Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Shark Heart by Emily Habeck

93 reviews

mmccombs's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful sad medium-paced

5.0

That was a hell of a debut! Going into this, I just could not imagine how this would work, the concept just a bit too weird to result in anything worth taking seriously, but Habeck balanced the fantastical element of human-to-animal mutations with an extreme amount of heart, tenderness, and humor. I loved the character work, Wren and Lewis and Angela were deeply fleshed out and felt very real. I was a little unsure when Part 2 left Wren to go back in time to Angela’s story, but I ended up loving her part just as much as the rest of it.  I think my only complaint is that the prose felt a bit overwritten at some points, like on the whole it was absolutely beautiful but sometimes it was just a bit much. But this was ingeniously crafted, wholly unique, and a testament to loving fully even when it can be lost.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Grief

Moderate: Abortion and Pregnancy

wreadaptation's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense fast-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

An emotional journey that left me wrecked but somehow guided me into a place of magic. This book resonated deeply with me on so many levels - as a daughter, a mother, a partner, and a friend. Habeck captures the complexity of life changes, grief, and abuse with metaphors that feel so vivid and raw.

Reading this book while navigating my own grief felt like it was heaven-sent. The story doesn’t shy away from the pain but instead weaves it into something both haunting and beautiful. It’s one of those rare books that truly understands the human experience, offering comfort and connection to anyone facing their own storms.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Grief, and Abandonment

mcgriddles's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny inspiring lighthearted 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? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Suicide attempt, and Murder

Moderate: Animal death, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent

Minor: Drug use, Gore, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

chelle22's review against another edition

emotional

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

rceparski's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief

Moderate: Domestic abuse

sarafinley's review against another edition

emotional fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Medical content, Grief, and Abandonment

lovelyandmorbid's review against another edition

emotional funny inspiring 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? Yes

4.0

Almost poetic, the defitintion of the fanfic tag "crack taken seriously", I thought it would be ridiculous then sad but its pretty upsetting the whole time and the humor comes out in small bits. Although completely different stories, tonally it reminded me of In the Dreamhouse, while that book achieves a lot more, this book feels like it cut from the same cloth in terms of style. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, and Medical trauma

ispeakpurple's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book was way better than it had any right to be for a book about a guy turning into a shark. The writing itself was so beautiful, but beyond that, the story was heartbreaking in the best way. It used the bizarre transformation into a shark as an exploration of mental illness, terminal illness, love, loss, the meaning of life, the meaning of death, and the frailty of human connection. It was funny and it was happy and it was melancholy and it was devastating and it was all of those things at the same time. This is possibly the best book I've read in years. It seems weird, but honestly, it's worth giving a try.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

dinahsaur's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

A gorgeous book about love and loss and hope with an unexpected premise that immediately drew me in. I love the people in this book. I felt each loss deeply. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness and Grief

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

Minor: Abortion

readstitchplan's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief

Moderate: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, and Medical content