Scan barcode
kelly_e's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Title: We Spread
Author: Iain Reid
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: September 27, 2022
T H R E E • W O R D S
Philosophical • Eerie • Chilling
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Penny, an artist, has lived in the same apartment for decades, surrounded by the artifacts and keepsakes of her long life. She is resigned to the mundane rituals of old age, until things start to slip. Before her longtime partner passed away years earlier, provisions were made, unbeknownst to her, for a room in a unique long-term care residence, where Penny finds herself after one too many “incidents.”
Initially, surrounded by peers, conversing, eating, sleeping, looking out at the beautiful woods that surround the house, all is well. She even begins to paint again. But as the days start to blur together, Penny—with a growing sense of unrest and distrust—starts to lose her grip on the passage of time and on her place in the world. Is she succumbing to the subtly destructive effects of aging, or is she an unknowing participant in something more unsettling?
💭 T H O U G H T S
I received a copy of We Spread in a blind date with a bookish box from a Canadian company (now defunct) and I really wasn't sure it was for me. However, when it was longlisted for Canada Reads 2023, I knew I would give it a shot at some point. Now was that time.
It was evident very early on Iain Reid has a strong and unique writing style. At just over 300 pages, this novel covers a lot of ground (conformity, productivity, art, ageing, elder care) and much of the plot is left open for reader interpretation. The exploration of the 'horrors' of ageing and the long-term care facility really set the tone and eerie mood. Penny herself is entirely unreliable to the point I was questioning every thought and was kept on my toes guessing until the very end.
Overall, We Spread was a surprising and enjoyable read that I couldn't put down. Despite no real resolution at the end, the story still felt complete and satisfying. A genre-defying novel, if the horror tag is holding you back (like it was me), I would say don't let it. Rather it's an intuitive and thought=provoking read that made me want to work my way through Iain Reid's backlist.
📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• reflective stories
• unique writing styles
• short reads
⚠️ CW: death, grief, forced institutionalization, confinement, dementia, injury/injury detail, medical content, gaslighting, body horror, suicide, animal death
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"The tragedy of life isn't that the end comes. That's the gift. Without an end, there's nothing. There's no meaning. Do you see? A moment isn't a moment. A moment is an eternity. A moment should mean something. It should be everything."
Author: Iain Reid
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: September 27, 2022
T H R E E • W O R D S
Philosophical • Eerie • Chilling
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Penny, an artist, has lived in the same apartment for decades, surrounded by the artifacts and keepsakes of her long life. She is resigned to the mundane rituals of old age, until things start to slip. Before her longtime partner passed away years earlier, provisions were made, unbeknownst to her, for a room in a unique long-term care residence, where Penny finds herself after one too many “incidents.”
Initially, surrounded by peers, conversing, eating, sleeping, looking out at the beautiful woods that surround the house, all is well. She even begins to paint again. But as the days start to blur together, Penny—with a growing sense of unrest and distrust—starts to lose her grip on the passage of time and on her place in the world. Is she succumbing to the subtly destructive effects of aging, or is she an unknowing participant in something more unsettling?
💭 T H O U G H T S
I received a copy of We Spread in a blind date with a bookish box from a Canadian company (now defunct) and I really wasn't sure it was for me. However, when it was longlisted for Canada Reads 2023, I knew I would give it a shot at some point. Now was that time.
It was evident very early on Iain Reid has a strong and unique writing style. At just over 300 pages, this novel covers a lot of ground (conformity, productivity, art, ageing, elder care) and much of the plot is left open for reader interpretation. The exploration of the 'horrors' of ageing and the long-term care facility really set the tone and eerie mood. Penny herself is entirely unreliable to the point I was questioning every thought and was kept on my toes guessing until the very end.
Overall, We Spread was a surprising and enjoyable read that I couldn't put down. Despite no real resolution at the end, the story still felt complete and satisfying. A genre-defying novel, if the horror tag is holding you back (like it was me), I would say don't let it. Rather it's an intuitive and thought=provoking read that made me want to work my way through Iain Reid's backlist.
📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• reflective stories
• unique writing styles
• short reads
⚠️ CW: death, grief, forced institutionalization, confinement, dementia, injury/injury detail, medical content, gaslighting, body horror, suicide, animal death
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"The tragedy of life isn't that the end comes. That's the gift. Without an end, there's nothing. There's no meaning. Do you see? A moment isn't a moment. A moment is an eternity. A moment should mean something. It should be everything."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Dementia, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Suicide, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death
hauntedantiqueshop's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
I actually really liked it! It’s a fast paced read on a universal fear, becoming old and needing help (and if you can even trust those helping you). I love an unreliable narrator and Penny really broke my heart. I just wanted her to be happy and, regardless of what was ACTUALLY happening, it just wasn’t in the cards for her (or the other patients).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Dementia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Gaslighting
Moderate: Ableism, Torture, and Grief
Minor: Animal death
implied elder abuse, kinda? idk it feels right to addle_mur's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Drug use, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Stalking
queenginger's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I had a good time with this one.
I picked it up after seeing so many speak highly of the story and quality of the writing. Also, I found it intriguing that the main character was an elderly woman, seeing as older folks aren’t often the protagonists of many novels — but that’s a discussion for another day.
