Thank you @netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy. Shark Heart, A Love Story, is different from what I usually read, and I was pretty resistant. A young couple meets, falls in love, and then soon after they are married, things change. The husband feels strange, goes to the doctor, and is diagnosed with something that means he is slowly morphing into a shark. Yes, a shark. I kept reading, and it is really a love story. But the human to animal theme (he is not the only human that turns into some kind of animal, it is somewhat common thing in this alternate universe), was hard to get into. Overall, I’m glad I read it I think. #sharkheart #emilyhabeck #magicalrealism #manbecomesshark #debutnovel #netgalley #advancedreadercopy #bookstagram #booklover #reader #bookblog #lovetoread #fictionreader #bookreview #bookrecommendation #readersofinstagram #bookloversofinstagram #takeapagefrommybook #readallthebooks #booksbooksbooks #booksofinstagram #bookwormproblems #bookaholic #booknerd #whattoread #readingtime #bookaddict #ilovetoread #ilovebooks #needtoread #readallday

Shark Heart centers on Lewis and Wren, who are newlyweds when Lewis is diagnosed with a condition that is slowly turning him into a great white shark. We go back in time and learn about Wren and her relationship with her mother, as well as relationships with a previous ex-girlfriend and a woman pregnant with twin birds. This story really worked for me- I was not initially sure I could get behind this seemingly far fetched medical diagnosis, however it played very much like a couple dealing with any other fatal diagnosis. I appreciated their decisions and discussions on how to spend his remaining "human" time. The back story of Wren's upbringing shed much light on how she was dealing with her terminal husband. This is a beautiful story that I will think about for some time. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy.

I loved this one!!! So sweet and sad and magical and playful. I love how the author played around with writing styles, mixing up the narration with scenes as if written for a play. My heart broke but was also uplifted... such a great story!! Also wasn't expecting almost two stories in one, but I really enjoyed both parts and it didn't feel clunky at all which is impressive. Can't wait to read more from Emily Habeck!

What makes a human a human?

This is the kind of book that you either love or find mind-numbingly weird. It's a quick, relatively easy read in the sense that the chapters are short and the prose isn't overblown. The themes, of course, are much deeper. When do you have to force yourself to let go of someone you love? How do you cope with a loved one becoming something that's not only completely unrecognizable but also potentially dangerous? How do you know when you've made the most you possibly can of an untenable situation? How do you grieve someone who isn't exactly gone but is no longer accessible?

Yes, the premise of there turning out to be genes that turn humans into various animals is far-fetched, but the animal transformations were only a scaffold on which to build a whole story around loving and loving enough to let go. In the midst of all this animal transformation, we get a lot of familiar themes around domestic violence, found family, and friendships long and fleeting.

A huge thank you to the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Grab your scuba gear because it’s time to dive deep into this wildly unique debut, Shark Heart by Emily Habeck.

Told through gorgeous prose with moments of action-fueled play-styled scenes sprinkled throughout, Shark Heart is a story told in three parts. In the first part we meet newlyweds Wren and Lewis. After years of being together, mere weeks after tying the knot, Lewis learns that he is going through the early stages of Carcharodon carcharias mutation, and within the year he’ll transform into…a great white shark. The second part of the story is about Wren’s mother and those particularly transformative years of growing from child to teen to adult. The third part…well…you’re going to have to explore the depths(read the book, wink) to discover what lies beneath.

Curiosity fueled my desire to pick up this book. If you’re looking for answers to the questions of why & how, you won’t find that folded neatly within this story. What seems like a whimsical love story on the surface with the rather odd animal mutation in the mix, is actually a metaphorical way to explore love & loss and what makes humanity human. With a propulsive narrative, a great white shark sized bit of curiosity, and gorgeously written passages that will make your heart soar, you’ll fall in love with Wren, Lewis, Angela, George and all of the rest of the creatures great and small. Highly recommend you pack this one in your bag for the last beach trip of the summer!! I guarantee your skin will be warmed by the sun and your heart by this book.
Final rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read and review Shark Heart. It’s available now wherever books are sold.

While this book had some of the most beautiful, lyrical prose that I've read in a good while, it didn't quite hit the mark for me. I feel like the story went a little too fast (very short pages) and we didn't get enough time to see the characters develop enough. The jump in the middle to Angela's backstory threw me off and was almost like starting a whole new book after having following Wren and Lewis. The synopsis mentioned a woman pregnant with twin birds and I really thought that character would play a larger role in the story as well. I would still check out more from the author as her writing as beautiful and her ideas are original.

This is such a unique story! It’s worth all the hype. I encourage anyone who is considering it to read “Shark Heart”.

My sweet, fragile heart could barely handle this adorable story. What an interesting and unique spin on a love story. I was enamored by every character and their story. Well done!

I don’t really know how to describe this story. It was intriguing, heartbreaking and beautiful. I was quickly drawn to Wren and Lewis and their love story and ultimately, their heartbreak. This story was told in several timelines and perspectives that gives you different insights into the lives of Wren and Lewis- before, during and after the mutation takes place. If you are looking for something different that celebrates love and the life we have - this could be the book for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon Element for and advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Content warnings: relationship abuse, teenage pregnancy, alcoholism

This book was emotional, funny, quirky, and ultimately just a great read. I loved the different writing styles throughout, and Habeck truly made me want to read more.

