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Skip this one and read the non-fiction version instead, Michael Capuzzo's "Close to Shore: The Terrifying Shark Attacks of 1916." #2025Book1

In 1916, there were a series of fatal shark attacks along the Jersey shore. This book fictionalizes those events. I found it a tad melodramatic in some respects (certain characters and scenes) and was disappointed to see the author cling to the outdated “rogue shark” concept in her author‘s note. But it was otherwise a fairly quick, entertaining read. A low pick. The NF Close to Shore is far better.

#ReadYourEbooks (2)

A fictionalized retelling of the shark attacks that inspired the movie Jaws, which provides the reader with the social and political context for the events. Hearth demonstrates that many of the issues we contended with during the height of the pandemic were not novel, but echoes of an age old struggle: the balance between personal autonomy and freedom, and the benefit to the greater good.

I can‘t resist a shark story of any kind— so despite being familiar with the factual account of the 1916 shark attacks along the Jersey Shore, I still jumped at the chance to read this fictionalized version! Fast-paced and engaging, the story unfolds mostly from the perspective of one young woman present at one of the fatal encounters & the doctor who tends to all of the victims—& warns the public. Easily compares to JAWS but with more history!