Shark Heart

Lewis and Wren get married, and a few weeks after their marriage Lewis is diagnosed with a condition in which he transforms into a great white shark.

What else can I say about this story? Author Emily Habeck includes scenes written as a play, conversations that read almost like blank-verse poetry, and, yes, a story where a man changes into a shark.

I imagine that either you are like me (loved to see where this was going to take me) or you are not (ridiculous premise), so you will either embrace the story or reject it from the onset.

This book made me SO SAD, but it was SO GOOD. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because I really wanted to hold onto the story or Wren and Lewis. While I really enjoyed getting some background on Wren's parents (and that whole thing), I really felt a mounting drama in the primary story that was interrupted with the background. I didn't feel that the energy caught on the same way when the story resumed.

The story and its conclusion were so interesting and heartbreaking. It was so unique and captured some of the most vulnerable parts of the human soul. It's raw, new, and it will make you want to hold onto everyone you love tightly.

This is definitely the most beautifully-written book about a man involuntarily transforming into a shark that I have ever read.

But seriously, there was so much to love about this book. I've always been interested in stories of metamorphosis, body horror, and what it means to be human, and this is the best one I've read in a while. A unique premise, lovely prose, and I think the cover design is great as well. It's hard to believe this is the author's debut. I hope to read more from her in the future. I'll be thinking about this one for a while.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon Element for the advance reader copy!