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A review by crybabybea
Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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
4.5
This was a really beautiful, atmospheric read that explored themes of grief, love, and loss. It's categorized as horror because there are some supernatural elements as well as some truly creepy scenes (especially for us with thalassophobia) but I would say it leans more literary than true heart-pumping horror, if that matters to you. Definitely strong gothic vibes.
I loved the moments of queer love; the safe space of meeting with other queer people, the uncomfortable boundaries queer couples have to draw in public to keep themselves safe, the way queer relationships cause rifts in families, the way queer people come together in community in times of hardship. It was bittersweet and a bit of a melancholic perspective that I felt worked well.
The best part of this book though is definitely the exploration of grief and of love found and lost. I found it incredibly moving, especially Miri's perspective as she struggles with learning to love Leah again after she comes back changed and broken. There were some incredibly poignant scenes where Miri's inner monologue goes through memories of "my Leah", the Leah she fell in love with and the desperation to have just one sliver of that joy again was heartbreaking. I think it would be relatable to anyone who has had relationship troubles of any kind, not even specifically loss via death or disappearance. I have never experienced a heavy loss, and still found parts of Miri and Leah's relationship relatable and poignant. For me, I think this speaks to the author's ability to write about grief wholly and fully -- not just the grief of loss but the bittersweet grief of human connection, change, and memory.
The usage of the ocean as a metaphor for grief was genius and really made everything hit harder for me. I loved that the book was split up into parts named after the different sections of the sea as the grief got deeper and eventually turned into acceptance. Really impressive and I think the author pulled it off so well.
I loved the moments of queer love; the safe space of meeting with other queer people, the uncomfortable boundaries queer couples have to draw in public to keep themselves safe, the way queer relationships cause rifts in families, the way queer people come together in community in times of hardship. It was bittersweet and a bit of a melancholic perspective that I felt worked well.
The best part of this book though is definitely the exploration of grief and of love found and lost. I found it incredibly moving, especially Miri's perspective as she struggles with learning to love Leah again after she comes back changed and broken. There were some incredibly poignant scenes where Miri's inner monologue goes through memories of "my Leah", the Leah she fell in love with and the desperation to have just one sliver of that joy again was heartbreaking. I think it would be relatable to anyone who has had relationship troubles of any kind, not even specifically loss via death or disappearance. I have never experienced a heavy loss, and still found parts of Miri and Leah's relationship relatable and poignant. For me, I think this speaks to the author's ability to write about grief wholly and fully -- not just the grief of loss but the bittersweet grief of human connection, change, and memory.
The usage of the ocean as a metaphor for grief was genius and really made everything hit harder for me. I loved that the book was split up into parts named after the different sections of the sea as the grief got deeper and eventually turned into acceptance. Really impressive and I think the author pulled it off so well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cancer, Confinement, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis