A review by archaicrobin
Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-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? It's complicated

5.0

Our Wives Under the Sea is a beautifully written gothic tale about a submarine mission gone very wrong. Leah is a scientist who embarks on a deep sea mission for research which quickly goes wrong, stranding her at the bottom of the ocean with a small crew for months. Once she finally resurfaces her wife Miri quickly realizes that Leah has come back changed emotionally and physically in ways she can’t explain. 

This story is full of lyrical prose that dissects the themes of loss and grief through Miri and Leah’s deteriorating relationship as Leah’s condition worsens. Our Wives Under the Sea is atmospheric and eerie with several horrifying scenes that will stay with you. While the mystery of what occurred under the ocean is one of the main intrigues of the novel, this horror story is also about Miri and Leah’s relationship both before and after the expedition. 

While I greatly enjoyed this book, I do realize that Our Wives Under the Sea is not for everyone. I agree with other reviews stating that this is for a very niche audience, and is best for those looking for an eerie, weird, atmospheric gothic horror that leaves you unsettled. If you’re expecting answers, you will be disappointed. This eerie story leaves the reader with more questions than answers and doesn’t explicitly tell you what happened down on the sea floor or why. Instead of irritating me, this lack of conclusion left me wondering what exactly occurred and why.  If you’re looking for a unique horror novel with some horrifying body horror elements, I highly recommend .
Expand filter menu Content Warnings