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A review by akira_outofthegravity
Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I’m crying so hard right now. This is a good book that is turned into a great book by the Hadal Zone portion. I’m literally sobbing.
This is a very unique book. It’s about Leah and Miri. Leah is a marine biologist who occasionally goes on dives that last for weeks. However one time she and her crew don’t resurface for six months and her wife Miri presumes her dead.
When she does resurface, this Leah is not the one Miri remembers. It’s a dual narrative, with Leah writing about her experiences in the submarine with her two colleagues, while Miri’s portions explore the relationship before and after the event, as well as Miri’s personal coping strategies- or lack thereof.
This is an incredible story, and the layout is really fascinating because the story progression does give you the feeling of sinking and being unable to stop the inevitable- much like what Leah feels during the accident. It’s an ending you can see coming, but really that just makes it more tragic.
The ending is beautiful and I like how horror focused this story is without distracting from the story- but most of all I love how Leah and Miri love. You can feel the adoration and romance oozing from the pages. Above all, despite everything they love each other. Even when Leah seems lost, a part of her seems to be fighting to return to Miri. Even when Leah seems unreachable, Miri still tries to accommodate her. And that makes this a 5* read for me. A lot goes unanswered, but to be honest I don’t mind. That’s not what the story is about- it’s not a mystery, it’s not crime, it’s romance and tragedy.
Personally, I think the story is actually an extended metaphor for Leah’s death and Miri’s grief process. Leah and Matteo die down in the ocean, and the last entry is her being released to the afterlife, while Miri letting Leah go in the ocean is her finally accepting her death. That’s my interpretation anyway.
This is a very unique book. It’s about Leah and Miri. Leah is a marine biologist who occasionally goes on dives that last for weeks. However one time she and her crew don’t resurface for six months and her wife Miri presumes her dead.
When she does resurface, this Leah is not the one Miri remembers. It’s a dual narrative, with Leah writing about her experiences in the submarine with her two colleagues, while Miri’s portions explore the relationship before and after the event, as well as Miri’s personal coping strategies- or lack thereof.
This is an incredible story, and the layout is really fascinating because the story progression does give you the feeling of sinking and being unable to stop the inevitable- much like what Leah feels during the accident. It’s an ending you can see coming, but really that just makes it more tragic.
The ending is beautiful and I like how horror focused this story is without distracting from the story- but most of all I love how Leah and Miri love. You can feel the adoration and romance oozing from the pages. Above all, despite everything they love each other. Even when Leah seems lost, a part of her seems to be fighting to return to Miri. Even when Leah seems unreachable, Miri still tries to accommodate her. And that makes this a 5* read for me. A lot goes unanswered, but to be honest I don’t mind. That’s not what the story is about- it’s not a mystery, it’s not crime, it’s romance and tragedy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Confinement, Death, and Body horror
Moderate: Death of parent and Eating disorder