Reviews with content warning for Forced institutionalization - We Spread

Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

We Spread by Iain Reid

18 reviews

kshertz's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This is such an interesting concept. I really enjoyed how highlighted nursing facilities in homes and how people can be thrown away from society. The real horror is real life. I like those kind of horror stories. You spent the whole time trying to understand the unreliable narrator and I liked that aspect. Highly recommend

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keen's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

3.75

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mauvesoul's review against another edition

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dark inspiring 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? Yes

4.0

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house_of_hannah's review against another edition

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mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

4.0

I think this book will be in my thoughts for awhile. The concept is something we all fear. No one wants to lose themselves and forget. My grandfather had alzheimer's, so I'm familiar with the confusion and anger that someone going through that can experience when they just can't remember. That made this feel like a very personal story to me.

What makes this book so interesting is we truly do not know what is happening in the end. Is Penny's memory failing ? Could be, there definitely seems to be evidence for that. Is there something more sinister going on here ? Also a maybe, as there is evidence to support this as well. It could also be a little bit of both. You really can go either way with it, and interpret conversations multiple ways. What brings my rating down a bit though, is that there are a few scenes that don't make sense in either of the scenarios presented, and I'm a bit confused by them.

I do love the conversations here about the concept of time, how we always want more of it, and what eternity really means. The fact that most of the characters are nearing the end of their life brings us face to face with mortality and legacy. We need more books with older characters.

This book is also a super quick read. The formatting spreads out the dialogue and paragraphs so much that you are constantly turning the page. You could easily complete this in one sitting. The story is always moving forward, and I never felt any lulls in the pacing.

Overall, this is a book that you can interpret any way you wish. With an unreliable narrator we simply have no idea what's real or not. Decide for yourself what the true horror really is.

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