After reading reassuring reviews promising this book wasn't as weird as it sounded, I thought I'd give it a try. It begins with Lewis, a high school drama teacher, discovering he possesses a genetic mutation that will transform him into a great white shark in just a few months' time. His wife Wren, a pragmatic and no nonsense woman, attempts to handle the situation rationally and with a level head. The book then devolves into small vignettes of characters' orbiting Lewis and Wren's life: Wren's college lover Rachel, her mother Angela, a friend from the pool pregnant with birds. These vignettes are sometimes structured like scenes out of a play, or a poem, or just a few sentences. There's very little detail about this world the reader is propelled into. It reads like a magnifying glass quickly moving across a large map: once a place or person is brought into view, the author moves on to something else. My problem with "Shark Heart" isn't its creative plot, it's that the structure is too weak to generate any investment on the part of the reader. The lack of cohesion and continuity was jarring. The shark mutation also felt like too obvious a stand-in for the challenges couples face in life. Would recommend passing on this one unless you're a fan of experimental novels.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced copy of this title for a review.

I was skeptical of this title at first, but between all the positive buzz and beautiful cover art, I wanted to give it a try.

To call it a love story isn’t a complete picture. It’s definitely got some tragedy and grief associated as well. It’s wholly unlike anything I’ve read before, and I appreciated its uniqueness.

If you’re looking for an emotional read that’ll suck you in and really make you think, I suggest this one when it comes out in August!

"In the rare hopeful hour, I tell myself this darkness has a purpose: to help me recognize light if I ever find it again." - Lewis
"It seemed loving someone was not enough to keep them beside her (Wren)."

"Shark Heart" is a surprisingly beautiful debut novel. Love and loss, and the depth of those feelings, are explored in a most unusual story.

Wren and Lewis are newly weds living in Texas. Shortly after their wedding, Lewis is diagnosed with a mutation disease that will eventually transform him into a Great White Shark. Wren and Lewis remain deeply in love as they fight, and then face, the inevitable.

In the story, it is a known and accepted fact that some people will have the misfortune of mutating into another animal form. There are institutes that manage and treat these cases. But as with any life altering disease, medicine can't mitigate the damage to relationships and families affected.

The format of the novel vacillates between novel and play, with an occasional author's note. Sometimes the shift was clever, but often it just felt clunky. I think it would be a better story in more typical novel format, and that is the main reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5.

I dreaded reaching the end of this sweet and complex story. I came to love the characters deeply. I can't wait to see what Emily Habeck writes next!

Shark Heart. Let's discuss the title.

SHARK because one of our main characters and POV's begins to transform into a great white shark. This is not unusual to have a metamorphosis in this world, but to change into a great white shark is unusual. This particular transformation doesn't happen to many people. Lewis notices the change by some scaly skin that begins to form on his lower back. He goes to the doctors and they instruct him on what to expect.

HEART because this is a love story. A love story between Wren and Lewis (who becomes a shark). We are indulged in how they met and fell in love. We see the struggle and trials of loss that they know is coming when Lewis will be more shark than human and his needs of survival in salt water will supersede what life on land with Wren offers.

It is tragically sad to know the ending of his life as a human is near. How does one handle this loss? In unusual and the best each person can. This book is not REALLY about people changing into animals as the final thought, but more about how we handle change and loss in our lives. We all have different changes and losses that come at different times and we handle it differently.

This book offers a lot of food for thought that I will continue to reflect on the next few weeks!

Thank you to NetGalley and S&S/ Marysue Rucci Books for the advance e-copy of this book.

Based off the synopsis of a man turning into shark, I was expecting something quirky and weird. I was not expecting to ugly cry in public, but that’s where we ended up.

Lewis and Wren are newlyweds when Lewis receives the diagnosis that he will mutate into a great white shark. The process will take about a year, and we how Lewis and Wren’s relationships are affected both with one another and with those around them. We also get flashbacks to Wren’s childhood, and Wren’s mother’s early years.

