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liesthemoontells 's review for:
Our Wives Under The Sea
by Julia Armfield
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a strange, haunting, and melodic book. The book jumps chronologically and thematically between three plots: the shocking circumstances of the protagonists' present once Leah returns from her mysterious trip, told through her wife Miri's eyes; the story of Leah's horrendous, suspended state of limbo in a submarine with no power at the bottom of the ocean; and the beautifully mundane progression of their love story and lives together Before.
The balance between these three plots is excellent, giving each storyline the space to breathe and unfurl, although the ending felt a little bit rushed.
The prose is the strongest feature of this book. The ordinary moments of the character's lives are enchanting and ephemeral, and the horror feels magnified and immediate. At times I did need to treat the central plot as allegorical rather than centred in realism to excuse the more inexplicable actions of the characters, but even withstanding this, the overall beauty and grief of their love story shines through.
The balance between these three plots is excellent, giving each storyline the space to breathe and unfurl, although the ending felt a little bit rushed.
The prose is the strongest feature of this book. The ordinary moments of the character's lives are enchanting and ephemeral, and the horror feels magnified and immediate. At times I did need to treat the central plot as allegorical rather than centred in realism to excuse the more inexplicable actions of the characters, but even withstanding this, the overall beauty and grief of their love story shines through.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Confinement, Gore, Homophobia, Terminal illness, Medical content, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail