There is no doubt that this is unusual. A unique take on the love story when Lewis, married to Wren, discovers that he is turning into a great white shark. In American author Emily Habeck's fictional world, this is not unprecedented. A Carcharodon Carcharias mutation which means that his days as drama teacher and husband to Wren are limited. Along the way we meet characters metamorphosing into other creatures, a pregnant woman Wren encounters at the swimming baths faces a non-human birth and facilities exist to support with transitions and if things do not go to plan, provide a humane final solution.
A number of potential readers may think this book is not for them. We can look at Lewis's change in a number of ways, suspend disbelief and take it for what it is or alternatively as a metaphor for illness, grief and loss. Take that too literally and it can come across as a little heavy-handed and I admit that during the first section I felt I may have made an error with such a reading choice. It's written in a calm, matter-of-fact style with a simplicity which feels at odds with the turmoils faced by these characters.
It is set in three parts, the first examines Lewis' change in terms of his relationship with his wife, the second delves into Wren's back-story and the third features Lewis adapting to what has happened to him. I can be quite resistant to books this left-field, it had echoes of last year's "Isaac And The Egg" by Bobby Palmer which found a lot of fans but which may or may not have been a metaphorical examination of grief but which did not totally convince this reader but here the author did something I wasn't actually expecting her to do – she drew me in and I began to care.
There's a tragi-comic element to Lewis' mutation but the tale of the woman having to cope with this tugs the heart-strings. It's easy to read but there is depth and an emotional attachment is formed between the characters and the reader.
This is a book which could take off, but it is one where word of mouth will be important because of its quirky subject matter. Early Good Read ratings suggest that people are getting behind this and buying into the craziness of the author's imagination and being able to relate it to own experiences and everyday existence. As a debut novel this is all quite impressive.
Shark Heart will be published by Jo Fletcher Books on 3rd August 2023. Many thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the advance review copy.
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