Greta James is about family bonds, but also about being true to yourself along the way.
Review:
I'm a fan of Jennifer E. Smith's teen novels, which I grew up reading--- and her jump to adult fiction was breathtaking. The characters, the setting, some of the lines in this book were so well done that I couldn't help stopping and taking photos to share. I was a little surprised to find this book was less about her relationship with her Mom (unlike Crying in H Mart and One Italian Summer) and more about her relationship with her Dad.
I loved the plot about her career, and how getting back into it was really hard for her to do. Performing is so difficult, and it seems like Greta had a relatively easier time getting to where she is, and it's almost nice to see this weird struggle she never could have seen coming. I thought it was really interesting, and also so relatable in so many ways.
I loved that the romance was a back burner subplot, but selfishly I wanted more. (A Sequel!? Please?) I loved that the book stayed about Greta, and not how Greta related to anyone else in her spaces (with the exception of her Dad.) I also loved how similar she and her Dad are, but how much they just couldn't see past themselves to see that about each other. I also 100% WEPT at the end. I cried quite a few times during this book because some moments were just incredibly heart wrenching.
I highly recommend this novel if you haven't read it already. It's moving, and fun, and just a great book to curl up with for a day or two and breeze through. Have some tissues ready if you're anything like me. It's a good cry.
See more reviews at: https://jessgreads.wixsite.com
"...being told by pretty much everyone that it was too much of a long shot, this dream of hers, as if dreams were meant to be reasonable."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death of parent
Moderate: Sexual content and Alcohol
caseythereader's review
emotional
funny
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? Yes
4.0
Thanks to Random House for the free copy of this book.
- THE UNSINKABLE GRETA JAMES is a meditation on grief and love that somehow feels both breezy and substantive at the same time.
- I read this entire book in less than 24 hours, if that gives you any indication as to how quickly it draws you in.
- This book is funny and farcical, serious and painful. I loved it very much and will be thinking about it for a long time to come.
- THE UNSINKABLE GRETA JAMES is a meditation on grief and love that somehow feels both breezy and substantive at the same time.
- I read this entire book in less than 24 hours, if that gives you any indication as to how quickly it draws you in.
- This book is funny and farcical, serious and painful. I loved it very much and will be thinking about it for a long time to come.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death of parent, Grief, and Alcohol
Minor: Vomit
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