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aliyachaudhry's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Grief, Terminal illness, Blood, Vomit, Body horror, Death, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Animal death and Homophobia
kaiyakaiyo's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
3.75
This was a little too internal for me; I would’ve liked more focus on what Leah had going on in the submarine/ the obviously cult-ish “Centre”/the eeriness of the whole thing than Miri’s neuroticisms, but could tell pretty quickly that this was more literary than I’d bargained for. Not bad, just not what I anticipated
Ultimately though, this was a really interesting book and a very aching sort of sapphic romance, which I liked! I’m really into spooky ocean books these days, and this mostly checked that box.
Ultimately though, this was a really interesting book and a very aching sort of sapphic romance, which I liked! I’m really into spooky ocean books these days, and this mostly checked that box.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Vomit
veliana's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Terminal illness, Grief, Mental illness, Blood, Vomit, and Death of parent
Moderate: Death, Suicide, and Medical content
Minor: Lesbophobia and Alcohol
ineedmorecoffee's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
I’m sorry, what the fuck?
In a good way.
In a good way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Confinement
Moderate: Body horror and Vomit
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
mmirjamm's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Confinement
Moderate: Body horror
Minor: Terminal illness, Violence, Vomit, Suicide, Mental illness, Dementia, Eating disorder, Death of parent, and Lesbophobia
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Terminal illness, Grief, Death, Death of parent, and Blood
Minor: Sexual content, Lesbophobia, and Homophobia
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Body horror, and Death of parent
Moderate: Vomit and Blood
If you’re already afraid of the ocean know that it features heavily.jaiden_grey's review
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
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Body horror, Confinement, and Grief
Moderate: Gaslighting, Death, Fatphobia, Death of parent, Blood, Vomit, and Abandonment