Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Shark Heart: A Love Story by Emily Habeck

14 reviews

samisreading's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Grief, Terminal illness, Body horror, Suicidal thoughts, and Medical trauma

theoceanrose's review against another edition

reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, Animal death, and Cannibalism

cait's review against another edition

reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Minor: Blood, Infidelity, Grief, Pregnancy, Body horror, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Physical abuse, Self harm, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Abandonment, and Terminal illness

dixiecarroll's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't to cry over a great white shark being lonely in the ocean. This was ultimately a portrait of grief and felt very much like a fever dream coping mechanism for someone who has experienced great and traumatic loss. This is a fast read - extremely easy to binge read in one sitting, but it is of the "weird" variety - duh. I recommend picking this up if you need to escape the reality of your own grief (or if you want to have a wild experience). 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, Death of parent, Grief, Terminal illness, Alcoholism, Animal death, Cannibalism, Blood, and Pregnancy

prestonpre's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Grief, Animal death, Chronic illness, Death of parent, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Blood and Confinement

Minor: Body horror

fkshg8465's review

emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Hard to say how I feel about this book. I think the closest I can get to it is that it’s bittersweet. Love lost, family lost, family created, love found, metamorphoses, letting go, hope - these are all the things the book is about. Dispute its many unresolved issues, the ending still provides a kind of unexpected closure. The only open question for me is whether or why or how Wren is a common denominator no one in the book considers. Three people in her life, two of whom she loved dearly, end up with illnesses that are presumably extremely rare. Yet she knows three such people. So what is she doing to be on the receiving end of that so many times?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Child death, Grief, and Physical abuse

kelseyr713's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This is one of the most beautiful, fascinating, and lyrical novels I've ever read. Highly recommended.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Grief, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Violence, Death of parent, Gore, Pregnancy, Animal death, Domestic abuse, and Blood

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Abortion

silversparkles50's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Medical trauma, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Blood

Minor: Death of parent and Pregnancy

cc_shelflove's review against another edition

emotional inspiring 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

4.0

”Would you like to be a family?” “Family. I thought it would never happen to me.”

This book was funky! I will definitely be on the lookout for the author’s next release. Wren’s husband is turning into a great white shark. 🦈 What if she can learn to scuba dive, so that she can stay with him forever? 🥺 You will get a lot of weird looks when describing the book you are reading to others, but honestly, it was so emotional and raw! At times I was confused why certain characters were being introduced, but as I kept reading the author revealed how their stories added to the overall plot. If you’re not sure at first, stick with it. This book was so well done. Loved loved loved it!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Domestic abuse, and Death of parent

Minor: Abortion and Violence

eviemayhem's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I chose this as my Book of the Month, unsure if I would like it. As someone who has both lost a child and has a turbulent relationship with my mother, the premise spoke to me and I'm so glad I gave it a chance. The book is beautifully written; lyrical and flowing like a river. It is hard to believe this is the author's first book. There were so many points where I wanted to cry, and at times I didn't want to finish because my heart was breaking for Lewis and Wren. As someone who lives with a chronic disease, it is easy to see the story fold out from both sides: Someone living with a disease that is changing them at their core and that they can't stop, and the person giving up themselves to take care of a loved one. 

Bring a box of tissues.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Pregnancy, Chronic illness, Medical content, Abandonment, Violence, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Confinement, and Death of parent

Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Ableism, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, and Pedophilia

I tried to get the content tags right, but some of these things are so nuanced, that medical trauma, medical content seemed the closest I could find.