Esta lives on an island isolated from the Otherlands so that they can remain free of sin. But the seawomen surround the island tempt the women into sin so they must be controlled by Father Jessop and the Ministers, and those that aren’t will be untethered (essentially drowned).

This is a great dystopian/cult style read, full of threat and menace. Esta is a great character full of pluck, and desire, and when I was reading I kept thinking about so many other cults.

There is a real Handmaids Tale vibe, along with secrets to unravel about how Esta was orphaned.

I enjoyed it, a good solid read and a great debut from the author.

Rating: 4/5 stars

"Instead of answers, she gave me stories. That was how she boxed me up and sealed my mouth until all those questions had nicked my insides with tiny, invisible scars"

In an isolated island population, cut off from the outside world by treacherous seas, Esta is raised solely on the teachings of her community. Be pious, respect the village-elders, and stay away from the waters and the wicked Seawomen within. Do so, and God will reward you with prosperity and children within your “motheryear”. Fail to, and you risk being cast out to sea as a sacrifice to the Seawomen.
One day, an unexpected encounter by the waterside puts Esta in a dangerous position; questioning how much of her upbringing was gospel, and how much was lore.

The Seawomen drew me into its world from page one, and had me hooked from start to finish. It is in essence a familiar story that I’ve read before; one of female oppression, religious doctrine, and the destructive effects of unshakable tradition and superstition on an isolated community. Think The Crucible meets The Shape of Water, with the more modern “vibes” of Evie Wyld’s The Bass Rock and (fittingly) Kirsty Logans The Gloaming. Yet it’s the way in which it was told that elevates it. Chloe Timms beautiful writing brought to life the world of Eden before my eyes, drawing me in with its seemingly idyllic coastal beauty, before closing the net around me with its increasingly tense and claustrophobic atmosphere. Despite predicting many of the plot beats, I couldn’t pull myself away from the story. I was invested in Esta; from the dullness of her day-to-day life, to her journey to find the truth about her upbringing.
Despite its heavily dystopian (and fantastical!) elements, The Seawomen manages to be subtle, recognisable and relatable. Esta’s battle is one that has been fought (and will be fought) in many shapes and on many different scales. I was therefore extra pleased to see the author honour that subtlety and “realness” in the story’s ending, that felt fitting and satisfying in a way I wasn’t expecting it would.

Chloe Timms voice is a welcome addition to the canon of modern magical realism; one that expertly tells a memorable feminist story without falling into the trap of preaching the obvious. I genuinely hope we get to see more from her in the future.

Many thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“This island is built on stories. Tales, lore, lies. They have their reasons. To while away the hours, to hide the truth, to soften, to reassure, to explain, to warn, to scare. Everyone on this island has a story, and this is mine.”

The Seawomen is Esta’s story. A young girl who lives on Eden’s Isle, an island isolated from the rest of the world and inhabited by a religious society who believe that women need to prove their worth and subservience by bearing children. Should a woman be unable to conceive a child within their appointed “motheryear” they are deemed to be under the influence and corruption of the seawomen, and cast back into the ocean as a sacrifice. Whilst Esta is raised by her grandmother to be pious, she soon begins to question everything she has been taught to believe and fear.

This dystopian tale is darkly atmospheric and full of oppression. The island is basically a cult run by men, where misogyny is disguised as ‘god’s word’ and women live in constant fear of being corrupted (or accused of being corrupted) by the seawomen.

“How can it be about choice? None of us have a choice. All of us do things we don’t want to do. We shut our eyes and turn our heads and pray to God; we marry and we lie under men just to live another day.’ I heard her take another shaky, tearful breath. ‘We turn away from watching the torment of girls we know have done nothing, because we know that if we don’t, we’ll be next.”

Esta’s story is one of self-discovery and bravery. She learns to challenge what she’s been taught and to fight for her freedom.
The writing is lyrical and engaging, however it was a little slower than I would have liked. Having said that this was a thought provoking, and at times heartbreaking, read. It also made my blood boil on more than one occasion!

