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

hopeful reflective sad medium-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? Yes

4.0

Wren saw 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. 

This is a lot like one of my favourite movies, The Lobster, in the way that it uses the magical realism aspect of humans turning into animals as a vehicle to discuss relationships, love and the overall human condition. I thought this book was unbelievably beautiful. It broke my heart at times, of course, but I still ended the novel with a heart that felt full. Really appreciated the extended metaphor of mutations/animal transformations as a way of exploring terminal illness and the way in which such diagnoses can impact the individual and their extended relationships. Apparently this is a debut? Very impressed by that fact omg.