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A review by hxppyhxt
Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield
dark
emotional
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
If you enjoyed the TV series The Haunting of Bly Manor, this is the book for you.
Our Wives Under the Sea is a haunting and heart wrenching read that explores the fear of the unknown depths and changes in relationship dynamics.
Though the story is haunting, I don’t think I would call it horror in the modern sense of the genre. There are absolutely elements of body horror and psychological horror, though a large portion of the conflict is seen through the eyes of Miri, whose life is irreversibly changed when her wife, Leah, returns months late from a subsea expedition, who must grieve the life of a person who is technically still alive while adapting life around the echoes of her partner's traumatic experience.
One of the biggest complaints I’ve seen about this book is that there is no full explanation for why the initial change in Leah occurs. Where many readers find this to be a weak spot, I think it is one of the book’s strengths. Armfield relays enough information about the event for the reader to get a general idea about what is going on, but not enough to provide an exact explanation. Instead, she leaves room for the reader to fill in the horrific details. Though I enjoyed this aspect of the book, I know that this, paired with the slow paced and relationship-focused nature of the story, may not appeal to many audiences. However, if you are a part of Armfield's niche intended audience, you will be reflecting on Our Wives Under the Sea for weeks after completing it.
Our Wives Under the Sea is a haunting and heart wrenching read that explores the fear of the unknown depths and changes in relationship dynamics.
Though the story is haunting, I don’t think I would call it horror in the modern sense of the genre. There are absolutely elements of body horror and psychological horror, though a large portion of the conflict is seen through the eyes of Miri, whose life is irreversibly changed when her wife, Leah, returns months late from a subsea expedition, who must grieve the life of a person who is technically still alive while adapting life around the echoes of her partner's traumatic experience.
One of the biggest complaints I’ve seen about this book is that there is no full explanation for why the initial change in Leah occurs. Where many readers find this to be a weak spot, I think it is one of the book’s strengths. Armfield relays enough information about the event for the reader to get a general idea about what is going on, but not enough to provide an exact explanation. Instead, she leaves room for the reader to fill in the horrific details. Though I enjoyed this aspect of the book, I know that this, paired with the slow paced and relationship-focused nature of the story, may not appeal to many audiences. However, if you are a part of Armfield's niche intended audience, you will be reflecting on Our Wives Under the Sea for weeks after completing it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Grief
Moderate: Vomit
Minor: Confinement and Death