A great debut!

*Quotes are taken from an e-arc and are subject to change prior to publication

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher (Hodder & Stoughton) for providing a copy of the book for review. All opinions are my own and provided willingly.

The Seawomen is a dystopian coming-of-age which cleverly undoes any genre expectations created by properties such as The Hunger Games or Divergent: its central characters are unable to make any meaningful challenge to the weight of the society around them. Instead, it's a quiet, subversive, and slow-building epiphany for Esta, as she comes to know the mer-person Cal and (eventually) dream of a life outside the boundaries of Eden, a quietly brutal and misogynistic theocracy in which even looking at the sea is punished. Her relative passivity provides a welcome and realistic introduction to her world (think The Village melded with The Handmaid's Tale) while never becoming frustrating: the reader feels her pains and anxieties in almost real-time, creating an immersive emotional experience. Wisely, the author doles out encounters with the mer-people and their world - it's a bold choice, and one which could detract from the otherwise utterly quotidian portrayal of a patriarchy gone very, very bad - making their appearance one which is both longed-for and dreaded, as the reader fears what will become of Esta as her fascination with the outside world intensifies. A brilliant, literary speculative debut.

This novel provoked a mixed response in me. I enjoy dystopian fiction very much and the ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ elements of an isolated community were very well depicted. Page one pulls the reader immediately into the middle of an untethering (aka drowning).

In some ways it’s a coming-of-age story and what a society to grow up in! A man ‘suffers’ the loss of several wives who have not fulfilled their destiny (“God’s purpose”) as mothers and are therefore untethered – and no one sees the connection. Young girls are married off to whomever the male Ministers, led by the devious, manipulative yet charismatic Father Jessop, choose for them, a husband who will then keep their weak characters on the straight and narrow. The shadowy Eldermothers echo Margaret Atwood’s aunts.

Equally, the ever-present sea is a finely wrought character in its own right, with many moods, feared by the prejudiced and embraced by those who seek to assert their independence. The descriptions of the sea’s hold on the community and the way in which the mystery of Esta’s mother are revealed are beautifully written.

My only negative is the magic realism aspect of the story: the sea people. I felt the story had enough in it without making these objects of fear to the islanders real characters. But this is purely a matter of personal taste. For those who can accept the more fantastic elements of the story, or see it as an allegory perhaps, this should present no problems.

I will be happy to post a review on Amazon when reviewing opens.

This is my first Timms read, the most striking part of The Seawomen is the atmosphere. You can almost feel the wet cold in your bones even whilst sitting in a sunbeam on your own sofa.
In stark contrast to it's beautiful, colourful cover there is a real weight to the oppression of women in The Seawomen and I was surprised by the depth in the dark tones of the religious community on the island.

This story is unbelievably tense, feeling the eyes of every villager judging Esta's every move- ready to condemn the slightest misstep.
Women cannot go near, glance at or even mention the sea. This island is a prison, wardened by The Father.

Men can do no wrong in this world. Every tragedy no matter how great or small is blamed upon the Seawomen, and with no sighting or proof of such creatures the cause becomes a female islander. So of course their minds have been corrupted by these beings and the cursed individual responsible must be rooted out.

Esta's grandmother is particularly devout in her belief and I came to quickly despise her for it. I wanted to rescue Esta, I cheered her curiosity and need to discover the truth and was frustrated each time her brainwashing won out- convincing her to pray harder, fast longer and turn away from the answers she sought.

Told in first from Esta's perspective, we watch her grow from an orphaned child to a young woman, struggling against the restrictions of her world.
When her life is saved by the very creature Esta has always been taught to fear, a new opportunity arises. Cal has the answers to her questions, but will she listen? Will she believe?

Dark, haunting but beautiful, I recommend The Seawomen as a stark social horror wrapped in mild fantasy.

