A review by karina_dreamsinwords
Shark Heart: A Love Story by Emily Habeck

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

Every now and then a book comes along that ends up surprising me with how much I absolutely adored it. This strange little novel has managed to burrow itself into my heart with its beautiful prose and introspective nature.

Shark Heart follows newlyweds Wren and Lewis as they navigate life after Lewis’ life altering diagnosis where he turns into a great white shark over the course of nine months.

I KNOW what you’re thinking, because I thought it too before picking this up. “Why would I want to read a book like that?” Well my friend, that’s because this is more than just that.. it’s a tale of marriage, motherhood, metamorphosis & letting go.

We see Wren care for Lewis is ways that display true love, as she has to learn to care for him during his transition. The love between the two never falters and watching Wren do everything she can for the love of her life was beautiful, heart wrenching, yet inspirational at the same time.


”The surface of love was a feeling, but beyond this thin layer, there was a fathomless, winding maze of caverns offering many places to see and explore. Wren used to think romantic passion only grew more intense in the depths. But this belief was naive and impractical, a by-product of a certainty-obsessed culture that equates love with longing and views ambivalence as a fatal flaw.

Wren saw that now how passion was delicate and temporary, a visitor, a feeling that would come and go. Feelings fled under pressure; feelings did not light the darkness. What remained strong in the deep, the hard times, was love as an effort, a doing, a conscious act of will. Soulmates, like her and Lewis, were not theoretical and found. They were tangible, built.”


I had to share the whole scene to showcase the absolute beauty that Habeck brings forth through these pages. This story. These characters.

The author managed to weave together this story so beautifully. I am in awe at this debut, how this all came together and how much this story touched me. The exploration of motherhood, love and hope was done so well. I applaud Habeck’s creative genius for delivering such a strange novel that has so much heart at its core. I know I’ll be revisiting this book to relive this story again.💙
Expand filter menu Content Warnings