I thought the form elevated the plot, which makes sense. And as a result, the reader gets lost in the gaps on the page, as well as the presence of time and how it’s played with throughout.
There was still just enough creepy elements to hold this in the psychological horror for me, but it’s definitely lighter than anything else I’ve picked up recently. But I enjoyed that quite a bit.
I think the writing was stellar and pulls me into this author even more. I can’t wait to check out more of Reid’s work!
I picked it up after seeing so many speak highly of the story and quality of the writing. Also, I found it intriguing that the main character was an elderly woman, seeing as older folks aren’t often the protagonists of many novels — but that’s a discussion for another day.
I thought the form elevated the plot, which makes sense. And as a result, the reader gets lost in the gaps on the page, as well as the presence of time and how it’s played with throughout.
There was still just enough creepy elements to hold this in the psychological horror for me, but it’s definitely lighter than anything else I’ve picked up recently. But I enjoyed that quite a bit.
I think the writing was stellar and pulls me into this author even more. I can’t wait to check out more of Reid’s work!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Mental illness, and Forced institutionalization
seagullsaga's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
A book I found on accident, I very much enjoyed this book. I was drawn in by the non-traditional protagonist- you don’t usually see horror stories with an elderly woman as the protagonist. I wasn’t let down by the story itself: it is an empathetic, engrossing read that manages to avoid the pitfalls that other horror falls into when dealing with age. The horror of this book isn’t being old, instead it’s a dark story about loss of agency and isolation.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Dementia, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Ableism, Self harm, and Terminal illness
Minor: Animal death
veelaughtland's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, and Dementia
alex_wordweaver's review against another edition
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Read a proof version of the story, so the finished product may be different. Was engrossed by it, though. Liked it well enough. Was thrown by a few spelling/grammar errors--not sure if part of the plot/story/intentional or not.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Forced institutionalization and Dementia
Minor: Body horror
mindespair's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
"I've never wanted to avoid darkness in my own work, my own darkness. But revealing my own shadows is not enough in itself. What I want, what I've always wanted, is for another person to feel relief from their darkness when they look at my work."
With his third novel, Iain Reid has cemented himself as one of my favorite authors. I felt that Penny was somewhat of a self-insert for him, especially when she spoke about her art. The quote above really spoke to me because it felt like it came from Reid himself. His work does make me feel relief from my own darkness.
One of my favorite things about Reid as a writer (aside from his unreliable narrators) is his faith in his reader. He never makes the mistake of over-explaining, making you feel dumb. He lets his stories unravel organically without the need for a timeout to explain the logistics. He trusts you with your own interpretation. While I was reading this novel in particular, I kept trying to figure out how to explain what was going on; how Reid could explain it. Eventually I realized that he wouldn't. We don't need to be told whyShelley was collecting hair and fingernails or how long Penny was really at Six Cedars or how old Shelley really is or plenty of other lingering questions we may have ; those are for us to figure out, not for an author to spell out for us. Reid knows how to give the right number of answers; never too many or too few.
This book mostly revolves around the fear of growing old, fading away, dying, etc. I found it very touching amidst the exhausting anti-aging craze. Growing old is a privilege. Life is beautiful because it ends. Eternal life is eternal torture. This book took all of these thoughts and whipped them into a beautiful psychological horror.
Lastly, I'd say that my favorite aspect of this novel is how strongly the residents of Six Cedars are pushed to be productive.Shelley encourages Penny, Ruth, Hilbert, and Pete to bond—not to truly connect, but to assimilate into one being. She wants them to assimilate and increase productivity. What she desires is a workforce. The residents are regularly plagued with thoughts that they (senior citizens who are long retired) are not doing enough, not accomplishing enough. This shame is intrinsic to capitalism. We are only worth what we can produce. The residents of Six Cedars are only worth what they can produce, what they can give. They have no intrinsic worth. They are treated as cogs in a machine.
This is easily a new favorite. Read it if you can. This was an incredible start to 2024.
With his third novel, Iain Reid has cemented himself as one of my favorite authors. I felt that Penny was somewhat of a self-insert for him, especially when she spoke about her art. The quote above really spoke to me because it felt like it came from Reid himself. His work does make me feel relief from my own darkness.
One of my favorite things about Reid as a writer (aside from his unreliable narrators) is his faith in his reader. He never makes the mistake of over-explaining, making you feel dumb. He lets his stories unravel organically without the need for a timeout to explain the logistics. He trusts you with your own interpretation. While I was reading this novel in particular, I kept trying to figure out how to explain what was going on; how Reid could explain it. Eventually I realized that he wouldn't. We don't need to be told why
This book mostly revolves around the fear of growing old, fading away, dying, etc. I found it very touching amidst the exhausting anti-aging craze. Growing old is a privilege. Life is beautiful because it ends. Eternal life is eternal torture. This book took all of these thoughts and whipped them into a beautiful psychological horror.
Lastly, I'd say that my favorite aspect of this novel is how strongly the residents of Six Cedars are pushed to be productive.
This is easily a new favorite. Read it if you can. This was an incredible start to 2024.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Body horror, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Suicide, and Medical content
andrewhatesham's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, and Gaslighting
ilana_pop's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
3.75
i have no clue what I just read
Content Warnings
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Dementia, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Body horror