Review: The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer E. Smith
What’s your reader catnip? Mine is any book set in Alaska. While I loved Daisy Jones and the Six, I don’t always love books centered on musicians. Don’t ask me why, it’s just not something I gravitate towards. But when I saw that The Unsinkable Greta James was set on an Alaskan Cruise…I changed my tune. I read this book over a weekend in just a couple of hours and I really enjoyed it. It’s definitely heavy at points but I also loved the melancholy tone. I picked it up the right time for me! The ending had me in tears.
Synopsis:
“Right after the sudden death of her mother—her first and most devoted fan—and just before the launch of her high-stakes sophomore album, Greta James falls apart on stage. The footage quickly goes viral and she stops playing, her career suddenly in jeopardy—the kind of jeopardy her father, Conrad, has always predicted; the kind he warned her about when he urged her to make more practical choices with her life.
Months later, Greta—still heartbroken and very much adrift—reluctantly agrees to accompany Conrad on the Alaskan cruise her parents had booked to celebrate their fortieth anniversary. It could be their last chance to heal old wounds in the wake of shared loss. But the trip will also prove to be a voyage of discovery for them both, and for Ben Wilder, a charming historian, onboard to lecture about The Call of the Wild, who is struggling with a major upheaval in his own life. As Greta works to build back her confidence and Ben confronts an uncertain future, they find themselves drawn to and relying on each other.
It’s here in this unlikeliest of places—at sea, far from the packed city venues where she usually plays and surrounded by the stunning scenery of Alaska—Greta will finally confront the choices she’s made, the heartbreak she’s suffered, and the family hurts that run deep. In the end, she’ll have to decide what her path forward might look like—and how to find her voice again.”
What I Liked:
The Setting—If there is Alaska mentioned, I’m almost always there. And since I’m not as brave as Calla Fletcher (from The Simple Wild) I think an Alaskan Cruise is as close as I’ll get the beauty of the land. I haven’t read a book set on a cruise…ever? It was fun! Plus I thought Smith captured the sweeping nature of the scenery of Alaska.
The Portrayal of Grief and Parent/Child Relationships—This story is centered on grief and and specifically, how grief impacts a nuclear family. I found it to be simple and true, entirely relatable and gave me a lot to think about.
The Tone—I enjoyed the overall tone of this story. It wasn’t a romance, which is what I generally read, but it had some of the qualities of romance that I love, like self discovery and intimate confidences that allow the characters to grow.
What Didn’t Work For Me:
The Pacing of the “Reveal”—There’s a “big reveal” and I didn’t vibe with the mystery surrounding it. I didn’t find it to be shocking, but I don’t know if it was supposed to be shocking. It was more something Greta had to come to terms with, but it felt like we were waiting to found out “what happened before” if that makes sense.
Content Warnings:
Cancer, Loss of a Parent, Grief, Marital Separation