Reviews tagging 'Blood'

Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield

119 reviews

andrewhatesham's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

I used to think there was such a thing as emptiness, that there were places in the world one could go and be alone. This, I think, is still true, but the error in my reasoning was to assume that alone was somewhere you could go, rather than somewhere you had to be left.

This one lives up to the hype.

Our Wives Under the Sea is a grotesquely beautiful exploration of grief in its many shapes and forms, both figurative and literal. The writing style is amazing and the plot is refreshingly unique. Some of the body horror did get to me, but overall the horror aspect is much more psychological and emotional. I still don't know what to make of the ending, but I think that's the way it's supposed to be. Uncertainty is scary.

Don't go into this expecting terrifying scenes and mind shattering plot twists because it's not that type of book. This is the type of book that can have you reading the same passage over and over again, lingering on certain words; a book to get comfortable in despite the discomfort. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Blood, and Grief

Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, and Sexual content

Minor: Death, Suicide, and Medical content

tallhousecookies's review against another edition

emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Terminal illness, and Abandonment

Moderate: Blood

Minor: Death of parent

deetabz's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror

Moderate: Death, Terminal illness, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Homophobia, Sexual content, and Lesbophobia

aseel_reads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

I liked the writing style of this and I really enjoyed the first of the book, on those alone, I would have given it a 4 star rating but then the plot didn't really develop and I didn't really understand why the submarine stayed down for so long...? We got a half answer and I wish that was done better. I also don't really understand what we were suppose to get from this book???

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

bronzeageholly'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
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, and Gaslighting

Minor: Suicide

zany25's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad slow-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

5.0

This is a personal 5/5, but in a way that I can easily understand how someone else may not find it so. I loved the dark very gothic-esque descriptions, rambling on about the ocean and grief and loss and love. The presentation and emotions it tries to evoke is far more important than the literal events of the book. It’s moreso just “creepy” and “somber” than outright horror despite its classification. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Blood and Vomit

If you’re already afraid of the ocean know that it features heavily.

ivyeori's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

i got submerged in this book

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror

Moderate: Death and Blood

Minor: Physical abuse and Death of parent

michaelion's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

I've said it before and I'll keep saying it. White people can't write magical realism! An overgeneralization, I know. I don't fully mean it of course, not 100%, maybe just 90-something%, but the elements of it were there and there was still something missing.

I like the book. It's nice. It's pretty slow. The thing you think is happening is, but it isn't revealed until you're closer to 3/4ths of the way done as opposed to halfway, which also makes it feels slow. That could've been fine, except the backstory showing what their relationship used to be is kind of a drag and doesn't really add anything. Most of those stories didn't feel charming or sweet or fun. Just boring. But I guess that's the point? Falling in love with the mundanity, with the little moments here and there. Remembering things you didn't think in the moment you'd need to remember later. Either way, it didn't work for me, personally.

I also liked the nerdy bits.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Confinement, Sexual content, Terminal illness, and Grief

Moderate: Death, Fatphobia, Blood, Vomit, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

avasbookmark's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Blood, Vomit, and Grief

alexisgarcia's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

i loved the premise, the writing, the character development, etc. but i feel like there was a tiny bit left to be desired in terms of the ending. however, i do not know if more would actually increase the amount i enjoyed this or totally destroy the ambiguity. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Mental illness, Sexual content, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail