Reviews tagging 'Lesbophobia'

Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield

70 reviews

fatfatrat's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Death of parent, Grief, Body horror, and Death

Minor: Lesbophobia and Vomit

leanneymu's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

An incredibly compelling story, at once about the cosmic dread and bodily horror of the deep sea, and a achingly-beautiful metaphor for taking care of a dying loved one. I was entraced from beginning to end. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Body horror, and Death

Minor: Lesbophobia

jessereadsthings's review

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror

Minor: Lesbophobia and Homophobia

the_true_monroe's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

This book left me with more questions than answers, yet I was satisfied with the ending enough to accept this.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Terminal illness, Confinement, Body horror, Gaslighting, Blood, Grief, Gore, and Death

Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Animal death, Self harm, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Homophobia, Sexual harassment, Dementia, Lesbophobia, and Sexual content

bookjudy42's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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

5.0

This was gorgeous. Beautifully written with a palpable depth. The book does have a kind of sci-fi element to it, but it isn’t the main focus of the story (in case you’re not into that). Believable characters and a reflective, touching journey. Loved it!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Death, Cursing, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, and Sexual content

Minor: Homophobia and Lesbophobia

ceruleanseas's review

emotional mysterious sad fast-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Lesbophobia

thebechdelbitch's review

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

I haven't been this affected by a book in ages. Frequently I had to put it down because I was too scared, or too sad. It freaked me out, broke my heart, stunned me with its beauty and absolutely prodded at my thalassaphobia throughout. AND it was gay. AND a beautiful exploration of grief. And like 200 pages long. So so impressive. Wow.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, Body horror, and Gore

Moderate: Lesbophobia and Cancer

kathleenivy's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• 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: Body horror, Confinement, and Grief

Moderate: Death of parent, Dementia, Terminal illness, and Death

Minor: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Gore, Sexual content, Suicide, Lesbophobia, Eating disorder, and Gaslighting

maggiemcfly's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, and Body horror

Moderate: Blood, Death of parent, and Lesbophobia

tinyjude's review against another edition

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

5.0

I find myself unable to describe this book in such a manner that it deserves. The word that comes to mind most often is "haunting" in all its senses.

It is a book about grief and slowly losing someone you deeply love, either by time, death or unnatural changes. It's also a mystery in itself, it makes you question the reliability of both narrators as they are at the precipice of a mental breakdown. The best way to explain this book is by connecting it with the genre "cosmic horrors", also known as lovecraftian horrors and I quote from the wikipedia "subgenre of horror and weird fiction that emphasizes the horror of the unknowable and incomprehensible" it encompases inquieries related to existentialism. Cosmic horror is about "the forbidden and dangerous knowledge, madness, non-human influences on humanity, religion and superstition, fate and inevitability, and the risks associated with scientific discoveries."

Rather than a visceral, descriptive and gorey type of horror, the author delves into this niche subgenre both in connection with the ocean and human relationships- especifically the main couple, Leah and Miri -. The writing style is gorgeous and profoundly sorrowful from the very first words. You kind of know what is going to happen but you still refuse to let your guess win, you get to know their past-selves and the shells they have become now and you weep for both their journeys.

I cannot fanthom how deeply traumatic the time underwater must have been. Sensing being watched, everyone slowly stripping away from their consciousness and memories, having erratic behaviours and witnessing the deterioration of the minds of your crewmates. The ocean in itself and its depths hold such mysteries and dangers we barely know about, so every little description or data we got from this incommensurable part of the Earth is in itself a wonder and a horror. But also the uncertainty of your partner's location, health state, anything, for six months, would certainly drive out someone mad.

In a sense, especially at the beginning, it reminded me of "The Haunting of Bly Mannor" 

and Dani's end, as well as Jamie's desperation, pain and longing for Dani for the rest of her life.

. Which only made this book more special. I felt that I could connect with the characters' pains and fears and I was deeply immersed until the last word.

How painful must it be to find someone you knew every part of, a complete stranger. How painful must it be to watch them transform into something you barely comprehend and can't do anything about. How painful must it be to come to terms with what's best for them, even if that leaves you broken inside.

I think that simply the soft repeated words of "My Leah" in that final chapter, will haunt me for a long long time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Confinement

Moderate: Lesbophobia and Eating disorder