A review by leahjanespeare
The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer E. Smith

emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I read Jennifer E. Smith's YA romances a decade ago and found them heartfelt and sweet stories -- they stood out in a genre I basically hated at the time, with the exception of Sarah Dessen. When I saw she had an adult debut I was so excited! Keep in mind, this is definitely in Gen Fiction category, it is not supposed to be a rom com like her ya tended to be. There's a side romance plot but the story is about Greta's self-growth and working through her mother's sudden death (off-page, before the story starts). It's about her unorthodox lifestyle as a musician, the complexities of parental acceptance, and her relationship with her dad. This takes place on an Alaskan cruise where she and the hot writer dude are almost the only ones younger than 50 - all of the side characters are fleshed out and memorable and quirky. I found my self chuckling a time or two.

While a prominent theme in this book is death and grief for a parent, and that might be triggering for some, I personally didn't get too emotionally tied to the situation and still felt removed enough to consider this a 'lighthearted' book. YMMV.
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