maeverose's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.0
I’m unsure how I feel about this yet.
TL;DR: As other people have said, this isn’t so much horror as a book about grief with horror sprinkled throughout. I was interested to see what would happen the whole way through and I do tend to like books about grief, but in the end am left feeling overall ‘meh’ about the book.
A note on the horror elements for those worried about it:
If you’re especially bothered by body horror, gore, or themes of going insane I would go in prepared for that if you plan on reading it. I’m not a horror reader and I dislike reading those themes, but most of this book was fine for me (check my content warnings section for which parts to skip if you also dislike these themes but want to read anyway. You can’t really skip the ‘going insane’ stuff unless you just don’t read any of Leah’s chapters, but you’d be missing out on some parts of the story then). That being said, you know what your own limits are best. I have a moderate tolerance for gore in books and I’m rarely bothered by non-gory body horror. If you have a low tolerance overall, I’d probably skip it.
Now on to my thoughts:
(Vague/minor plot spoilers, but not really since this is not a plot-focused book)
I liked the way the Centre was depicted as this mysterious corporate entity, and wish that was explored more, as well as. I get that the horror and mystery elements aren’t the focus, the focus is on Miri’s grief, with the horror elements being a metaphorical parallel to losing a loved one to illness. But it’s left somewhat unclear whether or not it’s also actually happening. If it is actually happening, then that leaves me a bit frustrated with how Miri acted. She seemed so uninterested in finding answers or taking any sort of legal action against the Centre. At no point does the idea even come up to do that, and that seems so ridiculous to me given everything they kept quiet about and the entire way they acted and operated. If I were Miri I’d be pissed at them. I’d be demanding answers. She pretty much gave up after they stopped responding to her calls. I didn’t understand why she never took Leah to a doctor, especially given how much she obviously cares about her, why wasn’t she doing everything she could to help her? In general Miri seemed much more focused on her own grief rather than being concerned for her wife who clearly went through an extremely traumatic experience. Again, if none of it is really real then it makes sense but with it being somewhat left up to interpretation, it was frustrating.
On that note, I’ll end with some quotes about grieving missing loved ones that I liked:
“-grieving was complicated by lack of certainty, that the hope inherent in a missing loved one was also a species of curse.”
“In almost every case, the sense of loss was convoluted by an ache of possibility, by the almost-but-not-quite-negligible hope of reprieve.”
“Grief is selfish: we cry for ourselves without the person we have lost far more than we cry for the person - but more than that, we cry because it helps. The grief process is also the coping process and if the grief is frozen by ambiguity, by the constant possibility of reversal, then so is the ability to cope.”
TL;DR: As other people have said, this isn’t so much horror as a book about grief with horror sprinkled throughout. I was interested to see what would happen the whole way through and I do tend to like books about grief, but in the end am left feeling overall ‘meh’ about the book.
A note on the horror elements for those worried about it:
If you’re especially bothered by body horror, gore, or themes of going insane I would go in prepared for that if you plan on reading it. I’m not a horror reader and I dislike reading those themes, but most of this book was fine for me (check my content warnings section for which parts to skip if you also dislike these themes but want to read anyway. You can’t really skip the ‘going insane’ stuff unless you just don’t read any of Leah’s chapters, but you’d be missing out on some parts of the story then). That being said, you know what your own limits are best. I have a moderate tolerance for gore in books and I’m rarely bothered by non-gory body horror. If you have a low tolerance overall, I’d probably skip it.
Now on to my thoughts:
(Vague/minor plot spoilers, but not really since this is not a plot-focused book)
I liked the way the Centre was depicted as this mysterious corporate entity, and wish that was explored more, as well as
Spoiler
the whole sea creature thingSpoiler
When Juna met up with Miri and tried to explain what she found out and Miri cut her off and left, I was so annoyed. She seemed so uninterested in what Juna had to say and I would be the exact opposite. She didn’t seem at all shocked to learn that someone died on the same trip her wife was on…On that note, I’ll end with some quotes about grieving missing loved ones that I liked:
“-grieving was complicated by lack of certainty, that the hope inherent in a missing loved one was also a species of curse.”
“In almost every case, the sense of loss was convoluted by an ache of possibility, by the almost-but-not-quite-negligible hope of reprieve.”
