PositiveNB MagazineLanguage is both lyrical and straight-to-the-point ... The child observes and says little; meaning lies more in what is unsaid and not understood. There is always a lack of comprehension that accompanies the trope of young narrators, where it takes a bit more work to read between the lines, and the skill of a great writer.
Julia Armfield
PositiveNBAbove all else, this debut is a feat of imagery and lyrical syntax. Language ebbs and flows, both watery and full of depth, almost tidal in its movements. Armfield conjures the otherworldly and unknowable quality of the dark depths of the ocean with skill, inspiring in readers a curiosity for marine worlds they probably didn’t know they had. She blends genres: horror, romance, science fiction, travel narrative, in a unique and daring way ... At times, it feels as if Our Wives Under the Sea might have worked better as a short story, as it lacks a narratorial arc that felt as deep as the language and imagery. Nonetheless, this uncanny sea voyage is a bold work that deserves praise.
