I loved Armfield's first novel, so was really looking forward to this one. I thoroughly enjoyed this. The three sisters were very unique and finely-drawn characters that I found very compelling.

I will say I did not much appreciate the twist in the end; I didn't see any indication of something like that coming and that was a little jarring. Still - a slow-burn intriguing rad.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the Kindle ARC. I absolutely loved Jula Armfield's book, Our Wives Under the Sea. I hadn't quite read anything like it before. I had high hopes for Private Rites but it didn't quite hold my interest as much as Our Wives. Maybe its because this book is more apocalyptic whereas Our Wives was very personal and tragic in its own way. Julia Armfield is still an author whose work I will seek out.

Private Rites by Julia Armfield is a masterful blend of the surreal and the profound. The story lingers in my mind like a half-remembered dream. We follow three sisters navigating their feelings (or lack thereof) in the time of their father’s death and observe their rocky relationships with one another. One of my favorite parts of this book is how Armfield crafts such distinct, yet intrinsically connected characters- each sister is a world unto herself, yet the threads of shared history and the effects on their psyche from said history are unmistakable.
Reading this felt like stepping into a vivid dreamscape, where the bizarre and the deeply human coexist. The atmosphere coincides with the emotions of the book so well, with the ceaseless rain serving as both a backdrop and a metaphor for the constant melancholy. The rare moments of sunshine, relating with brief glimpses of happiness, are an effective touch.
The conclusion of this book completely caught me off guard somehow. It’s an ending that shocks, yet feels inevitable with the feeling of impending doom throughout the book. It left me wanting more while still being satisfied. I would definitely recommend this book if you’re looking for a different and yet thought provoking book!

It took me a little bit of time to get into the story. Most of the book was really slow and near the end it picked up speed. I had a hard time connecting to the story and the characters. I really liked the writing, but I just couldn't get into the story. This is perfect for people who like books that have no plot.

Fascinating, with gorgeous prose, and slow, seeping, seemingly inevitable rising tides overtaking the world we once knew. This novel follows three estranged sisters over a series of months as they react and respond to their ill, wealthy, abusive father’s death after years of decline.

The story digs into each sister’s relationships with each other, perceptions of self, relationships with their deceased parents, and how it all impacts their relationships romantically now as well. We see the ways they fell into certain roles and narratives growing up within the family system and to cope with dysfunction, and the results of it decades later.
We see the best and worst of it all as they grapple with complex grief for a man who harmed them emotionally and at times physically, someone who is no longer there to seek closure.

At the same time we have a slowly worsening never ending flood of rain and rising tides, making housing and resources like food less accessible while everyone resignedly tries to get to work and pay the bills and survive while the world goes to shit around them.
Exhaustion, despair, futility, resignation, and hope war as our characters are confronted not only with their personal lives going to pieces, but the world around them doing the same, and the relentless exhaustion of surviving daily life during the process of a tragedy.

Gorgeously written, I had to take some breaks when reading because it was unrelenting in its honest flawed struggle. As a drama on family and grief, it may be a slower pace than appeals to some, and I didn’t like it as much as “Our Wives Under the Sea,” but it was fascinating and well worth the read.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and this is my honest review. I’m a fan of Julia Armfield’s previous work so I was thrilled to be approved for this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!

The premise of this story was so intriguing, so promising that I think I got my expectations too high.

The writing was very nice, even though the pacing was so so slow. The three sisters were pretty flat. I did like the multiple POVs! I thought adding the city in was a fantastic choice.

Pretty early on I realized that I just might not be the target audience for this story or this genre. There are most definitely people that would love this book. Unfortunately, I’m just not one of them.

I loved Our Wives Under the Sea and I so wanted to love this one too. Unfortunately, Private Rites fell flat for me.

Though I enjoyed the concept of three not-so-close sisters navigating the death of their complicated and problematic father, ultimately I felt bored while reading this. I usually love introspective, character-driven stories, but for whatever reason, I don’t feel that the characterization of the sisters worked. The writing lagged and though I also liked the concept of this being set against a dystopian, flooded world, that setting also felt half-fleshed out and confused.

For such a slow, uncertain book, the surprising boom of an ending is what really solidified that this didn’t work for me. Still, I know a lot of people loved this, and I wish I were one of them!

Readers follow three estranged and incredibly hostile adult sisters who have grown up and in to their own separate lives, coming back home and back together—after many years away—when they receive news that their father has died.

In this oddly dystopian world, time is separated into a Then and a Now; Then being before all the rain began. For many years, the rain has come non-stop making usual rituals—like burying the dead, for example—impossible.

Haunting and foreboding in its deliver but at 30% in, I’m still waiting for it to click for me. I think that I could connect so much better with this in audio format so I may try that in the future but as a physical copy, it feels like too much description with no pay-off to slog through.

Thank you Flatiron Books and NetGalley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review! Available 12/03/2024.

I found it hard to connect with the story and its characters, but others may have a better experience with it.

When their estranged father dies, Agnes, Isla, and Irene reunite to confront his legacy in the glass house of their childhood. Uncovering hidden secrets and memories, their delicate bond is disrupted by the discovery of the contents of his will. They soon realize their father's death might be connected to their mother's disappearance and the mysterious strangers who have always watched them. The sisters discover they have been selected for a crucial role with profound consequences for their family and the world.

Private Rites is an enthralling and unsettling novel that delves into the intricacies of identity, grief, and the supernatural. Julia Armfield's evocative writing and skillful storytelling make it a compelling read for enthusiasts of literary horror and psychological fiction.

While Julia Armfield's writing in "Private Rites" is undeniably skillful and atmospheric, it may not be to everyone's taste. Personally, I found the novel to be rather dry and slow-paced. The tone and style did not resonate with me as much as I had hoped.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for this advanced copy of Private Rites!!

I LOVED this book. I have it rated as 4 stars but if I could be more precise I'd give it a 4.5 or even 4.75 stars. It is that close to perfect for me!!! I went into this reading experience a little nervous because I was not as big of a fan of "Our Wives..." when I read it last year (gave it 3 stars) and was worried this one would fall a little flat as well. Thankfully I was proven so wrong! I loved it!

I found the characters in this novel to be painstakingly relatable. Isla, Irene, and Agnes all feel like different versions of myself and the women I love which made me put a stake in their lives instantly. The dynamic between the three of them in adulthood due to their father and their upbringing was crafted so sharply and intelligently that I felt like I was part of their family (and I'm an only child!) Their relationships with themselves and one another were so interesting and wonderfully done by Armfield and the language she employed.

The exploration of romantic and familial love in this novel was also incredibly heartwarming at times when I did not expect it to be. I found Irene and Agnes' sections discussing love and relationships with their partners to be tender and soft in ways that made me forget all about the other plotlines running through this story. There was a simpleness to Irene and Jude's life that made queer domesticity seem like a normal, yet unimportant, way to live. The love in this book, though not felt immediately between the sisters, was the prevailing theme I took from the story. It was not what I was expecting, but better and more raw than I could have hoped for.

The only qualm I have with this novel is that the "dystopian" or "horror" theme did not seem to be as big of a concern to mention in the progression of the plot until about the last third of the book, however, I say this because I wanted more details and more "city" perspectives throughout the book. With that being said, though, I love the author's use of water in all of her novels and it worked most successfully for me as a storytelling device in this particular one.

I am a huge fan of this book and have already recommended it to multiple people. I might even try and get my hands on a physical copy once it comes out in December! I'm glad I gave Julia Armfield's writing another shot because I think this is her best work yet as it is beautifully written while exploring grief, familial relationships, and falling apart in a sinking world.

4.5/5

After having mixed feelings about this author’s debut (Our Wives Under the Sea) I was very interested to see how I would feel about this book, another concept that caught my eye. Once again, the prose is stunning and lyrical, with such vivid descriptions it’s hard not to be absolutely captivated. Armfield has a real talent for aquatic-themed lyrical writing.

Combined an apocalypse with family estrangement and drama (arguably a second apocalypse), this book is heavy and creepy and bleak, though still a beautiful read that I’m very thankful I got the opportunity to read!

This was so well written and it is a slow burn but go, once it starts, it doesn't let up! A queer retelling of King Lear is something I wasn't looking for Armfield just DELIVERS.

Gorgeous, dreamy, unsettling... everything in this book is deeply felt, perhaps because it's about sisters who are Scorpios, or maybe because the climate crisis is a backdrop to their father's death and all the open wounds in their family. I'm a fan of all of the author's books and this one is no exception. Armfield is a writer I'm excited to read over the decades to come, as I have a feeling she has a special knack for writing the pains of aging and life changes, and her books (to me) feel like a lovely, brutal interrogation of the themes that matter most to us as we age.

Massive shoutout to Flatiron Books for the ARC copy via NetGalley.

It's no secret that Julia Armfield has swiftly become one of my favorite writers. Our Wives Under the Sea still haunts me, so I was greatly anticipating this upcoming work. While I enjoyed it, I don't think it quite hits as deeply or works quite as well as her previous novels/short stories.

The story revolves around Isla, Irene, and Agnes as they deal with the death of their father. It is written in narrative POV flashing back and forth in their lives from the past to present day. While they all struggle internally the city is also beset with a never-ending rain that begins to sink it.
The personal issues of the sisters and the broader narrative of the climate crisis are beautifully intertwined and stay true to Julia's love of water metaphors. It's a claustrophobic feeling and really drives home the sense of impending loss and doom.

What stops it from being a 5 star for me is its pacing. It feels that sometimes things get lost in the middle and the novel meanders before going at lightening speed at the end tying up the main plot. The rushed nature works on some level as it feels like the water breaking over a dam, but I wish that the tension had risen at a more even pace. The twist just didn't quite land for me.

What the novel does well though is creating a very beautifully written tale about loss and dealing with the daily nature of pain. As long as Armfield keeps writing. I'll keep reading.

Following three sisters, this novel reaches in to something dark and old. Readers must prepare to be shaken to their core, as too are the sisters.

Oh man you guys, I was prepared to give this a middle of the road 3 star review until the ending. I'm not sure what I was reading at that point... but it changed the whole experience for me!

Our Wives Under the Sea will forever remain an untouchable debut for me and nothing Julia can write will surpass it. Of this I am positive.

Though that's not to say Private Rites, grief fiction at the end of the world, was a bad sophomore novel. In it, three sisters deal with the death of their father and their strangely awkward relationship with one another while an endless rain continues to eat away at everything around them.

The twisted familial dynamics and soggy landscapes carry echoes of OWUtS, where water continues to be the central driving force. While I wouldn't necessarily agree with those who are calling it brilliant or blistering, it was quite beautifully written and the deliciously unexpected ending that kind of came out of nowhere continues to live inside my brain....

Thank you for the ARC. I really liked our wives under the sea but I just couldn’t get into this one, it was really slow. It’s about sisters coming back together after their father dies (based on king Lear). Maybe it went over my head but I just couldn’t get into it or past the first 100 pages of the book or so. I’ll try again.

The future depicted in Private Rites is bleak. The rain won't stop, and the city is rapidly becoming submerged. It's the end times, but everyone must go on living. This is where we meet three sisters brought together by the death of their estranged father.

I love Julia Armfield's writing, and this atmospheric novel was another showcase for their ability to create tension while highlighting the mundanity of our lives. This book, unfortunately, suffered a bit from uneven pacing, and the ending almost felt completely out of left field. Perhaps because this is a modern retelling of King Lear, this would not be the case for those familiar with the Shakespearean tragedy, but I do wish that there had been a bit more structure in how this story unfolded.

What I did love about Private Rites was the unique future it depicted and how realistic it felt. I know I'll still be thinking about this one for awhile, even if I might have to reread the ending to make sure I actually understood it.

incredible prose, a beautiful story, compelling characters, moves pretty slowly but the beauty is in the details.