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A review by xangemthelibrarian
Julia and the Shark by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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
5.0
This book is the story of a girl watching her world unravel over the course of one short summer.
Julia, her parents, and cat Noodle travel to far North Ireland for her parents jobs. Her dad is a programmer tasked with automating a lighthouse and her mom is feverishly researching a Greenland Shark and ways it could cure dementia.
All seems well at first, but Julia's mom starts acting weird. And with every research grant rejection, she becomes more desperate to prove she can find the shark. How will Julia manage to help her mom when she isn't even allowed to go on the boat with her?
I was completely ready to go on a nautical adventure with this book. I was expecting a little bit of magic, and a journey of self-discovery alongside a quest to find the impossible.
I was not expecting the clear portrait of a parent struggling with Bipolar Disorder. Reading this as an adult, it is very very clear that Julia's mom is going through a manic episode, followed by the crash of a depressive episode. To Julia, who is only ten years old, she struggles to understand what is happening. She wonders if it's her fault because her mom gets irritable with her. Julia worries about her parents. She gets anxious when they fight and when they stress over money. And when she finally goes on her epic adventure to find the shark? It nearly kills her.
Where I was expecting a magical realism story, I got a very real and tender portrayal of a family trying to hold it together when one member is struggling with their mental health. It's a bittersweet ending and wonderfully wholesome.
Julia, her parents, and cat Noodle travel to far North Ireland for her parents jobs. Her dad is a programmer tasked with automating a lighthouse and her mom is feverishly researching a Greenland Shark and ways it could cure dementia.
All seems well at first, but Julia's mom starts acting weird. And with every research grant rejection, she becomes more desperate to prove she can find the shark. How will Julia manage to help her mom when she isn't even allowed to go on the boat with her?
I was completely ready to go on a nautical adventure with this book. I was expecting a little bit of magic, and a journey of self-discovery alongside a quest to find the impossible.
I was not expecting the clear portrait of a parent struggling with Bipolar Disorder. Reading this as an adult, it is very very clear that Julia's mom is going through a manic episode, followed by the crash of a depressive episode. To Julia, who is only ten years old, she struggles to understand what is happening. She wonders if it's her fault because her mom gets irritable with her. Julia worries about her parents. She gets anxious when they fight and when they stress over money. And when she finally goes on her epic adventure to find the shark? It nearly kills her.
Where I was expecting a magical realism story, I got a very real and tender portrayal of a family trying to hold it together when one member is struggling with their mental health. It's a bittersweet ending and wonderfully wholesome.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Dementia, and Mental illness