The Seawomen by Chloe Timms - Book Review

The Seawomen by Chloe Timms

Publication Date: 14th June 2022

Genre: Dystopian, Women’s Fiction 

3.8 stars 

One Liner: The pacing is off but worth reading 

*****

Eden’s Isle has been Esta’s home forever. Being raised by her overly strict and God-fearing grandmother suffocated and scared Esta. She lost her parents and got scarred (on the face) in the same fire accident when Esta was three. 

She grew up fearing the seawomen and yearning to enter the water. Living on a small island with rules established for women to be virtuous and pious affected Esta in many ways. She witnesses the Untethering (women who cannot conceive are dropped back into the sea as a sacrifice).

Years pass, and Esta is married to a man decided by the Elders. Her motheryear has been decided by the Eldermothers. Can Esta conceive before the time is up, or will she be sacrificed to the sea? Is there any hope for the women on the tiny island who have to act according to the rules of the Elders? 

The story comes from Esta in the first-person POV. 

My Observations: 

The setting of the cult island is as dark and depressing as the theme. Get into the book with the right expectations to feel the oppressive mood of the island. 

The shift/ progress in Esta’s thoughts from her childhood to pre-teens to teenage is done well. However, she sounds the same at all ages. And she continues to sound more like a guest than a resident. Not to mention, she’s also more self-aware than other characters in the book. 

The characterization of Sarl (Esta’s grandmother) and Father Jossops was spot on. Their presence was a constant thing in the book. Sometimes, I felt these two outshone Esta in characterization. 

The tone is almost distanced and gets a little monotonous in the middle. It’s more like Esta is explaining things to the reader. The slow pacing doesn’t help either. Things start to happen after 75%. 

There’s a bit of fantasy (if you can call it that) but nothing spectacular. This works for the story as it kings things rooted in reality. 

The theme isn’t that unique per se (witch trials, abuse by church heads, oppression of women, etc.). However, that doesn’t take anything away from the book. I won’t compare it with The Handmaid’s Tale because I haven’t read it yet (don’t judge me). 

This book belongs to Esta. It doesn’t belong to the island or anyone else. The setting has been created for her, which means the closure comes only for Esta. There is no blanket ending. 

The writing has a very YA feel to it until towards the end. This should work for older teens who don’t mind reading depressing and dark subjects. 

Since this is a dystopian setting, suspension of belief is necessary. Some things seem farfetched, but the story demands them to be that way. Take it in stride. 

The ending is the highlight of the book. I would’ve loved an epilogue, though. The Untethering chapter acts as a prologue, so it’s only fair to have an epilogue. 

My major grouse with the book is the lack of mermaids. The entire plot is hinged on the seawomen, and we hardly get to see one. The tiny instances don’t count. I think I wanted more from the book, which left me a little dissatisfied.  

To sum up, The Seawomen is a slow-paced dystopian drama with powerful evil characters. Looking forward to more releases by the author. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton, for the eARC.  

#NetGalley #TheSeawomen