beautifully written. the prose was gorgeous. I think they had a wonderful connection. The story was interesting and engaging.

Excellent story! Totally engrossing!. Looking forward to reading more by this author! Could not put this down!

The Origins of Iris felt long winded. It was a really good, emotional read and you really felt for Iris. I did really enj0y this book once I got into it fully. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review. This was definately the first domestic thriller type book I've read like this. Completely original.

This was really good! I read and enjoyed The Wolf Road by the same author so I was eager to give this book a try. This is a very different book than that one was and I love that this author’s work is so varied. This is a thriller that paints a picture of life within an abusive relationship for Iris and her wife, Claude. This is a story about finding yourself, quite literally. I am so glad that I was able to pick up this book!

The story is told from Iris’s point of view during two different alternating points in time: before and after. Since we know where Iris ended up, it is really eye-opening to learn about her past and how she got to the place she was at. All of the events and choices in her life have made her the person she is today. Imagine her surprise when she is put face to face with another version of herself whose life looks a little different due to the different choices she has made in life.

I thought that this book was really well-done. I really liked the fact that it was really unique and different than anything else I have read before. I grew to really like Iris. She has been through a lot and I really felt for her with many of the events in her life leaving her feeling very alone. I thought that the abusive relationship was expertly illustrated in this book. I liked Iris more and more as I worked my way through this book. She had a lot to figure out so that she could move on with her life.

I would recommend this book to others. This book deals with some pretty important topics and it does it well. I found this to be a very thought-provoking book and had a hard time putting it down.

I received a digital review copy from Mobius Books via NetGalley.

I received an ARC of this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was an utterly fascinating read. It was heartbreaking and ultimately led to tears on my end. The boon takes place in New York and explores themes of abuse.
I really did enjoy that the author used themes that arent generally seen in books, and showed that abuse is prevalent in any relationship. The couple in the book was lesbian and I thought that the representation was good.
The setting and themes of the story were so good I was enraptured from page one. It was a fantastic book and I definitely recommend it to anyone that enjoys a heavier read that does touch on deeper subjects.
Setting: 5/5
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 5/5
Themes: 4/5

Iris has run away from her abusive marriage to her wife, Claude, and escapes to a remote mountain cabin.  While there, she confronts the demons of her past and tries to figure out who she really is.  I can't really say much more without revealing major plot points but I will say this:  Beth Lewis has crafted a beautifully written story that sheds light on the overlooked reality of spousal abuse in same-sex marriages.  Chapters alternate between Iris' past and the present, and has one of the most unique self-discovery storylines that I've read in some time.  Highly recommend.

The Origins of Iris is an engrossing and atmospheric novel about self-discovery and finding your way back to your true self. One of the things I enjoyed most in this book were the relationships between the characters. The author did a great job of really making you feel for her characters and I found myself responding to the relationships between Iris/her dad and Iris/Claude the most. The writing style was beautiful and descriptive (without being dense) and in keeping the setting of the After chapters so simple you could really focus on Iris’ relationship with herself without getting too distracted. I also enjoyed the elements of science fiction and the general eeriness of those After scenes.

The story is told in two timelines following Iris’ decision to leave her abusive marriage. In the Before chapters we see Iris’ life leading up the moment she decides to leave. We see as she struggles with the guilt of her father’s death years before, the moment her passionate love affair begins with Claude, and the gradual loss of herself once her marriage to Claude begins to unravel. The After chapters follow Iris as she hits the road and disappears into the woods. On the trail things get weird and Iris (and the reader) aren’t sure what is real and what is imagined.

Trigger warnings for domestic abuse, death by suicide, rape.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC. I look forward to checking out more works from this author.

The story chronicles the emotional toll an abusive relationship can have on an individual and how one can lose their identity.

Going into this story, I didn't really know what I was getting into, as this is one of those books where the cover caught my attention. And now that I've read the story, it perfectly captures the narrator and what she experiences following years of abuse.

Now, if abuse is a trigger for you, I will point out that a good part of this story is not about that abuse. It begins as a love story when the narrator, Iris, believes she has found her soulmate. A shared glance at a bar, is followed by a drink weeks later. Iris quickly forms a bit of an obsession with this woman, Claude, and relishes every moment she's in her orbit.

Slowly, Claude takes over Iris' world. At first everything is good, moving into Claude's luxury apartment, having Claude secure Iris her dream job, etc. Month by month, year by year, Claude inserts more control over Iris, how she dresses, how she acts. Things may have been ok if that's where things ended. However, Clause also has a bit of a temper, and Iris becomes her target, when she doesn't live up to Claude's high expectations. It is this part of the story that may be difficult for some readers, but I thought the author delivered them in an honest way, especially how the aftermath was handled.

The book alternates from Before (when Iris is with Claude), to After (when Iris finally runs away). The After part was a little odd at times, and hard to grasp what Iris is going through, as she isolates herself in the woods of the Catskills. However, with time it was clear Iris' breakdown is related to her struggle with her identity following years under Claude's thumb.

While there are parts of this book that are slow, my rating is based on how the author brought the story together and with time, showing Iris' inner strength to change her path. A great message overall and positive conclusion to an otherwise dark subject.

Thank you to Hodder Studio and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

All quotes are taken from The Origins of Iris by Beth Lewis.

// Content warnings: suicide, abuse (emotional and physical), sexual assault, insanity, language, homophobia, misogyny, and violence //

Trigger warnings and spoilers are marked.

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// