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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Very slow and ambiguous. I appreciate the allegory for terminal illness and grief, but it left too many unanswered questions. What happened to Jelka? Or Matteo for that matter? Is Leah just water now? What was the voice? The eye? Why did they lose communication? The disintegrating marriage was sad but probably the most grounded aspect of the story. The end has no resolution whatsoever, but it definitely has me thinking, so that’s something. Good if you’re looking for a book that’s nonlinear, kinda supernatural, and open to interpretation.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Suicide, Grief
Moderate: Vomit, Death of parent
Minor: Terminal illness, Lesbophobia, Injury/Injury detail
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
An aching story about loss and acceptance. And a sea monster. Kind of.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was not the horror book I was expecting. It was a sad story of a marriage falling apart. I did not like the characters which I know isn't always the point to like them. I found it very boring to me and kind of repetitive. Constantly it was shes not talking to me and im sad. Cut to flash back. Shes still not talking to me, im sad. Over and over
There were good metaphors and themes. I listened through audiobook and for some reason struggled to know when there was a flashback with in a scene. I got the hang of it with time.
There were good metaphors and themes. I listened through audiobook and for some reason struggled to know when there was a flashback with in a scene. I got the hang of it with time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Grief, Death of parent
dark
emotional
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
The audiobook version was lovely.
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I think this is a simple case of a book being overhyped and my expectations being too high going into it. I think I expected something more from the narrative when this was never going to be that kind of book. So this review may be a fault of my own untempered expectations.
That being said, I usually like introspective character-driven stories. I think my main gripe is that this book had no climax. It was building, but that tension fizzled out like a cut synapse. That fizzling of tension to nothing it what kept this book as a "meh" rather than something I could cling to.
I was interested in all the elements, the grief and horror of the ocean are such amazing and layered themes to explore. But I'm not sure. It felt less like a horror book and more a literary fiction piece with magical realism elements.
Overall, this book seems like it's exploring terminal illness through the lens of monstrosity. Asking: what if the person you loved most comes back wrong and nothing you do can save them? Nothing you can do will fix anything and you are only making things worse. I thought this theme was fairly obvious, but still interesting to explore and I did enjoy the book for it.
The writing was very beautiful. I liked that the sections were separated into the names of layers of the ocean. I would say give it a go if it sounds interesting, but know that this is a collection of vignettes rather than an intense sea monster horror novel.
That being said, I usually like introspective character-driven stories. I think my main gripe is that this book had no climax. It was building, but that tension fizzled out like a cut synapse. That fizzling of tension to nothing it what kept this book as a "meh" rather than something I could cling to.
I was interested in all the elements, the grief and horror of the ocean are such amazing and layered themes to explore. But I'm not sure. It felt less like a horror book and more a literary fiction piece with magical realism elements.
Overall, this book seems like it's exploring terminal illness through the lens of monstrosity. Asking: what if the person you loved most comes back wrong and nothing you do can save them? Nothing you can do will fix anything and you are only making things worse. I thought this theme was fairly obvious, but still interesting to explore and I did enjoy the book for it.
The writing was very beautiful. I liked that the sections were separated into the names of layers of the ocean. I would say give it a go if it sounds interesting, but know that this is a collection of vignettes rather than an intense sea monster horror novel.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Its a very open ended horror novel. I think the story telling devices imployed are super interesting, and I love sapphic representation here. I do think that the books a little too slow at points, buts its not that bad; its a short book anyway. kinda makes me wanna explore the ocean just sans the giant ocean monster that turns ppl in ocean creatures.
I love her beautiful as fuck writing and the relationships she writes.
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This book was SO boring. There was no character development, the characters were boring, the writing said absolutely nothing. I made it 83% through this book and just couldn't force myself to care enough to finish it
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced