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A review by kelly_e
We Spread by Iain Reid
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