What can I say about one of the most amazing books I have read in the last five years. A masterpiece of story telling which transported to Eden Isle, where women are just baby making machines and from little girls they are told they are subservient to men and boys. Dark at times, gothic and terrifying. This is Esta's story from a young child. A Hand Maids Tale by the sea and so much more. Breath taking, thought provoking and highly, highly recommended.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc ebook in exchange for an honest review.
This was nearly a 2 star read for me.
When I first read the blurb for this book I couldn’t wait to start it. Sadly it fell rather short for me. It has been compared to a Margaret Atwood style but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
The writing style was beautiful yes, I felt I was right there in the island, walking around the festival, feeling the cold sea around me, but as immersive as the world was, there was no storyline. Nothing happened until the rushed ending (the best part of the book), there just didn’t seem to be any point to the whole thing. I found myself getting bored and not wanting to pick it back up, years of the main characters’ life were flashing by yet there were no events taking place to mark the passage of time. I will say however that the characters were well fleshed out mostly, which helped me get through the book.
If you’re expecting an action packed mermaid adventure in a dystopian world, this is not the book for you (there was only a very brief glimpse of a mermaid in the whole book!)

I absolutely loved this book. There were moments when I thought I knew what was coming and that I had called it, and then the story would twist and slip away from me in ways I wasn't expecting and I was completely carried along by it. The world building was so rich and vivid and I could picture it so clearly. This book has challenged me to think again and again about the world, and the binaries and culture norms that are enforced by culture, and about what perpetuates them, about what rebellion and freedom can look like and about what freedom is. All wrapped up in compelling, compact, beautiful storytelling. Can't wait to read anything by Chloe Timms in future.

I absolutely loved "The Seawomen" by Chloe Timms. At the beginning you are taught to believe that Seawomen (or mermaids) are evil, and the way they are described, it makes them sound like they are witches. This book is definitely one that you need to pause and reflect on. There is so much going on, multi-layered and many things to discuss. Apart from the brilliant narrative, my one thought I'd like to share with you is the insular nature of living on an island and how you believe what you are told. To me, this drew parallels with the Russian people and the propaganda machine of the Ukraine war. Anyway, this book would be perfect for bookclub!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4695928574

A very Margaret Atwood-esque story about a young woman trying to escape from a dystopian island society where women are oppressed by men and treated as baby making machines, a la Handmaid's Tale. But with added merpeople.

I enjoyed it and really wanted to give it four stars, but it felt a bit rushed towards the end and didn't quite make it across the line for me - so 3.5.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I’d like to thank NetGalley for the chance to read the E-arc of this book. Oh my goodness!!! I love mermaid books, it’s no secret but this one just blew me away! Dark, edge of my seat, sinister atmosphere and a strong, female lead questioning her norm, wanting to discover the world beyond. It was powerful, with great characters and evil villains! I loved it! I will be pre-ordering this book for sure!

"This island is built on stories. Tales, lore, lies. They have their reasons. To while away the hours, to hide the truth, to soften, to reassure, to explain, to warn, to scare. Everyone on this island has a story, and this is mine."

A brilliant debut novel. The Seawomen is one of those books I could not put down, and can not stop thinking about. It was full of atmosphere and beautiful written, the story is unique but still finds way to connect and be relatable.

Esta grows up under her grandmother's care after her parents died in a fire accident. They live on Eden a small island where the whole community is religiously devoted to some extremes. Cut off from other islands they believe that women living a sin free life will protect them from the Seawomen, creatures that live in the sea and surround their island. Its said these Seawomen corrupt all and so the island fear the sea and its inhabitants.
The Island women live a strict devot life, remain faithful and are to conceive within 12 months of their appointed motheryear, and if not they will be deemed sinful and thrown to the ocean to drown.

This was a coming of age story for Esta, she grows up alone and afraid of being unworthy, she witnesses women being sacrificed to the sea from a young age which terrifies her. As she grows older she gets a small taste of freedom which leads to knowledge of the outside world which in turn makes her think not everything she has been told about her island or her family might be the whole truth.

