Coming from the author of Our Wives Under the Sea, this was not what I expected. I feel like a lot of people will have the opposite opinion, but I definitely prefer Our Wives over this. OWUtS was a wonderfully weird,  unconventional, and thought provoking read. I expected Private Rites to have those elements dialed up to 11. Instead, it felt like your average 2020s lit-fic. For me, it was a bit of a drag, it took a long time to really get to the point, and once I got there, it ended too fast. If I hadn't been listening to the audiobook, or if it were longer, I probably wouldn't have finished the book.

Don't get me wrong, the writing style flowed nicely and there were some good moments, quotes worth revisiting and such, but I wish it got to the heart of the plot earlier on, and I wish it leaned further into the darker elements. Also, I felt that there were too many POVs. Especially because the characters didn't feel particularly distinctive. I kept confusing Isla with Irene because they have such similar names and narrative voices. I wish this were either more plot driven, or more character driven. It felt like it flip-flopped between the two styles, leading to both feeling watered down.

This wasn't for me, but if you like gloomy queer lit fic, and climate change speculative fiction, this might interest you. Even if you read OWUtS and disliked it, since Private Rites is considerably different.