Name: Kenzi Linton's review of The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer E. Smith
Item: The Unsinkable Greta James
Rating: 5
Author: Kenzi Linton

Jennifer E. Smith

An indie musician reeling from tragedy and a public breakdown reconnects with her estranged father on a week-long cruise in this "pitch-perfect story about the ways we recover love in the strangest places" (Rebecca Serle) from bestselling author Jennifer E. Smith. Greta James's rise to indie stardom was hard-won. Before she graced magazine covers and played to sold out venues, she spent her girlhood practicing her guitar in the family garage, full of big dreams and determination. Her first fan was her mother, Helen, who always encouraged Greta to follow her heart. But her father, Conrad, was less supportive; he saw only a precarious road ahead for his daughter, and always pushed her to make more practical choices. Greta has spent her life trying to prove him wrong. And she's succeeded beyond even her own wildest dreams. But a week after her mother's sudden death, and just before the launch of her high-stakes sophomore album, she completely falls apart on stage. The footage quickly goes viral, and she stops playing, her career suddenly in the exact kind of jeopardy her father always predicted. Months later, Greta--still heartbroken and humiliated and trying to find a way back to her music--reluctantly agrees to accompany Conrad on the week-long Alaskan cruise her parents had booked to celebrate their fortieth anniversary. It could be their last chance to heal old wounds and forge a new relationship in the wake of such loss. But the trip will also prove to be a voyage of discovery for them both, as well as for Ben Wilder, a historian also struggling with a major upheaval in his life. As Greta works to build back her confidence, and Ben confronts an uncertain future, they find themselves relying on each other to make sense of life's difficult, unexpected choices. In the end, Greta must face the biggest challenge of all: can she find a way to listen to the song within her while also making peace with those who love her?

The Unsinkable Greta James

Heba Ayachi

An indie musician reeling from tragedy and a public breakdown reconnects with her father on a weeklong cruise in this “pitch-perfect story about the ways we recover love in the strangest places” (Rebecca Serle) from bestselling author Jennifer E. Smith. 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.

A Novel

Kenzi Linton

This book makes me want to go to a cruise on Alaska even more! I loved reading this so much. It made me smile and it made me tear up at times. I loved the ending and how open it is (which is funny as normally that makes me mad). A fast paced read and as of right now, my favorite book I’ve read this month. Honestly, everyone needs to read this.

Elizabeth Wood

A sweet, uplifting, and enjoyable read. It’s not what I expected going into it (I kind of thought maybe a daisy jones vibe), but this was not it at all. It’s a fun romance with the heavier themes of dealing with loss tucked in. 

Would recommend to anyone who enjoys reading YA books as this was very clean and wholesome. 

Also, I rounded up to 4 stars because 3 wasn’t enough.

Victoria

See, I added this to my TBR thinking that it was going to be a romance novel. But, I was heavily mistaken. 

Didn’t really care much for any of the characters. The “drama” was stupid (seriously, it was and while reading, I was like, “jfc that’s it??? That’s the problem????). The romance was almost non-existent. And the ending was an absolute meh. 

I don’t know. I think this is more of a me problem cause it really was not what I was expecting and maybe if I went into this without any expectations, I would have had a better reading experience. Regardless, didn’t really enjoy this one.