I loved this book! When I read the summary I knew I had to read it. As a biology teacher I was intrigued by a mutation that turns someone into a great white shart. It's part romance, part fantasy and a lot of heart. I really enjoyed how unique it was and that it was an unconventional love story. Don't think too much about the science of it all and just enjoy the story.

Newlyweds Lewis and Wren are an unlikely couple. Lewis loves performing –– both in his personal life on the stage. He moved to New York in his early 20s to pursue his dream of becoming a Broadway actor. Wren is practical and had a hard time sitting through her first play.

Lewis draws up tree house sketches on anything he can find: old napkins, the backs of invitations, cardboard boxes and more. Wren wants to have an orderly house and is always trying to get him to organize his sketches. She even buys him a plastic file to organize them. Lewis appreciates the concept but never remembers to actually organize.

Oh, and Lewis is slowly turning into a great white shark.


In “Shark Heart,” by Emily Habeck, Lewis’ transformation takes place over the course of nine months. It’s not sudden like in Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis.” The mutation, Carcharodon carcharias, is just one of many known conditions in this magical realist world where people sometimes mutate into animals (it’s not explained in detail).

The unconventional plot hooks you in, but this book shines in capturing relationships: between Wren and Lewis, her new friend who is pregnant with twin birds (also a mutation), and her family. Lewis and Wren’s relationship is an ode to the way that vastly different people can fall in love with each other, and the story feels like an allegory for the ways a relationship changes when someone is diagnosed with a terminal medical condition. Wren slowly loses the man she loves, slowly at first and then all at once.

Fundamentally, Habeck’s debut isn’t just about a guy turning into a shark. So sci-fi/dystopian fans shouldn’t expect rich world building in that respect. It’s a story about generational trauma, breaking cycles, and loving people even, and especially, when it’s temporary. Wren and Lewis are doomed from the start, but readers will root for them against all odds.

Vibes and structure-wise, it reminds me of “Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow” by Gabrielle Zevin. “Shark Heart” has a beautiful cover and has a slower third quarter that deviates from the rest of the book but then you can’t stop reading it. It’s experimental and the narrative is intercut with scenes from a play based on the events of the book that Lewis is writing.

This debut novel has a voice you’ll be excited to return to each time you pick up the book and will miss when it’s over. It has all the elements to be the next big book on Bookstagram/Booktok. I can’t wait to see what Habeck has for us next.

this looked like an interesting read, and boy it was. very different story, about a newlywed who transforms into a shark. very interesting story.

I loved this book. It's hard to setup, or to convince people they will want to read it, but it's utterly captivating. I loved the world she built and the characters we get to know in this story. What a feat!

What an unusual and stunning book. Loved the take woven and how the author switched from a bit. Wonderful story of grief, love and caretaking. Beautiful!

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!

Best book of the year! What a lovely, lovely surprise. I devoured it and have been recommending to everyone I see.

Brilliant and heartbreaking. Poetic and visceral. I loved this slim novel. The author tackles loss, grief, and trauma in a gentle and accessible way. The prose was tight and Habeck played around with format in a way that added depth to the story of Wren and Lewis and Angela. Some people might say, "This is a book about a man who mutates into a shark," and it is, but it's also about so much more than that. It's about joy and how we can find it in even in the darkest pain. It's about caregiving and the toll it takes. And overall, it's a love story. I couldn't put it down and I'll be following Emily Habeck to see what she writes next.

This one was absolute magic. I had no idea what to expect and was kind of excited to read about a man turning into a great white shark, but still hesitant. I didn't know such a beautiful story would blossom from such an eccentric storyline.

The writing was beautiful and made me tear up at many points in the book. I also didn't expect the transformation to occur so soon in the book, and was nervous to see how the rest would play out, but I loved how it did.

There were so many beautiful and haunting stories contained in this one book and it felt like I was reading poetry. My only gripe with this book is that it did not have to waste so much paper by putting only one sentence on each page. Regardless, this was amazing and I am stunned by Emily Habeck!

#whynotwednesday
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Why not a novel about a newlywed couple, Wren and Lewis, who face the toughest of first year? Just weeks after they get married, Lewis receives a very rare diagnosis. While he will retain memories, thoughts and intellect, his body is slowly transforming into a Great White Shark. This first year will be their last together.
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Shark Heart, a debut novel by Emily Habeck was definitely a #bookstagrammademereadit when it hit the gram with high recommendations and praise for this very unique book. People have praised it’s sentimentality, funny and airy look at love, life and relationships.
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To me, it is one of those books that make me wonder, what did I just read? It is definitely unique and I enjoyed the look back on Wren’s life, which helped me to see her thought process as she went through her husbands transformation. I really admire Habeck’s imagination, which wove a love story with such a nonsensical premise in such a way I was believing it was possible.
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I am glad I read this, it still comes up in my conversations about books and I definitely recommended it to my daughter who is the biggest shark fan around. She might actually be excited about her partner turning into a shark.
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This shark transformation isn’t the only one in the book, Wren befriends a woman pregnant with bird twins at a clinic that treats and supports those afflicted with this condition. This adds more depth and interest to the story.