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savvylit's review
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Pew is, at it's core, a fable that questions morality and identity while simultaneously exposing the harmful nature of projection. In just over 200 pages, Catherine Lacey has managed to reveal all of the particular menaces of an isolated community.
The congregants at the center of this novel are righteous and certain of their own goodness. Throughout Pew, their one-sided conversations with the stranger uncover the truth; that good intentions do not beget good actions. In a slow and foreboding fashion reminiscent of the horror genre, Lacey portrays the manipulative side of charity. When generosity was never asked for, who does it really serve and who does it harm?
Furthermore, Catherine Lacey has created a narrator who is unknown and ambiguous to both the book's characters and to readers. In doing so, Lacey has deftly revealed modern society's reliance on forcing individuals to conform to specific ways of being. Readers discover that this form of projection and pressure only creates opportunity for harm and animosity.
Pew is truly a masterwork of a novel that I will never forget. This particular copy was a library loan but I look forward to owning my very own copy. I think Pew would fit perfectly and seamlessly alongside books by Carson McCullers, Flannery O'Connor, and Shirley Jackson on my bookshelf.
The congregants at the center of this novel are righteous and certain of their own goodness. Throughout Pew, their one-sided conversations with the stranger uncover the truth; that good intentions do not beget good actions. In a slow and foreboding fashion reminiscent of the horror genre, Lacey portrays the manipulative side of charity. When generosity was never asked for, who does it really serve and who does it harm?
Furthermore, Catherine Lacey has created a narrator who is unknown and ambiguous to both the book's characters and to readers. In doing so, Lacey has deftly revealed modern society's reliance on forcing individuals to conform to specific ways of being. Readers discover that this form of projection and pressure only creates opportunity for harm and animosity.
Pew is truly a masterwork of a novel that I will never forget. This particular copy was a library loan but I look forward to owning my very own copy. I think Pew would fit perfectly and seamlessly alongside books by Carson McCullers, Flannery O'Connor, and Shirley Jackson on my bookshelf.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Toxic relationship, Dysphoria, Outing, Transphobia, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Violence, Hate crime, and Confinement
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