“Grief is selfish: we cry for ourselves without the person we have lost far more than we cry for the person - but more than that, we cry because it helps. The grief process is also the coping process and if the grief is frozen by ambiguity, by the constant possibility of reversal, then so is the ability to cope.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Gore, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicide, Terminal illness, Body horror, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Death, and Dementia
Moderate: Sexual content, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Vomit, Cancer, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Lesbophobia and Fatphobia
There are depictions of people gradually losing their mind in confinement,Spoiler
resulting in a suicide for one of them.theirgracegrace's review
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I read this book in a whirlwind three weeks and I cannot get it out of my head. The pastiche of character moments (especially at the end) can come across as jarring but helps to solidify the main characters Miri and Leah. Their relationship deteriorates when Leah comes back "wrong" after a routine research trip in a submarine leaves her stranded on the ocean floor for six months. The point-of-view bounces between Miri trying to make sense of her wife's strange behaviour and Leah explaining how the trip might have purposefully done for some mysterious ends. A tragic ending puts this book high on my list of recommended books. A fantastic read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Body horror, Confinement, Abandonment, Death, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Animal death, Terminal illness, Cursing, Dementia, Mental illness, and Suicide
Moderate: Alcoholism, Addiction, Blood, Violence, Animal cruelty, and Alcohol
Minor: Cancer
One of the main characters is trapped in a submarine with two other people for six months and the three of them go clinically insane.thatenbyisisreads's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The sequence of the chapters jumping between the past tense and present tense with Leah's and Miri's POVs were executed beautifully. We were able to get a better understanding of their past love life with this sequence. Every time I finished reading one of Leah's chapters, I was left with more questions than answers.
Grief played a huge role in Miri's life, whether it was with her mother's dementia or Leah's state, she's well acquainted with the very thought of grief. Miri lost her mother to dementia in the early stages of her relationship with Leah. Miri's POV displays the present grief that she must face. She grieves the lose of her wife that's still alive, but happens to not be the Leah that she once was to Miri.
Personally, I would have loved a description of the creature that Leah saw in the deep, but the lack of description leaves for more horror. I'd like to think that the eye that Leah had seen in the submarine was a foreshadow to her losing her own eye in the present tense with Miri. The significance of the story of the jellyfish explained Leah's departure into the ocean for me, since she became jellylike and almost dissolved into the ocean.
Overall, this book left me depressed and wishing better for both Leah and Miri. Highly recommend to anyone with a love for unexplained horror.
Grief played a huge role in Miri's life, whether it was with her mother's dementia or Leah's state, she's well acquainted with the very thought of grief. Miri lost her mother to dementia in the early stages of her relationship with Leah. Miri's POV displays the present grief that she must face. She grieves the lose of her wife that's still alive, but happens to not be the Leah that she once was to Miri.
Spoiler
The horrifying truth of this book is how the Navy played a huge role in this whole story. They sent 4 of their people into the deepest depths of the ocean for experimental purposes to then disappear without a trace. Leaving Miri and Jelka's sister desperate for answers.Personally, I would have loved a description of the creature that Leah saw in the deep, but the lack of description leaves for more horror. I'd like to think that the eye that Leah had seen in the submarine was a foreshadow to her losing her own eye in the present tense with Miri. The significance of the story of the jellyfish explained Leah's departure into the ocean for me, since she became jellylike and almost dissolved into the ocean.
Overall, this book left me depressed and wishing better for both Leah and Miri. Highly recommend to anyone with a love for unexplained horror.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death of parent, Confinement, Death, Eating disorder, Grief, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
amberacademia's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Misogyny, Body horror, Death, Confinement, Homophobia, Vomit, Death of parent, Grief, Mental illness, and Eating disorder
lyrapollock's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Death, and Body horror
Moderate: Sexual content, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, and Blood
Minor: Self harm, Eating disorder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
homebodywitch's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Nearly perfect. Haunting and beautiful with outstanding prose.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Terminal illness, Eating disorder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Vomit, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Body horror, and Blood
angieincaps's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, and Body horror
Moderate: Eating disorder
Minor: Sexual content
lemonsaurus's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Grief, and Mental illness
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic friendship, Death, and Terminal illness
Minor: Animal death, Death of parent, Eating disorder, and Abandonment
blacksphinx's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I feel like, since I loved Annihilation, I should have loved this too? But I didn't. They have a lot of elements in common - a female scientist encounters something unexplainable while doing research for an mysterious organization - but I don't think the dual PoVs worked for me. It felt less like a horror novel or weird fiction than an exploration of the grief you feel to having a loved one die of a degenerative disease and/or dementia.
If you have issues with body horror (especially eye injuries) DO NOT read this book - it made me physically ill.
If you have issues with body horror (especially eye injuries) DO NOT read this book - it made me physically ill.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, and Confinement
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Suicide, Dementia, and Mental illness
Minor: Lesbophobia, Homophobia, and Eating disorder
kris386's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
1.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Body horror, Confinement, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Eating disorder and Body shaming