Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield

46 reviews

corabookworm's review against another edition

emotional sad slow-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

4.0

Honestly so confused about how to feel about this book. It was beautiful and unsettling and very very depressing, less horror than I expected, more about grief and loss than anything else. And just plain weird. I loved it. But also I'm sad now. And a little disappointed that there wasn't a full plot with an end to the mystery. It was more just vibes. Which I respect. But also rahhh.

(Might write a more sensible review later we'll see.)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Body horror, Terminal illness, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Medical content

mamatrauma's review

emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death of parent, Vomit, Grief, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death, Sexual content, Terminal illness, and Blood

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

smothermewithscifi's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Gaslighting, Chronic illness, Grief, Sexual content, and Body horror

Moderate: Death, Terminal illness, and Death of parent

litrallymadlad's review

dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

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

1.75

I genuinely love a mystery that goes unsolved but I was given so much investment in the discovery of what happened that I cared more about the meaning of the wife’s condition than the characters themselves. I was infuriated by the inaction of the wife and was given no concrete reason for why she was inactive. It the discovery was discovered (lol) I’ll admit to more empathy for her but GIRL. IF YOU’RE GONNA BE SHOTGUNNING MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF SALT WATER I JUST NEED A BIT MORE SUBSTANCE TO YOUR EXPLANATION 👏👏👏👏👏👏 Perhaps this means I missed the entire point, and that it solidifies the need for agency of the patient in medical emergencies, BUT I WAS GIVEN NO REASON TO TRUST THE WIFE’S LOGIC. WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE’S TURNING INTO A BLOB OF SALT WATER, LOOKIN LIKE A BLOATED FROG ??? AND IM JUST SUPPOSED TO ACCEPT IT ??? IM SORRY TO SAY BUT I DONT THINK YOUR SALT WATER SOLUTION (no pun intended) IS HELPING THIS SITUATION. 

And has time as gone on, whenever I think about this book I just feel frustrated. The way I would have CAMPED. OUT. CALLED EVERY MEDIA COMPANY IN TOWN. And raised HELL at the company the wife worked for. I just felt helpless in the face of the characters inaction I ALSO HATE PHONE CALLS AND EMAILS?? AND I FEEL LIKE THATS ALL THAT WAS DONE ON THE WIFE’S BEHALF. WHERE ARE THE MEGAPHONES OUT FRONT OF THE BUILDING?? START THROWIN ROCKS AT THE WINDOWS OR SOMETHING I DONT CARE !!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore and Medical content

moonlitemuseum's review

challenging dark emotional inspiring sad tense fast-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

Oh this book was made for me and I hope I can create something that even comes close to how I felt while reading it 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement

Moderate: Medical content, Terminal illness, and Body horror

If the ocean scares you maybe sit this one out

sav_22's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

4.5

I fell in love with the writing style used in this book. I would classify this as an introspective; it unfolds into two storylines, with one following flashbacks and the other following the aftermath. I think if you are looking for a thriller, this isn’t for you; while this contains a lot of body horror, disturbing and complex trauma, it very much focuses on the trauma of grieving someone that’s fundamentally changed—someone that’s still there physically, but has disappeared everywhere else. It’s a book about trauma of loss as well as the trauma of loving.

as much as I would have loved to know the actual cause of Leah’s condition and what happened down there in the dark depths of the sea, I think this book is meant to live through the metaphor of what’s happening. I interpreted Leah’s condition as symbolism for a greater complex trauma that’s destroyed her spirit and in turn is destroying her physically. It reminds me of how people shut down after a traumatic event, with the ptsd of it further sinking them into oblivion. Viewing it this way made the story all the more gut wrenching, as Miri has to both process the grief of losing Leah twice: once to her incident, and the next to her trauma. Overall, I found the incompleteness of this conclusion to be purposeful and reflective on the reoccurring theme of “unstillness”; Life goes on, and so will you, even if you aren’t able to understand everything. <spoiler/> 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Terminal illness, Chronic illness, Grief, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, and Mental illness

Moderate: Excrement, Medical content, Suicide, Death, Dementia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicidal thoughts, and Death of parent

Minor: Gaslighting, Cancer, and Dysphoria

nikenacs's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad 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

4.0

Strong portrayal of love, loss, and watching yourself grieve a love, even while it's still around. Listened to it on two rainy train rides over the North Sea, which was the perfect gloomy atmosphere. Good portrayal of depression, directly fed into my own depression tbh. All their relationship memories coming back made me think of all my loved ones and the little details I love about them, as well, I really enjoyed that. Especially when those memories start showing up in Leah's parts as well!

However, especially Miri's parts were a bit too slow-paced for my personal taste, and Miri as a protagonist increasingly irritated me with how much she was a dick to everyone around her. I know this is intentional, and I think I'd have more compassion with a real person, but as a protagonist, she was a lot at times.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Death

Moderate: Terminal illness, Sexual content, Dementia, Medical content, Chronic illness, and Mental illness

Minor: Lesbophobia and Homophobia