Book Review: The Unsinkable Greta James

This spoiler-free book review of The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer E. Smith covers everything you need to know about this emotional, relationship fiction novel. I share book club questions for The Unsinkable Greta James, frequently asked questions, a brief synopsis, favorite book quotes, books that have a similar vibe, and other books by Jennifer E. Smith.

Content warnings: Grief, death mentioned, cancer mentioned

Thank you to the author and Ballantine Books for gifting me this complimentary book. My review reflects my honest thoughts.

The Unsinkable Greta James Book Review / Summary

• ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: She Reads

The Unsinkable Greta James is an emotional fiction novel about music and reconnection—with loved ones and yourself.

It’s about how we cling to what we love in the midst of grief and find ourselves again, carrying with us all the ways we’ve changed and grown and hurt. Even so, we find a way to mend and embrace a fresh start.

Indie Stardom

This women’s fiction novel follows a talented and recently popular indie musician, Greta James, who’s at an interesting point in her career. She’s worked hard to achieve an impressive level of indie stardom.

Just when she’s about to round the corner of sold-out venues and magazine cover photoshoots, her mother who was her biggest fan, Helen, suddenly dies, sending Greta down a spiral of creative blocks, identity crisis, fear of failure, and loneliness like she’s never known.

A video of her breaking down on stage shortly after her mother’s death goes viral, and she’s not sure her career will ever recover.

Greta’s Relationships

One of the realities Greta is forced to face in the wake of her mother’s sudden death is her strained relationship with her father, Conrad, who’s never understood her decision to chase her dream career as a musician.

In an effort to step away from her life and everyone’s expectations, heartbreak and guilt drive her to say yes to a week-long Alaskan cruise with her emotionally distant father—the same cruise Conrad and Helen were planning on to celebrate their fortieth anniversary.

On the cruise, Greta meets Ben Wilder, a historian and writer who is also struggling with his current reality. As the cruise continues on and even long after, Greta learns to open herself to renewed relationships, heal, and ground herself in the simple love of playing music, which was always inside her.

My Thoughts on The Unsinkable Greta James

I adored parts of this book. As far as books about grief go, this one is a pretty sweet one. Jennifer Smith can write a powerful, complex main character! Even though Greta’s life trajectory is so different from most people’s, her basic fears and desires are so clear on the page.

As a reader, you really feel connected to her, and you root for her happiness.

Her relationship with her father was heartbreaking, and her meandering dating life had so many twists and turns I think a lot of readers will be able to relate to.

I loved how layered her emotions were about her mother, her father, her ex, and her music. The creative burnout, the humiliation of messing up—or really, not being perfect—and the fear of being misunderstood, even from her fans, was so fascinating to see.

The Setting

The setting in Alaska was absolutely perfect. The scenes where they are sightseeing were some of my favorites. Vicariously living through Greta’s trip definitely scratches a travel itch, especially if you’ve ever wanted to go to Alaska.

I love how vast it is—the perfect place to go when you want to feel small. Greta is unanchored at this point in her life, and the Alaskan cruise forces her to stop running, find her footing—even with those wobbly sea legs—and feel grounded again.

Father-Daughter Dynamic

The dysfunctional relationship is hard to read about at times, but wow, does this end up in a beautiful place. That said, my problem with this relationship is what we don’t see.

I would have rather seen more one-on-one moments and in-between conversations so it actually felt satisfying to see the relationship mend the way it did. We see a clear picture of how hard their relationship is, and then we’re rushed to a resolution, in my opinion.

Even so, Jennifer E. Smith handles this relationship with such care: the past wounds, anger, and hurt that lives under the surface; misunderstandings and assumptions that have cut off connection for so long.

I guess I just feel if I was going to see how two unlikely people can come together in their grief, I wanted to witness it. I wanted the calloused heart to slowly become more tender. This would have been more hard-hitting for me.

The Romance

There’s a lot of sweet moments between Greta and a nerdy historian. But when I first started reading the book, I think I was waiting for just a bit more. I didn’t really buy the connection . . . if that makes sense.

I will say, it’s clear that The Unsinkable Greta James is about much more than romance, so if that’s what you’re looking for, I would adjust your expectations.

That said, I did really enjoy this part of the book, and I really liked where the author took this element of the story.

Favorite Quotes from The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer E. Smith

“The truth is, being a parent is mostly just reacting. Sometimes you get it right and sometimes you don’t. You give what you can. And at the end of the day, most of it is just being there.”

