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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
I fell in love with Julia Armfield’s writing from the moment I laid eyes on the first page of Our Wives Under The Sea, forcing myself to not devour her words but take my time with them, knowing even from that first sentence that I would be bereft when I came to the end of all she’s published so far.
And here I am, feeling just that. There’s a quality to her writing that I have yet to find anywhere else, the kind of description and world building that entirely submerges you in these stories that are both raw and human, and otherworldly, a place of science fiction. There’s two tales going on at once: something achingly relatable and ‘normal’, characters with relationships that are so rich in detail, flaws that feel curated in a way that it could be someone you know, anyone really. And then the element of dystopia. The strangeness of the weather, of sea creatures, of something unknown lurking in the dark. Armfield is exceptional at both, at intertwining the two seamlessly.
All that to say that this book is hauntingly good. Perhaps the best book I’ve read in years. I will have to wait somewhat patiently to see what Armfield brings us next, but regardless, I know I’ll be reading it.
And here I am, feeling just that. There’s a quality to her writing that I have yet to find anywhere else, the kind of description and world building that entirely submerges you in these stories that are both raw and human, and otherworldly, a place of science fiction. There’s two tales going on at once: something achingly relatable and ‘normal’, characters with relationships that are so rich in detail, flaws that feel curated in a way that it could be someone you know, anyone really. And then the element of dystopia. The strangeness of the weather, of sea creatures, of something unknown lurking in the dark. Armfield is exceptional at both, at intertwining the two seamlessly.
All that to say that this book is hauntingly good. Perhaps the best book I’ve read in years. I will have to wait somewhat patiently to see what Armfield brings us next, but regardless, I know I’ll be reading it.
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Holy... I don't even have the words. Exquisitely written, daring horror that holds back the biggest tropes like a clever poker hand, waiting for you to run out of willpower. Is it about now, is it about the near future? Is it about grief, loss, family, estrangement, regret? It's all of it. Ari Aster wishes.
Damp and mournful, beautiful and terrifying, wicked and salty, like the sea. Julia Armfield is the queen of water and in my opinion one of the UK's best living writers, a voice for a particularly lost generation. I'm impatient for more.
Damp and mournful, beautiful and terrifying, wicked and salty, like the sea. Julia Armfield is the queen of water and in my opinion one of the UK's best living writers, a voice for a particularly lost generation. I'm impatient for more.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Confinement, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicide, Grief, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is my favorite book I’ve read this year. I couldn’t put it down.
The setting is odd, spooky, and apocalyptic and like many things in this book, there and never really overly explained. You’re left to imagine this rising water level happening over time.
There are many mysteries to untangle as you read, particularly the family dynamics of the 3 sisters. I enjoyed that there wasn’t a huge expose moment, rather we are given glimpses of memory just as memories actually come: short flashes, questioning if we remember correctly.
This would make a great book club read. I’ll definitely be recommending it and reading more by this author.
The setting is odd, spooky, and apocalyptic and like many things in this book, there and never really overly explained. You’re left to imagine this rising water level happening over time.
There are many mysteries to untangle as you read, particularly the family dynamics of the 3 sisters. I enjoyed that there wasn’t a huge expose moment, rather we are given glimpses of memory just as memories actually come: short flashes, questioning if we remember correctly.
This would make a great book club read. I’ll definitely be recommending it and reading more by this author.
dark
emotional
slow-paced
dark
mysterious
reflective
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:
Yes
i was pleasantly surprised with this! i wasn’t the hugest fan of our wives under the sea, but for some reason this novel captivated me. the character study really worked for me here, i think mostly because each character was incredibly complex and intricate. what stuck with me most was the illustration of these labyrinthine emotions:
“The problem with love, of course, is that it frequently asks too much of unlovable people.”
“To be misunderstood is one thing, but the curious hostility of a sibling's approach lies less in what they miss than in the strange backdated nature of the things they choose to know. A person can be thirty, thirty-five, and yet still largely described by her sisters in terms of things which happened to be true at the age of seventeen.”
i think this is the kind of novel that will stick with me for a while just for its characterization. the kind of novel that i’ll have to read again and again. my only qualm is that i don’t quite understand the ending. i liked the abruptness of it, the ambiguity - but even after sitting with it i can’t quite parse what it might mean. but overall i loved the concept of these little things scattered throughout the novel culminating in a rug pull twist. like you can feel it coming, you know these things have to mean something, but you don’t really know how.
anyways, i loved this. i might need to reread our wives and see if i have different thoughts now
“The problem with love, of course, is that it frequently asks too much of unlovable people.”
“To be misunderstood is one thing, but the curious hostility of a sibling's approach lies less in what they miss than in the strange backdated nature of the things they choose to know. A person can be thirty, thirty-five, and yet still largely described by her sisters in terms of things which happened to be true at the age of seventeen.”
i think this is the kind of novel that will stick with me for a while just for its characterization. the kind of novel that i’ll have to read again and again. my only qualm is that i don’t quite understand the ending. i liked the abruptness of it, the ambiguity - but even after sitting with it i can’t quite parse what it might mean. but overall i loved the concept of these little things scattered throughout the novel culminating in a rug pull twist. like you can feel it coming, you know these things have to mean something, but you don’t really know how.
anyways, i loved this. i might need to reread our wives and see if i have different thoughts now
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death of parent
Moderate: Grief
dark
emotional
tense
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I thought I was picking up on some Wicker Man vibes and it was so gratifying to have that confirmed in the final act. I think there was some slight frustration that the ending felt so rushed but I think it captured the eerieness and startled nature of it all. The equally terrifying and slow burn prospect is the attempt to carry on in the process of environmental collapse. Just very brilliantly written.