I loved everything about this book, it is a gorgeously written debut that explores love and loss in such a unique and beautiful way.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of Shark Heart by Emily Habeck in exchange for my honest review.

What a weird and absolutely lovely story. Based on the description alone, I had my doubts I would enjoy this book. But a few other readers I trust said they loved this story, so I decided to give it a chance.

Shark Heart follows Lewis and his wife Wren as they navigate Lewis’ transformation into a great white shark. Sounds weird right? It is but at the same time, this metamorphizes where humans turn into animals seems to have been around for the past 60 years in the book’s universe, and my own mind used it as a metaphor for terminal diseases (i.e. cancer) and the coping families deal with.

Divided into four parts, I loved the unique way the story was told. Parts one and two are primarily from Wren and Lewis’ perspectives. While part three is mainly from Wren’s mother Angela’s perspective. Part four is a mixture, and while it might seem like each part is a separate story, it all ties together seamlessly at the end.

There are flashbacks woven into each of their narratives and some interesting side characters, who are coping with similar diagnosis. These along with Play Scripts sprinkled throughout the story really enhances the magical realism and dreamy atmosphere Habeck’s put together.

Regardless of how odd the synopsis makes this story sound, it’s beautifully written. These is so much love, heartbreak, and longing in these pages and I highly recommend it for anyone looking for something imaginative and lovingly written. I can’t believe this is a debut and can’t wait for more from Habeck.


Shark Heart comes out August 8, 2023. Huge thank you to S & S/ Marysue Rucci Books for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review, please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my instagram @speakingof.books.

SHARK HEART is wondrous and heartbreaking all at once. I was hooked from the very first page and devoured this book. I greatly admired the poetic and theatrical qualities to the novel. The author captures heartbreak, grief, goodbyes, life, and parenthood in such an encompassing, emotional and beautiful light. There were several moments where this story and its writing took my breath away. Halfway through the story, I was afraid I would be destroyed by the ending as someone who lives for happily every afters, but the author takes such good care of the readers' hearts! I couldn't be more pleased and at ease with the ending.

So looking forward to reading whatever the author may grant us with next. Much, much gratitude to S&S/Marysue Rucci Books for the digital advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is unlike anything I have ever read. I devoured it in one day. The short chapters helped keep me motivated to keep reading. Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy. I can’t wait to see what others think of this one. Hoping it will be a Book of the Month pick for August.

Thanks to S&S and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this title prior to publication. I heard about this book from Anne Bogel, and I haven't heard about it in too many other places. The plotting and format was so original, a love story about a young couple where the husband is in the process of mutating into a great white shark. I loved the commentary on trauma, grief, love, motherhood, and continual growing and transforming. Told in super short chapters ranging from plays to poetry to prose, the pages turn very fast as the story changes. What a thoughtful, strange story full of magical realism and heart! 4 stars.

Shark Heart is a wholly original, exceptionally lovely tale about love, loyalty, and loss. Lewis and Wren are newlyweds when they receive the shocking news that Lewis has a rare condition that will cause him to transform into a great white shark. The couple must grapple with the diagnosis, what it means for their marriage, and what will become of the rest of their lives.

This is magical realism at its finest, fantastical but somehow almost plausible. To me, this story is a clear metaphor for terminal illness, with Lewis’s condition seeming to mirror a stage 4 cancer diagnosis and another character’s condition evoking the slow descent of Alzheimer’s disease. Anyone who has been there with a loved one will recognize the devastation that accompanies diagnosis, the ensuing struggle to accept and adapt, the burden of treatment and caretaking, and the complex grief at the end. This story is simultaneously heartbreaking, uplifting, and achingly beautiful. It’s unlike anything I’ve read before and will stay with me for a long time.

