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lydiahephzibah's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Setting: UK
Rep: all queer/sapphic protagonists
This is very atmospheric, set in a future UK (London, presumably) where it rains all the time. It has quite a heavy atmosphere, very dank and depressing, and the story is mostly about three sisters in their 20s/30s who bicker constantly, and the end didn't make much sense but I still enjoyed it!
Rep: all queer/sapphic protagonists
This is very atmospheric, set in a future UK (London, presumably) where it rains all the time. It has quite a heavy atmosphere, very dank and depressing, and the story is mostly about three sisters in their 20s/30s who bicker constantly, and the end didn't make much sense but I still enjoyed it!
holdenwunders_'s review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Quite a few words come to mind in response to Julia Armfield’s writing; riveting, haunting, mesmerizing and they still seem to pale in comparison while reading.
Armfield is a master of mixing techniques and pulls from so many genres that it tends to transcend all need for categorization. She blends literary fiction with horror, fantasy, science fiction, mythology and never falls into ruining the individual aspects of each that makes them special. It is rare to find an authour who is able to walk this tight rope as elegantly as Armfield, that going into every new book feels like a journey I cannot wait to unfold and Private Rites is no exception.
Taking place in a world going through a mediocre apocalypse starring three sisters grappling with their father’s death and their upbringing. It doesn’t sound like the most thrilling premise and yet Armfield haunts and explores in every possible direction with three very different women. This is no ghost story and yet she is able to grasp the same sort of tension and yearning that is pervasive and necessary in gothic tales.
My most minor critique is that I wish Private Rites felt a bit more like Our Wives Under the Sea in the way reading felt like a wave. Private Rites is less of a riptide as it is a slowly rising rollercoaster that has a single fall at the end. And yet, that’s artistic impressions for you, and is not a bad thing by any means but purely a different experience in reading.
Armfield is a master of mixing techniques and pulls from so many genres that it tends to transcend all need for categorization. She blends literary fiction with horror, fantasy, science fiction, mythology and never falls into ruining the individual aspects of each that makes them special. It is rare to find an authour who is able to walk this tight rope as elegantly as Armfield, that going into every new book feels like a journey I cannot wait to unfold and Private Rites is no exception.
Taking place in a world going through a mediocre apocalypse starring three sisters grappling with their father’s death and their upbringing. It doesn’t sound like the most thrilling premise and yet Armfield haunts and explores in every possible direction with three very different women. This is no ghost story and yet she is able to grasp the same sort of tension and yearning that is pervasive and necessary in gothic tales.
My most minor critique is that I wish Private Rites felt a bit more like Our Wives Under the Sea in the way reading felt like a wave. Private Rites is less of a riptide as it is a slowly rising rollercoaster that has a single fall at the end. And yet, that’s artistic impressions for you, and is not a bad thing by any means but purely a different experience in reading.
chloerandall's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
sweetnsourfxhk's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
libraryoflanelle's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
‘Private Rites’ contains many incredibly quotable reflections on life under the pressures of a drowning world. As always, Julia's writing is exquisite, and the way she writes dialogue in particular is some of the most realistic and easy-flowing I've ever read.
I’d like to echo what many reviewers have said: this book is very different from what the synopsis implies. It leans more towards literary fiction than speculative/horror for the majority, with a significant focus on the dynamics of the sisters' relationships with one another and others who cross their paths.
I tend to have a hit-or-miss relationship with literary fiction, and since much of this book centres on the relationship between the sisters and their day-to-day lives following their father's death, I found myself struggling to get through some parts. The incessant conflict between the sisters bogged me down a bit in the first half, but this is likely just a product of my own mindset and should by no means put anyone off reading it.
This book is very different from Our Wives Under the Sea, which, for some, will be a good thing. For others, myself included, it may lead to this not being what you're expecting (don’t get me wrong I still really liked this book). The pacing felt a little disjointed to me for the first two-thirds, with it ramping up significantly in the last third. In retrospect, I can see how this may have been an intentional choice to add to the unsettling feelings.
