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A review by gia0203
Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I found this book to be absolutely fascinating.
I have always found space more terrifying than the ocean. I think of the sea more curiously than fearfully, and sometimes wonder what’s beneath the surface. I went through a phase too of being obsessed with octopi (J still love them). So I actually found the story more beautiful than horrifying. Leah’s feelings about the ocean, and how she reflected on how it had shaped not just her life but everyone else’s, was wonderful to read. The ocean was always a source of comfort for her, but she also depended on it. It was an obsession, and I liked how this was a source of tension in Leah and Miri’s relationship.
I liked too how the book was a metaphor for grief. The death of the protagonist’s parents was intertwined with Leah’s narrative beautifully. The way Leah’s body changed was a reflection of slowly losing someone, and it was really well done. The ending definitely paid off because of this.
The pace moved slowly and gently like the ebb and flow of the waves. The text was littered with small details about Leah and Miri’s life and it made the reading experience really emotional. It’s hard to pull off a pace this slow without being dull, but for me this book was never boring, and instead I anticipated what was going to happen next while also enjoying being in the characters’ heads and learning about their lives. Leah was definitely a more concrete and likeable character than Miri, but by the end I loved both of them and thought their relationship was beautifully written.
I think the slow pace of the novel made me feel like I was losing my mind too. It’s easy to get lost in this book. It made me feel dreamy and not quite here. Sunken thoughts, as Miri would say.
On a final note, I wish we could’ve found out more about the creature at the end - I was looking forward to reading the pages Leah wrote! I guess it’s left up to our imagination. Regardless, I thought this was a wonderful and devastating book and I ordered a physical copy immediately upon finishing the digital version.
I have always found space more terrifying than the ocean. I think of the sea more curiously than fearfully, and sometimes wonder what’s beneath the surface. I went through a phase too of being obsessed with octopi (J still love them). So I actually found the story more beautiful than horrifying. Leah’s feelings about the ocean, and how she reflected on how it had shaped not just her life but everyone else’s, was wonderful to read. The ocean was always a source of comfort for her, but she also depended on it. It was an obsession, and I liked how this was a source of tension in Leah and Miri’s relationship.
I liked too how the book was a metaphor for grief. The death of the protagonist’s parents was intertwined with Leah’s narrative beautifully. The way Leah’s body changed was a reflection of slowly losing someone, and it was really well done. The ending definitely paid off because of this.
The pace moved slowly and gently like the ebb and flow of the waves. The text was littered with small details about Leah and Miri’s life and it made the reading experience really emotional. It’s hard to pull off a pace this slow without being dull, but for me this book was never boring, and instead I anticipated what was going to happen next while also enjoying being in the characters’ heads and learning about their lives. Leah was definitely a more concrete and likeable character than Miri, but by the end I loved both of them and thought their relationship was beautifully written.
I think the slow pace of the novel made me feel like I was losing my mind too. It’s easy to get lost in this book. It made me feel dreamy and not quite here. Sunken thoughts, as Miri would say.
On a final note,
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Grief
Moderate: Death, Suicide
Minor: Death of parent