Confession time: I chose this book solely based on the beautiful cover (it’s gorgeous, right?) and didn’t look at the synopsis at all. In retrospect, I’m glad I went in unprepared, as I wouldn’t have thought this story would be my thing and might have left it on the shelf. That would have truly been my loss, as this unusual and emotional story is easily one of my top reads this year. Many thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and Marysue Rucci Books for providing me an advance copy of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster/Marysue Rucci Books and the author for the advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

I know what you’re probably thinking…5 stars for a book about a man who turns into a shark? But hear me out. This book is certainly bold, unique - and even bizarre - but it is so much more than its outlandish premise.

Newlyweds Wren and Lewis are planning for their bright future of infinite possibilities. Wren is a pragmatist who works in finance and enjoys stability and consistency. Lewis is an idealist at heart and dreams of living in a treehouse and performing on Broadway but settles as a high-school drama teacher. Just months after their wedding vows, Lewis’ body begins changing and he is diagnosed with a rare mutation in which he will transform into a great white shark. It is an aggressive, rapid mutation and they have just a matter of months left to navigate this transition and make as many memories as they can.

We are also given generational flashbacks into Wren’s traumatic childhood as well as her mother’s tragic backstory. We get glimpses into her past relationship and her newfound friendship with a woman who is battling a mutation of her own. The love stories interweave themselves into beautiful, lyrical vignettes. I love how the author experimented with different types of prose - from screenplays to free verse poetry. It made for an ethereal reading experience.

You know from the get go that there will only be one outcome to this story and my heart must have shattered into a hundred pieces reading these chapters. However, the more prominent themes that I found throughout the book were of hope and joy after unspeakable loss, not taking a single moment of our one precious life for granted. It is a story of overcoming grief, embracing inevitable change and finding peace and happiness where you never thought you ever could or would. It explores the very depths of our humanity and social connection.

This book is sure to prove unforgettable and I recommend this to anyone looking for a deep, unconventional work of fiction.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The concept of the novel was disturbing and vaguely reminiscent of the film. The Lobster. I do love the characters and their resilience. The ending was everything.

I hope the novel becomes a film that stays true to the storyline. It would be amazing as the author's words so vividly portray the story.

Emily Habeck's Shark Heart touches on all the topics that make us human. The novel uses the stories of married couple Wren and Lewis and the story of Wren's mother, Angela, to explore love, grief, memories, and illness, writing with beautiful prose that jumps off of the page and into your heart. There were multiple times that I had to put the book down due the intense feelings it evokes. Habeck does not shy away from such tough topics, handling them realistically, forcing you to confront your own thoughts and values. Shark Heart is such a special and meaningful book that encourages you to grapple with the hard parts of being human with courage.

Shark Heart is the love story of Lewis and Wren and what happens to their love story when Lewis is diagnosed with the Carcharodon Carcharias Mutation. What that means is Lewis is slowly turning into a Great White Shark. And somehow, in Emily Habeck's hands, this not only works, it is absolutely beautiful.

We watch the couple grapple with questions like is there a way for them to be together after Lewis is a shark? How should they spend the time they have left together as two humans? How do we find joy amidst grief? Should we? We also go back in time to Wren's childhood and learn a whole lot about her mother and how mutations affected Wren's family long before Lewis. While I didn't want to be forced to look away from Wren/Lewis, I ultimately ended up becoming invested in the mother/daughter storyline as well.

This debut may sound really out there, but it doesn't read that way. It reads with so much accessibility and somehow does not feel outrageous. Rather, it feels true to life and familiar in unexpected ways. This is my kind of love story and I will be thinking on this one for a long time.

"What if magic is just mislabeled peace? A peace that says suffering doesn't have a purpose or reason. A peace that says meaning is the medicine. A peace that says I don't need to know how or why."

Shark Heart: A Love Story by Emily Habeck is exactly what the title promises, a love story. It's the closest I've come to a realistic love story, a love story colored by history, family and tragedy.