I had Handmaids Tale vibes reading this along with The Shape of Water, which mixed together worked really well. Esta is a great character, her journey through childhood into womanhood is so well done, it has so many raw heart-breaking moments.

"Instead of answers, she gave me stories. That was how she boxed me up and sealed my mouth until all those questions had nicked my insides with tiny, invisible scars"

The ending I think was well done, I was worried that it would turn into a boy saves girl and the evil is defeated but that wouldn't have felt right with the tone of the book. The ending to me was sad and beautiful, I don't think it could have ended any better.

The Seawomen was unpredictable, gripping, and fully immersive! It was everything I wanted and I honestly feel like I can't say enough good things about this one, I will be recommending this to everyone.
5 stars and more from me!

"Nameless then, but when I think of that first glimpse now, his name rides through my body. Like waking from death. A gasping heartbeat."

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advanced e-arc.
*Quotes are taken from the arc and may change upon publication.

The Seawomen is dark, thought provoking and unsettling.

Esta lives on an island where women and girls are kept away from the water. If they stray too close, the seawomen will corrupt them, forcing them to do terrible things to the god-fearing people of Eden. When Esta dares to dream of a life unrestricted by the boundaries of her island and the controlling, cult-like leaders, she is thrown into a world of danger and secrets that threaten not just her, but all life on Eden.

Eden is an island of secrets and control, where girls aren't allowed to so much as look at the sea and their behaviour is so tightly controlled that any small misfortune on the island is blamed on women.

This novel offers an interesting, modern twist on witch trials. The concept of motheryears (where a young married woman is told she is ready to have a child - and expected to do so within 12 months, or be declared an agent of the seawomen) is reminiscent of (and as chilling as) the Handmaidens Tale. This novel also one to read if you like Kiran Millwood Hargrave's The Mercies.

Tension runs high throughout and kept me on the edge of my seat. The Seawomen is filled with an atmosphere of suspicion and fear.

It is a beautifully written story of longing, for the sea and for escape, for the ability to make your own choices.

I am lost for words in this review - it is wonderful, deeply feministic and just an overall incredible read! BUY THIS BOOK.

What a brilliant book from Chloe Timms. Dystopian can really be hit or miss for me these days. This was a hit.

The prose was absolutely beautiful and the story had enough of a twist from the usual dystopian fare, to breathe new life into the genre.

The concept is intriguing. I love the island setting. It’s added a real sense of claustrophobia to the story. Esta was also a main character I could get behind and I loved her journey.

The cult on the island - which give women only a few months to conceive - and which blamed women from other things that went wrong on the island - gave me the feels of the Salem witch trials mixed with The Handmaids Tale.

5 stars! Can’t wait to read more from Chloe Timms.

The Seawomen is an engrossing debut novel about a woman living in a cult-like island community run by a patriarchal leader. The main character, Esta, has always been an outsider, and we follow her journey from shy, sheltered child to rebellious adult. She slowly comes to understand that all the rituals and prayer are means of controlling the islands women.

I had seen other reviews comparing this novel to The Handmaids Tale, but in my opinion the comparison doesn’t do The Seawomen justice. It has shades of other dystopian fiction but it very much creates its own complete world. One of my favourite things about the novel was its strong sense of place. I felt like I could picture the island, it’s coves and cabins, so perfectly it felt like a real location I could go and visit.

Esta’s journey is also deeply compelling, and while the theme is well trodden, the story and the writing gave a fresh new take to this theme. Although the reader is often slightly ahead of Esta in our understanding of how completely the community controls her life I still had no idea how Esta’s story would resolve itself.

If you enjoyed Netflix’s Midnight Mass, Jennie Melamed’s Gather Your Daughters, Sophie Macintosh’s Blue Ticket, and Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Talents you should also love The Seawomen.

