Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield

86 reviews

koyotekarlheinz's review

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

• 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

4.25

I still have a lot of unanswered question and I'll just have to accept that. But the book is great for what it is and I am glad that me and my friends picked it for a buddy read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Chronic illness, Body horror, Suicide, Abandonment, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Vomit

Moderate: Death, Dementia, and Death of parent

kenrya's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Lesbophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Mental illness, Body horror, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Grief, Terminal illness, and Vomit

bumblemee's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

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

4.25

Very beautifully written and very immersive.
I loved to get to know these women and their relationship, especially through Miris eyes. All these little details she thinks of while trying to find her Leah in the Leah that returned. It was hurtful to read, but also endearing. (My favourite was when Miri said that Leah used to pedal Miris legs when she was upset and chant "tour de france, tour de france" until Miri had to laugh. Idk, it was just so cute.) Miris voice was very clear, every obersvation and comment she made fit her perfectly. Same for Leah, but we don't get to see that much of her compared to Miri. 
I liked how the book was seperated into the different stages of the ocean and everything Leah told us about it and the ways to travel and research it. Her fascination for the ocean is everywhere and as someone who is a little fascinated by the deep as well, I liked that a lot.

Even though there's not that much happening, a lot of suspense builds up over the course of the novel. I couldn't put it down after a certain point. - And I get why we don't get all the answers, this book isn't about the plot, and I think it was the right choice, because solving every mystery would've taken away from the point ... but I can't help but want to know the answers. Someone please rewrite this in another genre? So we got both? 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Blood, Death, Body horror, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief

Moderate: Death of parent and Suicide

_rowan_'s review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Suicide attempt, Confinement, Death of parent, Death, Blood, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Vomit, Dementia, Eating disorder, Body horror, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Suicide

beth_farrelly's review

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 against another edition

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

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