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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.
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
kaanda's review against another edition
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? It's complicated
5.0
Super engaging throughout. Romantic in the weirdest ways while stringing along a story that was so fun to put together as the book went on. Sad, but rewarding with a ton of beautiful lines.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Grief, and Dementia
Moderate: Blood, Body horror, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Homophobia, Vomit, Gore, Violence, Lesbophobia, Abandonment, Confinement, and Suicide
jmiles758's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, Abandonment, 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
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
jojothefool's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Beautiful prose on grief, abandonment, and PTSD. It’s definitely literary fiction in that every word is saying five words and there’s metaphors and dreams and stuff. But I enjoyed myself overall, it’s just not my favorite genre. I enjoyed Mary’s POV as Leah essentially disintegrates before her. Trying to balance grief and anger and caregiving and love, it’s heartbreaking and relatable. I think the writing was a little too dense for me to enjoy in an audio format tbh.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Grief, and Body horror
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, Chronic illness, Death of parent, and Medical trauma
The main character has hypochondria so explicit descriptions of that (although nothing causes super detailed panic), deep sea, drowningdreareads_'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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Mental illness, Death, Eating disorder, Violence, Body horror, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Confinement, Suicide, and Toxic relationship
nouveaudragon's review
challenging
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
A fantastic slow-burn horror, that like all good horror, leaves the reader with both questions and answers. Fit into the “quandary of isolation” category if there is such a thing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Grief, and Confinement
Moderate: Abandonment
emilyandthewhippet's review against another edition
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Blood, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Grief
Moderate: Misogyny
Minor: Sexism, Death of parent, Homophobia, and Terminal illness
sierrabowers's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This book was confusing. I thought it was good until the ending, which left me with no answers. I originally went into this book thinking it was a modern fiction story, but it turned out to be a modern fantasy? Sort of? Maybe a paranormal fiction? I’m really not sure. If you like books that leave a TON of room for interpretation, then this is for you, but otherwise you’ll be left confused and wondering what the heck you just read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Abandonment, and Confinement
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.
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
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"
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Confinement
Moderate: Lesbophobia and Eating disorder