Esta has lived her whole life on Eden's Isle. She knows there is a whole other world across the sea, but she also knows it is ridden with illness and evil, that this is the place God chose for her people, and, most importantly, that the Seawomen are out there, waiting to destroy everyone's souls if they're careless enough to let them in, so why would she ever want to leave? However, her soul aches with curiosity for the sea, even though she knows it might damn her, and she can't help but question everything she's been taught as she grows older and learns more about her world.

This book is a masterpiece. Like a Greek tragedy, I couldn't stop reading even though I knew there was no way it would end well, that Esta wouldn't magically get everything she wanted by the end. It was bittersweet, and yet the ending was more positive than I could have hoped. I was gripped from the beginning (except for a few chapters around the middle where it suddenly felt slower), and even while not reading I kept thinking about the island and the people living in it. The way Esta slowly realised that things were not as they'd been told, especially that the women were being controlled in the most possibly damaging ways, was heartbreaking. Of course, unlike her I knew that this was a dystopia from the beginning, but the puzzle pieces still clicked in a very satisfying way. I would've loved to know the rest of the characters got their happy (or at least safe) endings, but at the same time it was all cut at the most natural point.

I don't think this is a book I have the emotional capacity to be re-reading anytime soon, but I still heartily recommend it. Definitely look up trigger warnings before starting, but if you think you can handle it go for it. It's tender and sad and hopeful and disquieting and everything a dystopia should be.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The inhabitants of Eden’s Isle have been a God-fearing people ever since the religious settlers, led by Father Lambert, came many generations ago. Though years have passed and the islanders follows the leadership of his descendant, very little has changed. The island has no connection to the outside world and Father Jessop uses faith and fear to keep the people in line by furthering the belief that, beyond their shores, the seawomen encircle the island, performing unholy debauchery and tempt the less devout women of the land to join in their sinful acts.

Esta has grown up on the island in the care of her grandmother, one of the most pious and revered woman she knows. Under her tutelage, Esta knows never to question Father Jessop’s sermons and to lead a life of devotion to God and the lessons of the Great Book. As she grows older, Esta begins to question certain things: why does her grandmother refuse to speak of her mother? Why are women prohibited from going near the water? Can she be happy living the life that’s been planned for her? These questions continue to plague her even as she comes into her motheryear – a 12 month period when women are required to conceive a child or else be Untethered, or drowned, their infertility standing as proof of their moral corruption. With the months of her motheryear passing by and her anxiety towards the future sinking in, Esta is intent on unravelling the reality of her heritage and Father Jessop’s true nature, all while wondering if it’s too late to change minds and fate of her community.

In a market already so saturated with dystopian storytelling and Handmaid’s Tale-inspired narratives it’s reflexive for me to be aware of the ways these novels succeed and fail to give the reader a fresh perspective. In my opinion, The Seawomen treaded some familiar terrain while making space for something new.

Looking at the characters, I thought Esta herself was quite complex and I appreciated her development arc – while her growth is gradual and obvious, her religious indoctrination continues to cast doubt while she absorbs new information and informs her decision-making throughout. I felt really absorbed and invested in Esta’s story and the constant anxiety of her forming transgressive thoughts in a community that reacts violently, if not murderously, towards such dissenting beliefs. I thought that Timms did a good job of portraying a spectrum of characters grappling diversely with the struggles of gender and religious-based oppression alongside those that faithfully conformed to every edict.

I personally wasn’t crazy about the love interest. It seemed to me to serve more of a structural purpose than romantic as well as being an attempt to draw in a young adult audience. It didn’t feel like the novel ever fully committed to it and almost could’ve done without. I also think that a little too much is left to the imagination and that the author could’ve pushed certain concepts and areas of the novel a little further. While the unknowable can certainly add intrigue (such as in the did-she-or-didn’t-she ending of Handmaid’s Tale), it could also become more of a gap than intended.

Ultimately this novel had me hooked and once I got invested it was very hard to put down. Fans of dystopian and folkloric storytelling won’t want to miss this book.

Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for this suspenseful read!

Such a memorable read and a story that will not be forgotten quickly by me. Excellent writing. This would be a good bookclub choice.