Reviews with content warning for Blood - Our Wives Under The Sea

i think about how majestic & captivating the ocean is when it’s depicted in a fantasy full of merfolk & nymphs & pirates, and then i read this story, that feels so grounded in my reality where the ocean itself is the fantasy that we haven’t even gleamed the surface of.

there’s no magical creatures we know of but there’s still some of that wonder, and the real horror is seeing how humans find themselves possessed by the true spirit of it, until they become the ocean itself. there’s not so much magic as there just is, and the grief of someone you love being swept up in it is enough to wash you away.

i really loved the writing in this, and the dual timelines—the use of past & present, of the stillness that lies beyond and yet also exists in the people right next to you—made the story feel haunting as hell, i was enraptured throughout every second of reading.

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hellocath's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

Lovely, sad, so dark. Not a traditional horror but definitely viscerally unsettling.

I just wish things had been a bit clearer around Leah’s time under the sea,

but by literary fiction standards not the most vague/open to interpretation novel I’ve ever read. I actually feel like I may reread and meditate on the symbolism and reflections. Overall a haunting book about love and grief that I would recommend to anyone looking for something unique, sapphic and dark without being traumatic!

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ramreadsagain's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

Beautifully written with a sense of tension all the way through. I read this in two sittings, and this is definitely not a book to keep putting down and picking back up.

Deducting a star due to having a lot of unanswered questions to the point of frustration, along with wishing there was more literal story alongside the allegories.

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my_plant_library's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective 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? Yes

4.25

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forestthieves's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional 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

No review I write could justify how eloquent, haunting, and masterful Our Wives Under the Sea is.

This story follows the relationship between Miri and Leah, after Leah has returned from a submarine mission gone wrong, and begins to undergo frightening and unusual changes, both physically and emotionally.

Armfield is a master of imagery, and I hung on every single line, attempting to absorb as much of her writing as I could. The tones of nostalgia, grief, transformation, and horror envelop her words, causing you to sink deeper and deeper into the story, until everything else around you fades to black and all you have is Our Wives Under the Sea.

Longer review to come once I’ve processed this deep sea gothic queer love story.

Thank you to Netgalley as well as Flatiron Books, for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Content Warnings

jamieleepilk's review against another edition

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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

5.0

Thank you so much to Picador, specifically Alice Dewing for this proof! I'm eternally grateful.
UK Release - 3/3/2022

"The deep sea is a haunted house: a place in which things that ought not to exist move about in darkness."

Is it possible for a book to be released next year to be one of my favourite reads of this year?

Um hi, I will not shut up about this book for the foreseeable future. Thank you for understanding.
I loved Julia's collection of short stories Salt Slow and was very excited when this novel was announced and I tell you what, it's insanely brilliant. This novel is also joining the list of books that made me cry on public transport, at this point the list is getting slightly out of control.

A blend of what feels like a brand new mythology, a fairytale, a love and a horror story wrapped up in one very beautiful package. The love story of Leah and Miri is so moving and you can't help but love them and want everything to be okay. I love how the story was set out, chapters and POVs from each of them which at times felt very intimate and personal as a lot was told through memories of their past life together compared to/leading up to the present situation.
Julia's writing style is so stunning, unlike any others that I've read, so mesmerising and haunting that at times I had to force myself to stop reading because at just over 200 pages I wanted to make it last as long as humanly possible.
The small heartfelt moments and memories were like direct punches to the heart. Nothing short of breathtaking.
The parts when Leah is in the submarine were so creepy and sinister, that I NEVER want to go deep sea diving EVER. I loved that the flashbacks and present day POVs joined up and meshed together so you were gaining information slowly but in a satisfying way that also kept you guessing and on edge.

Julia is an outstanding talent and I don't think I will stop thinking about this story for a very long time. It isn't out until March and I have a feeling my love will only grow and I will probably have to have a re-read before then. Pre-order now! Just do it. Please.

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