Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield

23 reviews

hardbackhoarder's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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? Yes

3.5

As much as I wanted to love this book, the characters, who are unfortunately the main focus of the book, read flat. I did love the parts on the submarine and those kept me the most interested. I found just a bit annoyed with Miri's point of view as it just seemed to drag and never end.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Death, and Grief

Moderate: Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Terminal illness

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

asg20's review

mysterious tense slow-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Death, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Gaslighting, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, and Terminal illness

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

houseofjules's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.0

 Although my time with this book oscillated between transfixed curiosity and exasperation to reach the point, I ultimately think this is a really well written and mostly captivating story. Despite the many questions I kept posing while reading, I understand they were sacrificed for the vibes. And the vibe is immaculate, albeit sad and weird. But in a good way. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Body horror, and Confinement

Moderate: Blood, Death of parent, and Death

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

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

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

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

axel_p's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious relaxing medium-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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Death, Eating disorder, Grief, Confinement, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Suicide, Terminal illness, Body horror, Chronic illness, and Vomit