I have a lot of conflicting feelings about this one. I agree with much of the criticism I'm seeing but I also appreciate a lot of what this book has to offer.

I can't say I enjoyed this reading experience. The prose is beautiful but a bit pretentious. I saw a review that said it feels like Armfield was more interested in creating atmosphere than in developing her characters or the story. I agree with this. It felt like a first novel, a pretty good one, but a first novel nonetheless. I wanted the horror to be turned up a notch. Sometimes I wanted less reminiscing and more reacting to the situation at hand, especially in Leah's chapters. I didn't want more clarity but I did want a bit more to work with. The weirdness with the Centre, the neighbor's loud television, the experience of being trapped underwater; I wanted more attention/exploration in these moments. 

Having said all that, I think Armfield succeeded in creating claustrophobic tension. She portrayed love and partnership in an understated but profound manner; showing the connection between Miri and Leah through their collective memories. Armfield portrayed mundane yet unrelenting homophobic microaggressions, communicating how deeply the cishet culture misunderstands and overcomplicates queerness. And Armfield's exploration of grief was beautiful. Grieving for those who have died and grieving for those who have changed in ways that make them unrecognizable. 

I actually cried when I finished this book. I've been kinda sensitive lately and dealing with some shit, but even so, a book has never made me cry before.