Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield

64 reviews

samburkhouse's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad slow-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement and Grief

Moderate: Body horror and Death of parent

Minor: Medical content and Sexual content

nutmegandpumpkin's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.75

It was very unsettling and a slow burn horror (specifically body horror and deep sea horror). I appreciated it for what it was but I was expecting more of the deep sea portion and just more in general. I wanted more creepiness; the parts that were creepy were done SO WELL but just ended too quickly for me. I also wanted more of an explanation as to what occurred. Armfield doesn’t fully answer any of the questions that arise and, though I like that in some instances, I REALLY wanted answers for this one.
Basically my gripes come from what my expectations were going into the book and how the story was structured (not bad just not what I wanted).
I’ll be looking forward to reading more of Armfield’s works in the future for sure though! She’s a wonderful story teller and I feel like she’s going to write some amazing things.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Blood, and Body horror

Moderate: Cursing, Death of parent, Death, and Sexual content

Minor: Sexual content

seawarrior's review against another edition

4.0

Our Wives Under the Sea is a unique take on a haunting and deconstruction of a relationship. The start of the story mainly focuses on Miri's frustration that her wife, Leah, is profoundly different after her rescue from the deep sea, which I found slow and repetitive at times. Yet as the book continues, we learn terrifying details about Leah's journey that both women omitted until they were impossible to ignore. I most enjoyed reading Leah's perspective, as I also have a fascination with the ocean and the creatures that roam it. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy both literary and horror fiction, and who appreciate stories that leave many of its answers to mystery.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror

Moderate: Sexual content and Alcohol

lyrapollock's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Death, and Body horror

Moderate: Sexual content, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, and Blood

Minor: Self harm, Eating disorder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

tifftastic87's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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

5.0

This book. This book! I was hooked from the beginning and didnt want to put it down. I've been describing it as cozy horror. 

I have concluded that this is as much a vibe as it is  story. 

It is an organ playing in a museum when you're the only one there. A coyote in the woods. The silence that comes with morning fog. The pop of a fire long after its gone dead. Cozy and spooky. 

It is grief embodied by the anxiety of a sinking ship that you cant stop. Sinking. That is all I could think about while reading it, the sinking of a pit of anxiety in my stomach. The veil of never really knowing what happened or what was happening. It was a feeling of Eldritch horror wrapped in the pace of a Victorian gothic set in modern UK. It felt familiar and wholy unknown at the same time. 

I genuinely cannot get over how it made me feel to read it. I knew nothing of the format going in and I feel like that is the best way to approach it. So, I'm not going to give any details. No details, just vibes. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Body horror, and Confinement

Moderate: Sexual content, Blood, Death of parent, and Death

Minor: Violence

chaos_and_chapters's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Mental illness, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Confinement, Gore, Blood, and Body horror

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

Minor: Sexual content and Medical content

bi_n_large's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Death, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Lesbophobia, Violence, Sexual content, and Biphobia

angieincaps's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• 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: Mental illness, Body horror, Confinement, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Eating disorder

Minor: Sexual content

withlivjones's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-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? No

4.25

Haunting and eerie, part romance, part thriller, part horror. The narration is wonderful and both Leah and Miri are such real characters whose thoughts and experiences and flaws burst from the page. Topics of loss, anxiety, and love that transcends distance (both literally and psychologically) are dealt with beautifully. This is the kind of book that leaves you breathless (ha ha). 

Are all my questions answered? No. Do I kind of wish that certain things were explained in a little more detail? Perhaps. But nevertheless, the vibes are immaculate. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, and Mental illness

Moderate: Cursing, Death of parent, and Terminal illness

Minor: Sexual content

One minor character that could potentially be enforcing biphobic stereotypes

melliedm's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

5.0

A dive deep into the waters of love, loss, grief, and illness. Heart wrenching and nerve wracking. Incredible.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Grief, Confinement, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Medical content, Death of parent, and Sexual content

Minor: Lesbophobia