Lewis and Wren meet and find in eachother the missing pieces of themselves. Lewis has his head in the clouds and Wren is tethered to the ground. Together, their dreams are rooted but hopeful. That is, until Lewis is diagnosed with a rare mutation, a mutation that is slowly turning him into a dangerous Great White Shark. As you'd imagine, this throws their world a little bit off. While they come to terms with their new reality, we learn about their pasts and how they came to be the people they are in their marriage. The relationships between the men and women who raised them, particularly for Wren and her mother, become a central part of the story. In doing so, we come to understand the way they react to the end of their relationship as they understand it. For me, this is where the heart of the story lies, this is where the truth of the story lies.

I am a sucker for magical realism especially when it's heavy on the realism. Habeck created this world that was just a little bit off, just a little outside of what we know the world to be. Some people, for whatever reason, begin mutating into different animals. These mutations are treated as a disease, a terminal illness of sorts. It's a unique and whimsical approach to something tragic.

I am completely captivated by Habeck's style of writing. Her prose is poetic and everything, down to the story breaks, is thoughtful and engaging. She utilizes different styles -- playwriting, poetry, stream of consciousness -- and combined, they form something truly unique.

My heart broke for Wren and Lewis, but also for myself. So much of the story was relatable and I found parts of myself in both of them (and their mothers). And while my heart was breaking, I was also finding hope. Hope for love, hope for second chances, hope for whatever comes next.

Shark Heart: A Love Story is a story that will stay with me.

Strange and wonderful. So original and very moving. Really a novel about relationships with a quirky plot point.

I'm not sure what to make of this one. The central idea -- a love story affected by a man mutating in a great white shark -- is both creative and a source of true emotion, but I'm not sure what to do with the writing.

A first novel, it feels like it. Bits are overwritten and everything we're to feel gets stated boldly and explicitly. The two main characters (particularly Wren) are nearly perfect (Wren annoyingly so) and connecting becomes difficult at times. I struggled for a while.

But the weird thing: The book's divided into two large parts (with two other, smaller parts wrapping up the story at the end). Part One was a drag. The chapters are short, more a series of vignettes and explanations than a tradition narrative, which could have made it fly, but it just didn't work, primarily because of Habeck's writing. Part Two really flies and is absolutely captivating. I read this section more or less in one sitting, absolutely captured. The structure's the same, the prose is the essentially the same. The emotions feel more earned in this half, with more subtlety and more narrative build rather than just telling. After the crawl of the first half, it became a page-turner with enough sharp turns of phrase and character insight to necessitate breaking out the highlighter.

So...I was a sucker for part two? Grouchy for part one? Habeck just took a great idea but couldn't find her writing groove until halfway through?

I'm not entirely sure what I think of it. I enjoyed the use of weirdness to look at universal issues, and I'll be curious to see what she does next, even as I'm wary of the BIG writing moments of overearnestness (or, maybe more accurately, unearned and frequent moments of earnestness).

Read in one sitting, with my heart in my throat the entire second half - sometimes from joy and sometimes from sadness. Unique and daring and full of feelings.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review

Shark Heart
By Emily Habeck

I don't know how to describe this book. On the cover it is called a love story. It is that – but so much more. It could be a fantasy, or maybe science fiction, or even a bit of horror.

It is the story of a girl named Wren and a boy named Lewis who fall in love and get married. But their happiness is short-lived. Lewis has a disease which will cause him to mutate into a great white shark. The implausibility of this kind of mutation does not keep the reader from experiencing all the pathos involved. And from here, the story gets stranger and stranger.

And yet – the writing here is beautiful. The author makes you feel the love and loss and all the emotions experienced by her characters. While this book may not be for everyone, I am very glad to have read it. For any reader looking for something really new and different, I would recommend it.

Emily Habeck is brilliant! Shark Heart is a thrilling and immersive marine adventure that dives deep into the depths of the human spirit.