The setting is so realistic yet unsettling. I love how Julia illustrated the atmosphere of a future world different yet eerily similar to our own, so well in fact that I often forgot the world was drowning while people went about their seemingly mundane lives.
The ending is one of those that will likely make or break the book for many people. For me personally, the ending took me by surprise in the best way and led me to skim through the whole novel again in search of references and comments that had definitely gone over my head the first time, perhaps owing to the fact that I read this book mostly in a daze before bed. It's definitely worth making sure your brain is fully switched on when reading this book to take in all the clever things that Julia does in her writing.
Lastly, it should go without saying, but I also, of course, loved the abundant queerness, which, in my opinion, paired with Julia's writing, is reason enough to pick this one up.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc. All opinions are my own.
literarygrooves's review against another edition
5.0
My first read by Julia Armfield, and WOW, the hype is very well-deserved.
End of times/climate change settings are usually hit-or-miss for me, sometimes leaning on trope-y stereotypes that take some of the punch out of the message. Armfield’s setting here is one of the best I’ve ever read. Bleak, foreboding, utterly dreadful, but also incredibly, depressingly realistic. I think sometimes there tends to be imagined this absolute chaotic, quick descent into apocalyptic circumstances but sadly, what Armfield presents is probably the most realistic: a slow sinking, many folks continuing about their days as normal, going to work as usual.
While “The City” is quite literally its own character here and is wonderfully done, our three main characters - Isla, Irene & Agnes - are also incredibly well-written. Isla drove me a bit insane, and I had quite a soft spot for both Irene and Agnes (especially Irene, I felt a bit of a kinship with her, to be honest), but all 3 are so fully realized that I truly had empathy for them all. Plus I’m a sucker for complex, dysfunctional family dynamics.
Ultimately, while this is a slow burn horror novel that pays off with a horrifying and creepy finale, it’s also a story of queer love, familial love, the desperation, hope and maybe even salvation found in love during the worst of times.
End of times/climate change settings are usually hit-or-miss for me, sometimes leaning on trope-y stereotypes that take some of the punch out of the message. Armfield’s setting here is one of the best I’ve ever read. Bleak, foreboding, utterly dreadful, but also incredibly, depressingly realistic. I think sometimes there tends to be imagined this absolute chaotic, quick descent into apocalyptic circumstances but sadly, what Armfield presents is probably the most realistic: a slow sinking, many folks continuing about their days as normal, going to work as usual.
While “The City” is quite literally its own character here and is wonderfully done, our three main characters - Isla, Irene & Agnes - are also incredibly well-written. Isla drove me a bit insane, and I had quite a soft spot for both Irene and Agnes (especially Irene, I felt a bit of a kinship with her, to be honest), but all 3 are so fully realized that I truly had empathy for them all. Plus I’m a sucker for complex, dysfunctional family dynamics.
Ultimately, while this is a slow burn horror novel that pays off with a horrifying and creepy finale, it’s also a story of queer love, familial love, the desperation, hope and maybe even salvation found in love during the worst of times.
emilychau's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
virginiaberg's review
dark
slow-paced
5.0
I mean, what is there even to say? This is everything you could ever expect/want/need from a Julia Armfield novel — beautifully written, terrifying, chock full of dykes, atmospheric, heartbreaking, dread-inducing, utterly original, absolutely obsessed with water. Who else is doing literary horror like her?? If a contemporary gothic horror set during a slow-rolling climate apocalypse featuring very messy lesbians who kind of suck sounds appealing to you, definitely read this!!!
Also, several reviews mention that they felt misled by the publishers description so I went back and read it and they’re right, it’s weird! Why do publishers insist on writing descriptions that are just kind of inaccurate.
Also also, while I do like the US cover the UK cover is soooo good. They won this round unfortunately 😔 Will be ordering a copy from the UK!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!