Our Wives Under the Sea
Ratings277
Average rating3.8
4.25/5
This book was a really great portrayal on grief and losing someone you love. I wish the ending was a little less ambiguous though & that we got some more answers but overall, it was a really beautiful story.
3.5 stars. I really want to give it four but if it had a few more chapters then maybe I'd be happier. I really enjoyed this, it was unsettling and saddening and horrifying. I might write a more in depth review on this when I'm not so tired because I do have a lot to say about this.
( 3.5 ⋆ )
There are many benefits to being a marine biologist :D
I was expecting to love this book, especially when I was just a few pages in.
One of the complaints I heard a lot is the structure of the book, the two POVs and stories within said POVs being interrupted endlessly. I see where they're coming from, it does feel like ads sometimes when it jumps from the creepy submarine to some domestic slice of life scenarios.
That being said, I didn't mind it at all; I was enjoying the gradual buildup of the thriller/cosmic horror, Miri's grief and the fragments of her relationship with Leah, the discussions of loss, the analogies with the sea, and on top of all that the prose was genuinely beautiful.
The problem imo was that all of this led up to pretty much nothing. The buildup, I mean. It was frustrating to see that so many things are left unanswered at the end when being lead to believe otherwise throughout both the characters' pursuit for answers, which is basically the plot. Some parts could've been easily left out out, so I think it's a little unpolished in that sense.
I think this book is beautifully written. The pace is good, and I'm glad we got both the main characters point of views. However, I do wish that we learn more about the center. The ending felt abrupt and we never find out who was calling, which seemed like it was becoming a bigger thread towards the end only to stop.
Our Wives Under The Sea is not a love story. It is a story about love. It???s about how beautiful love is, how precious all of the little moments spent together are, how you come to learn your lover???s charming quirks and eccentricities. These romantic asides aren???t built into the story for the romance though: They???re built into the story to juxtapose against the harsh coldness between the lovers only a few months later, because in that time, one of them was supposed to be on an oceanic exploration for a few weeks but returned a few months later a completely changed person. It???s not so much the horror it???s advertised as, but rather the aftermath of horror. Both of the protagonists are pushed to their emotional extremes, but refuse to let go of each other. Our Wives Under The Sea is not a love story, it is a story about how fragile love seems and also about how strong it really is, a portrait of a marriage in the face of tragedy, an ode to the seemingly insignificant moments still remembered years later. In a tight 220 pages, Our Wives Under The Sea is a devastating, powerful novel that remains compulsively readable throughout with exceptionally poetic prose and some truly clever chapter breaks (you???ll know what I mean when you see them).
This story was hypnotizing! A very dark grieving process sprinkled with horror if I must say. I don't think I've read something similar before. I liked the format the story is told but I found it too digressive at times. I do think this is a great depiction of loss.
If I wasn't reading it for the r/fantasy bingo I would have DNFed this book halfway through. I just wanted more from it. This book is solely focused on a theme of grief and I personally struggle if there isn't at least one of the plot or character as a main focus.
If that is something you are into, check it out.
I was quite dull and didn't realize Leah was turning into a Hadal creature until the Hadal Zone ;v; The imagery was quite nerve-wracking as Leah's body was adapting to the Hadal zone underwater. I for sure what not expecting such adaptation to the human body in such way when going into this book.
I thought the writing was beautiful, the idea of change, death, and having to ultimately let go of something/someone was prominent.
Now I'll be dreaming about big eyeballs and scary Hadal/transparent sea creatures with those big sharp white teeth, good bye
girls always want a sapphic relationship until their wife becomes one with the sea
I am not sure how to feel about this one, truly. Not a lot actually happens, most of it is internal thoughts and very non descript actions. Which at the beginning I loved. It made me feel claustrophobic, and there was dread seeping out of every scentence. But then it started to drag its feet, with the research crew not even feeling once like scientists either. The worst for me is that I am left with more questions and no answers.
Low on plot, high on vibes. The vibe is eerie, mysterious, and unsettling from the get-go, and it just keeps getting weirder. At the same time, there are themes of isolation, loneliness, and lots of grief.
I don't know if I got all the metaphors, but I'm excited to look for more on re-reading.
3.5
man this is a hard one to rate so i might change it eventually. i loved so many things about this one: leah's chapters, the relationship between leah and miri, the atmosphere, the writting; but then there were so many boring chapters that made the book feel like it's 400pgs long. i love everything sea/ocean themed, especially in horror, thats why i think im willing to rate this higher than i should (and also bc its a lesbian horror novela and thats my fav subgenre of books). also this reminded me so much of the game called “iron lung” and the movie “the shape of water”
With its themes of terror and the sea juxtaposed with queer sensuality, this hit me in all of the ways that Zarate's “The Route of Ice and Salt” did. It's the kind of narrative I don't always follow yet feel very much engrossed by.
Profoundly weird and quietly engaging. Elements strongly reminded me of Annihilation but mixed with much more humanity, love, and care as we hear Miri reflect on her love for Leah, chronicling their relationship throughout her chapters. Armfield’s story wormed its way through my imagination as she explores love, grief, and horror.
Rating: 2.3 leaves out of 5Characters: 2.5/5 Cover: 2.5/5Story: 2/5Writing: 4/5Horror: .5/5Genre: HorrorType: AudiobookWorth?: MehHated Disliked Meh It Was Okay Liked LovedWhat a lackluster story. Honestly don't know what people are raving about. Armfield kept everything as bleak as brown water. The relationship between the two women were the only think worth remembering when it came to the book. Nothing was well explained. You had maybe ONE moment where you went ‘OH'. But when Miri meets up with the sister who knows what is going on do we get to hear it? No... we are literally left in the dark. Also the ending? I don't even know. This was lazy writing at best trying to be like ‘art'. Like Leah, somethings are better at the bottom of the ocean.
3.5 stars
i loved the writing style but somehow i wouldn't consider this a horror novel at all. i think the problem for me was that i had very different expectations compared to what i got, so that's just a me thing and very subjective
i feel like this is a quiet horror but i absolutely love how this combined horror with a love story. i adored the writing style and i love water/ocean horror so of course i would love this one