Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my free digital ARC of Private Rites! I’m a huge fan of Julia Armfield’s work, and while I did really enjoy Private Rites, it didn’t pack the same punch for me as salt slow and Our Wives Under the Sea both did. I absolutely love that Armfield is obsessed with water and its destructive power though. Private Rites shows us a Britain that is slowly drowning, incessant rains, rising sea levels, houses flooded, everything sodden and soaking. Save this one for a (non-metaphorical) rainy day and the eerie vibes will be ramped up even more. I loved how she showed the way humans will adapt to basically anything - for better or worse.

The book moves between the POVs of three sisters after the death of their father, a famous architect known for his water-resistant designs only the rich could afford. The climate disaster is not the main focus of the book; rather, the sisters’ lives play out against this backdrop of imminent disaster. All three are queer which I loved, obviously. At one point a minor character says ‘And all three of you are… y’know?’ And one sister replies, ‘Yes, you know in rare cases people have multiple children who are all straight, can you imagine?’ Love it. 

I think that’s the main reason I didn’t fall head over heels with this one - the constant fighting of the sisters slowed down the pace too much. Especially in comparison to the frenetic ending, which I adored. It made the book feel uneven, with all the action packed in at the end.

That said, I still devoured it, loved Armfield’s prose as usual, and loved the eerie atmosphere that felt very much in the realm of possibility. Intrigued to see if her next work will be watery themed too!