Item: Shark Heart
Rating: 4.00
Author: quirkycat

by Emily Habeck

A gorgeous debut novel of marriage, motherhood, metamorphosis, and letting go, this intergenerational love story begins with newlyweds Wren and her husband, Lewis—a man who, over the course of nine months, transforms into a great white shark.

For Lewis and Wren, their first year of marriage is also their last. A few weeks after their wedding, Lewis receives a rare diagnosis. He will retain most of his consciousness, memories, and intellect, but his physical body will gradually turn into a great white shark. As Lewis develops the features and impulses of one of the most predatory creatures in the ocean, his complicated artist’s heart struggles to make peace with his unfulfilled dreams.

At first, Wren internally resists her husband’s fate. Is there a way for them to be together after Lewis changes? Then, a glimpse of Lewis’s developing carnivorous nature activates long-repressed memories for Wren, whose story vacillates between her childhood living on a houseboat in Oklahoma, her time with a college ex-girlfriend, and her unusual friendship with a woman pregnant with twin birds. Woven throughout this bold novel is the story of Wren’s mother, Angela, who becomes pregnant with Wren at fifteen in an abusive relationship amidst her parents’ crumbling marriage. In the present, all of Wren’s grief eventually collides, and she is forced to make an impossible choice.

A sweeping love story that is at once lyrical and funny, airy and visceral, Shark Heart is an unforgettable, gorgeous novel about life’s perennial questions, the fragility of memories, finding joy amidst grief, and creating a meaningful life. This daring debut marks the arrival of a wildly talented new writer abounding with originality, humor, and heart.

Book Summary:

Lewis and Wren may seem like an unlikely couple, but they are perfect for one another. So it is only a matter of time before they wed. Only fate does not seem inclined to give this perfect couple much time to create new memories.

Within a year of marriage, Lewis is diagnosed with a rare condition of sorts. Within the next few months, he will transform – literally. Each painful change will bring his body closer to that of a great white shark until there is no way to tell the difference.

My Review:

Huh. Shark Heart both was and wasn't the book I was expecting it to be. At first, I passed up on grabbing it, but when somebody described it as "adult Animorphs," I knew I had to try it. That said, I'm not sure that description quite meets the mark.

Yes, there is a transformation. And yes, it certainly is a more mature take on that side. But this felt more like contemporary literary fiction. Still, I enjoyed it, even if it did force all sorts of feelings on me.

If there's one thing I can say about Shark Heart, it's highly emotional. Lewis and Wren's story cuts to the quick. But theirs isn't the only story in this book. Each new story or revelation cuts deeper than the last. It made for a layered and emotional journey. In truth, I think I will need a bit more time to fully process everything.

Highlights:
Captivating and Emotional Telling
Contemporary Fiction
Magical Realism
Transformations

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Shark Heart

by Emily Habeck

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on Oct 16, 2023

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