—Jennifer E. Smith, The Unsinkable Greta James

“Greta stares at the place where the ice disappeared, thinking how beautiful it is, all of it—the dreamlike mountains and cerulean sky, the clouds reflected in the bay—and how sad too, to see something so magnificent crumbling before their very eyes.”

—Jennifer E. Smith, The Unsinkable Greta James

“You saw a Steller’s sea eagle?” he says for the third time. . . . It’s something really, really special. Not just the bird itself, but it’s like . . . if you see a gyrfalcon in the Arctic Circle, it’s still an amazing thing, right? But when you spot one in Ohio, well, that’s something different altogether. It’s that it’s wandered so long and far, that it’s made it to such an unlikely place. The fact that it doesn’t belong is what makes it stand out. It’s what makes it even more extraordinary.”

—Jennifer E. Smith, The Unsinkable Greta James

“Greta finds it almost painful sometimes to think about all the different lives she could be leading, to know that every choice she’s made has meant the loss of so many other possibilities. Every day, more doors close. Without even trying, simply by moving forward, you end up double down on the life you’ve chosen. And the only way to survive is to commit to it fully, to tell yourself it’s the right one. But what if that’s not true?”

—Jennifer E. Smith, The Unsinkable Greta James

Frequently Asked Questions about The Unsinkable Greta James

What is The Unsinkable Greta James about?

In short, The Unsinkable Greta James is about an indie musician grieving the sudden death of her mother and how she navigates a strained relationship with her emotionally distant father by spontaneously going on an Alaskan cruise with him.

It’s also about how Greta makes peace with people in her life who have certain expectations of her, and how connecting to herself and her music is the key to mending her broken heart.

Is The Unsinkable Greta James a YA book?

No The Unsinkable Greta James is not a YA book. It is women’s fiction, also known as domestic fiction.

I don’t personally love to call the category women’s fiction, so I would say this is emotional fiction or a family drama.

Are there any real Greta James songs?

I wish! Greta is, unfortunately, a fictional character. But I hope someone writes songs for her someday. 😉

On a related note, the author does share her playlist to accompany the book on her website, which I always find so entertaining, especially for books about music.

Is The Unsinkable Greta James being made into a movie?

At the date this blog post is published, the book is not being made into a movie. But we can all cross our fingers! Can you imagine the beauty of Alaska in a movie like this? Are you kidding? I would be the first to watch!

That said, Love at First Sight, the movie, is in the works! It’s coming out September 2023, and this movie is based on Jennifer E. Smith’s novel, The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight.

RELATED: Author Interview with NYT Bestselling Author Kristin Hannah

Book Club Discussion Questions for The Unsinkable Greta James

• Ice breaker questions: What was one of your most impactful trips? Have you ever made last-minute travel plans?
• What did you think of Greta and Ben together? What did you think of them individually?
• So much of this book is about weighty expectations and the courage to move past other people’s opinions to do what you love. How do Conrad’s thoughts about Greta’s career choices affect her in the beginning of the novel? What about the end?
• What did you think of how the book ended?
• Do you relate to Greta at all? Why or why not?
• What do you think was the catalyst for Greta returning to her music in the way that she did at the end of the novel?
• What was the significance of Jack London?
• How did the setting affect Greta’s choices throughout the book?
• Who was your favorite character from the cruise and why?

Other Books by Jennifer E. Smith

• The Creature of Habit
• Field Notes on Love
• Windfall
• Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between
• The Geography of You and Me
• This Is What Happy Looks Like
• The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight
• You Are Here
• The Comeback Season
• Happy Again
• The Storm Makers

Similar Books to The Unsinkable Greta James

These books explore similar themes or are reminiscent of The Unsinkable Greta James in some way:

• Meant to Be Mine by Hannah Orenstein
• The Ensemble by Aja Gabel
• The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
• Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
• The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise by Colleen Oakley
• Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes

Buy the Book

I recommend The Unsinkable Greta James if you enjoy seeing your likable main character embark on a journey of self-discovery. If you’re a fan of emotional family dramas with a touch of romance, this book might be for you.

The Unsinkable Greta James reviews are a bit divided, and I do agree with the criticism that it would have been nice to focus more on the transformation between Greta and her father, in particular. But Jennifer Smith’s writing style is quite captivating, and I loved the Alaskan backdrop.

If you decide to pick it up, let me know your thoughts!