Shark Heart by Emily Habeck @EmilyHabeck @KarissaVacker @ShaunTaylorC @Soneela @SimonAudio

the setup…
Lewis and Wren Woodard are newly married, both realizing they truly are each other’s soulmates. But shortly after their wedding, Lewis gets a devastating diagnosis…his physical body is transforming into a great white shark. While these kinds of transformations aren’t unheard of, his particular type is rare. He will still have his memories and mental skills, but in all other respects he will become a shark, complete with its inherent nature.

the heart of the story…
This story feels special from the opening passages and I was completely unprepared for what follows. It’s an imaginary world where humans can transform into animals but all else is steeped in the realities of the human condition. Wren’s reluctance to let go as Lewis’s transformation progresses had me mindful of the same kind of mindset one has when a loved one is facing a terminal illness. Lewis teaches theater and began his career as a struggling actor before leaving New York and returning to Texas. Wren is a financial expert who is typically the stalwart in the relationship, Lewis the dreamer. You see their natures shifting as time starts to run out, their love for each other never wavering. The writing is beautiful, a lyrical fusion of prose, poetry and script, that completely masters the emotional trials and experiences. My heart alternately ached and soared with elation at times.

the narration…
I loved how the narrators handled the characters and the storytelling as it required every skill they had to do justice to the writing. They were perfection.

the bottom line…
I don’t have the eloquence to share the beauty of this story. Immediately upon finishing, I changed the category from contemporary to literary fiction as it gave me so much to contemplate, to reconsider to question…that’s what great writing will evoke. There’s an interesting story here, of course, but not the jaw dropping or mesmerizing drama…just ordinary people facing extraordinary issues in an everyday setting. I guarantee you will love Wren and Lewis, become transfixed in their journey and not be all consumed by his transformation itself but how it impacts them and those around them.

Book Info

• Release Date: August 8, 2024
• Narrators: Karissa Vacker, Shaun Taylor-Corbett & Soneela Nankani
• Audio Length: 7 hours, 47 minutes
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

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(Thanks to Simon & Schuster Audio for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)