Kristen Claiborn

I sat at my computer yesterday, ready to write a review or two, but I was completely blank. Now, I am a woman who works with words on a regular basis, so when I run across a day, hell even a moment, that my words refuse to show up, I don’t know what to do. I’m completely lost without my words. It’s terrifying. There are many people who rely on their words to make a living that suggest pushing through a writer’s block and just write ANYTHING. I tried that, but then I read what I wrote and it was utter garbage. It turned into a cycle of typing, BACKSPACE, typing, BACKSPACE…and at the end of the day I was still looking at a blank page. At that point I closed my laptop and did what I always do: I read. 
	I’ve been on the struggle bus with books lately. It has felt like every recent release that I’ve read has just completely missed the mark with me, and I’ve been frustrated. I ended up reading a string of books that are 20 years old just to get me through this reading slump. Is it possible that 2020 not only affected everybody’s health, but also every author’s ability to write a compelling story??? Then I got this book off of a library hold. I knew nothing about this book before I started, and honestly, the title didn’t really have me excited. I was sorta afraid I was about to read another Titanic story. While this one also takes place on a boat (ship?), it stays above water and nobody dies. 
	There are quite a few people that understand what it’s like to know your parents favor one of their other kids. It hurts. As the not favorite child, we try as hard as we can to live our best lives and hope our parents will eventually be proud. Deep down we know we won’t likely achieve the level of pride the favorite brings, but we still try…and we hope that our parents will love us and show up for us anyway. For Greta, she had to sequester her father on an Alaskan cruise to get the answers she needed from her dad. Following the death of her biggest fan, her mom, she fell apart (who wouldn’t?). She made a spur of the moment decision to join her dad on the cruise they had planned to celebrate their anniversary; an epic trip to Alaska. On the cruse, she connects with her father in ways she had never been able to before, and she discovers pieces of herself she was previously unaware of. 
	This book is a bit of a coming of age story and a bit of a redemption story. I couldn’t put it down. It literally (LOL) consumed me until I was able to get to the end. While I wasn’t entirely happy with the ending, I wasn’t Unhappy with the ending. I can’t dig into my reasons without giving much of the story away, and I really don’t want to give the story away. It’s a wonderful story, full of self-exploration and realization, tears of joy and heartache, and characters that made me want to reach through the pages and give them a hug (and I hate hugs). Read this book.

Samantha Cherry

This book was a rare 24 hour read for me. I started it at 8pm and ended up reading until 1:30am which was not smart on my part because I was exhausted the next day, BUT it was worth it. 

This book centers in musician Greta James - who I pictured as a mix between Alanis Morissette and Phoebe Bridgers. On the eve of her sophomore album release, she finds herself experiencing an impossible time after the sudden loss of her mother. A video of Greta having a complete breakdown on stage during her first attempted performance back after her mother’s passing goes viral and she goes on a prolonged break from music. Basically pausing her career and thus her life. 

Meanwhile, her father is also deeply struggling. He is booked to go on an Alaskan cruise that he was supposed to take with Greta’s mother. And while Greta is on break from touring, her brother pushes her to join her father, taking her mother’s place on the trip. 

What follows is an exploration of grief, tough parent relationships, and the age old questions of “what do I actually want in this life?” and “am I actually ready?” Two of my personal favorites to explore through a book. There’s also a love story that made my little romance lover heart happy too. 

Final Verdict: this was a wonderful and quick read that is full of sweet moments that break your heart and warm it at the same time. I found myself crying through the entirety of one particular chapter. I would recommend! 🚢

I always like books that have a musician/celebrity element to them, and this was no exception. I thought the story was interesting, and Smith's writing was engaging and easy to digest. I read most of this in one sitting because it was so fast-paced. I liked how the romance between Greta and Ben took a backseat, and the story focused more on Greta and her relationship with herself and her father. They have such a rocky relationship, and there were so many awkward moments between them as they tried to piece together this new dynamic without the glue that held them together. It was heartwarming seeing them eventually come together into something that may not be perfect yet but has all the makings of it. I also liked watching Greta come into her own and decide what she wants out of life. Overall, I thought Smith did a lovely job balancing the heavier topics such as grief and healing with sweet humor that made for a delightful read.

Heather Harrington

Gretas Musikkarriere steht auf dem Spiel: Kurz nach dem plötzlichen Tod ihrer Mutter hat sie einen Zusammenbruch auf der Bühne. Greta ist alles zu viel. Doch ob eine gemeinsame Auszeit auf See mit ihrem Vater Conrad die Lösung ist? Ähnlich geht es Ben Wilder, den Greta an Bord kennenlernt. Auch er steht an einem Scheidepunkt in seinem Leben. Diese Reise durch die atemberaubende Natur Alaskas wird alle drei für immer verändern. Aber werden sich Greta, ihr Vater und Ben trauen, ihren tief vergrabenen Träumen zu folgen?

    Eine wundervolle Beziehungsgeschichte, die einfühlsam erkundet, was es bedeutet, seiner Leidenschaft und seinen Träumen zu folgen

    Greta und ihr Vater auf der Suche nach Versöhnung: Können sie auf einer gemeinsamen Schiffsreise durch die unendliche Weite Alaskas die Wogen glätten?

Heba Ayachi &
The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer E. Smith

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Heba Ayachi &The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer E. Smith

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Heba Ayachi &
The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer E. Smith