megaoboid's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
an emotional and very internal story. would’ve been a five star but there were parts that felt very unsatisfying and far too unfinished, more as though the author didn’t know what to do with them or couldn’t be bothered to shape them a bit more succinctly as opposed to simply wanting to leave them open.
i also removed another star because there was also a strange moment of very casual and in-your-face biphobia in the line of ‘bisexual women are actually just annoying straight women who desperately want attention’, which was absolutely and utterly bizarre, especially considering that this was the only time LGB sexuality is mentioned by name (other than sarcastic quips about ‘straight people’) in a book quite literally about two women married to one another. put a very foul taste in my mouth unfortunately, especially as the character - poppy - is only ever referred to negatively in every instance that she appears (her traits are introduced as follows: bisexual, attention-seeking, loud, annoying, always complaining). also seems as though we’re supposed to feel terribly sorry for her boyfriend, who we know nothing about? really strange and entirely unnecessary. it’s pretty easy to assume this stems from the authors personal beliefs, and it was horribly off putting and lingered through the rest of the book for me. very disappointing.
i also removed another star because there was also a strange moment of very casual and in-your-face biphobia in the line of ‘bisexual women are actually just annoying straight women who desperately want attention’, which was absolutely and utterly bizarre, especially considering that this was the only time LGB sexuality is mentioned by name (other than sarcastic quips about ‘straight people’) in a book quite literally about two women married to one another. put a very foul taste in my mouth unfortunately, especially as the character - poppy - is only ever referred to negatively in every instance that she appears (her traits are introduced as follows: bisexual, attention-seeking, loud, annoying, always complaining). also seems as though we’re supposed to feel terribly sorry for her boyfriend, who we know nothing about? really strange and entirely unnecessary. it’s pretty easy to assume this stems from the authors personal beliefs, and it was horribly off putting and lingered through the rest of the book for me. very disappointing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Medical trauma, Chronic illness, Grief, Body horror, Abandonment, Death, Death of parent, Mental illness, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Dementia, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Biphobia, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
rtthalia's review against another edition
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? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Medical trauma, Medical content, Body horror, Death of parent, Eating disorder, and Grief
capitaens's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, Vomit, and Body horror
m_storky's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This wasn't a gothic horror novel in the traditional sense of the word, but rather a novel about slow inevitable loss and self-destruction. The horror aspect of it was a vessel for the emotions which it held - it's not really about what's at the bottom of the sea, is it? And I guess maybe that's what ultimately makes it a gothic horror after all.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Chronic illness, Dementia, and Grief
Moderate: Death and Death of parent
Minor: Blood, Medical content, Sexual content, and Medical trauma
jaiden_grey's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
A very emotional and eye-opening read on grief, but not the kind of grief one might expect. The author had me rooting for Leah and Miri from page one. All the flashbacks Julia Armfield litters in her pages had me captivated with the beauty and love these two have for each other. The ending of this book leaves me with a pain in my chest that I can’t quite get rid of, and while the ending illustrates beautiful catharsis, I can’t help but yearn for something more.
While this book’s gorgeous prose and excellent characters truly stand out, there were a couple flaws that keep me from rating it higher. The consistently slow pace of the book was just not for me. It was sometimes a pain to get through certain sections without my eyes traveling elsewhere. It also made it hard to figure out where the book was heading towards. It didn’t feel like there was a goal until the last 25% of the book.
Leah’s descent to madness was not built well in my opinion. Her experience in the hadal zone didn’t feel like it lead to her experience with Miri in the present. Her physical and mental state felt like it came from something otherworldly, and the flashbacks in the submarine did not deliver that element.
The interesting elements that the book did deliver also didn’t feel satisfactorily tied up. The issue with the Centre and the creature Leah and Matteo witness at the end of the book weren’t given the proper time to be fleshed out, which I would’ve appreciated since those were the elements that kept me reading at the end of the book. It felt like the author squeezed those items in just to add a little flair, but didn’t close them out right.
Overall, Our Wives Under the Sea was a beautiful way to start out 2023 and an interesting dive into the functions of our sunken thoughts.
While this book’s gorgeous prose and excellent characters truly stand out, there were a couple flaws that keep me from rating it higher. The consistently slow pace of the book was just not for me. It was sometimes a pain to get through certain sections without my eyes traveling elsewhere. It also made it hard to figure out where the book was heading towards. It didn’t feel like there was a goal until the last 25% of the book.
Leah’s descent to madness was not built well in my opinion. Her experience in the hadal zone didn’t feel like it lead to her experience with Miri in the present. Her physical and mental state felt like it came from something otherworldly, and the flashbacks in the submarine did not deliver that element.
The interesting elements that the book did deliver also didn’t feel satisfactorily tied up. The issue with the Centre and the creature Leah and Matteo witness at the end of the book weren’t given the proper time to be fleshed out, which I would’ve appreciated since those were the elements that kept me reading at the end of the book. It felt like the author squeezed those items in just to add a little flair, but didn’t close them out right.
Overall, Our Wives Under the Sea was a beautiful way to start out 2023 and an interesting dive into the functions of our sunken thoughts.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma and Grief
Moderate: Death
Minor: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Death of parent, and Vomit
leanne_miron's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Grief, Terminal illness, and Body horror
Moderate: Medical trauma, Sexual content, and Death of parent
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