Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield

92 reviews

beth_farrelly's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement

Moderate: Death, Dementia, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Grief, Death of parent, and Body horror

Minor: Gaslighting, Gore, Violence, and Suicide

dreareads_'s review

dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

A slow paced horror story of two wives trying to hold on to each other as they’re drifting apart.

In this book you are lulled into a state of normalcy, almost becoming frustrated at how mundane it all is. That is until you’re deep in the story and you are now grasped by the growing tension, you’re scared of what’s waiting outside in the sea, and are terrified to stay inside the house.

The body horror and horror elements are sprinkled throughout in a manner to bring forth lasting discomfort with no quick resolution.

This is a story of grief. Of ptsd. Of losing someone that is standing next to you. Of the worst and best parts of being with another human during your darkest times. A story where logic goes out the window and the characters act erratically due to their fears. You experience first hand a person detaching themselves from the world and the other trying to hold on despite of being forced to change.

I see why people think it is too slow at times but for me the pace works perfectly to develop an atmosphere that will not let you sleep at night. I loved this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Mental illness, Death, Eating disorder, Violence, Body horror, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Confinement, Suicide, and Toxic relationship

rebeccadiv's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror and Death

Moderate: Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Gore

Minor: Homophobia, Chronic illness, and Death of parent

torismazarine's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Self harm, Terminal illness, Body horror, Cursing, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Grief, Suicide, Confinement, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Chronic illness, and Eating disorder

hedsek's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.75

Truly an amazing read. Extremely gripping and the descriptions of how things used to be are so realistic and slice of life that it becomes heartbreaking. The horror elements go really well with the emotional stuff.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Grief, and Body horror

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Death, Vomit, Eating disorder, and Terminal illness

Minor: Death of parent, Cancer, Lesbophobia, Gore, Homophobia, Chronic illness, and Emotional abuse

Eye stuff

thecrimsoncorsair's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

3.5

I did enjoy that this book had a lesbian couple as the main couple, and that their lesbianism wasn't a main focus. They were just treated like any other couple would be. But damn, was this a struggle to get through. Even listening to it. It was just so dull. I'm genuinely convinced that the characters all died down in the sub, and what we're witnessing is the grief induced mental breakdown of Leah's spouse. That the pov of Leah down in the sub even is just a story that Miri has made up to soothe herself. It's all such a strange narrative. Magical realism, but also not. I don't know. I'm so confused lmao. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Body horror, Death of parent, Mental illness, Confinement, Death, and Panic attacks/disorders

thalassa_reading's review against another edition

The novel is written incredibly well and in that zero infodump way I love, but it's frustrating that the couple don't talk at all?? The wife who stayed behind is in a weirdly passive grieving mode I can't relate to. Overall this book reads like a fever dream, even the narration before the mysterious events is deeply irrational, unmoored, uses visceral, creepy images for everyday events & sensations, fixates on body malfunctions and intrusive thoughts. There's no rationality or clear communication anywhere, and I realize I'm being made to sink into the Id like the submarine is sinking to the sea floor. It's making me feel slightly insane so I'm quitting.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Body horror

beccaand'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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Grief, Confinement, Terminal illness, Mental illness, and Death

Moderate: Death of parent and Suicide

Minor: Lesbophobia

sometimes_not_dead's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Body horror, and Mental illness

Moderate: Death of parent and Chronic illness

simplyabird's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

100% ready by audiobook if possible, the two narrators add so much to the experience. 
I loved the very descriptive and flowery language, and from the start Leah and Miri were so realistic and relatable that, even being aroace, I immediately fell in love with both of them and their relationship. I was never more interested in one of the POVs over the other, never felt like it was dragging or going to quick.
I was okay with the mystery not being really answered, because I knew and accepted it as an allegory and felt more involved with the relationship than the mystery, through it was still incredibly interesting. Personally, I think if you've ever dealt with grief and depression, you'll be a lot less bothered by not having gotten all of the answers to the mystery. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Grief, and Mental illness

Moderate: Terminal illness, Death of parent, and Death