Review by dhilas_archive - Our Wives Under The Sea

dhilas_archive 's review for:

Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield

3.5

dark sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

The story is told by two POV. Leah mainly talks about the catastrophic deep sea mission, the sea and her love of anything about it. Miri on the other hand, tells about the rest of the story; their relationship, her mother, and most importantly the aftermath of the event. It dawned on me that the story was not about the mission, but rather about love and grief. Most importantly about grieving someone that you love but now has slipped away into a stranger.

There are some part of the book that’s a little hard to read. Not because of the body horror or how unsettling it is, but more because of the wording. Sometimes I have to re-read the lines before I understand what it really means. The story also doesn’t seem to progress further until like the end of the book, which doesn’t help to make it less-frustrating. Also, there isn’t actually much story of the deep sea mission. It does however able to keep the story engaging enough, especially if you’re into commentary about the sea and its creatures. Overall it’s a great atmospheric book, but plot-wise not very exciting.

Content Warnings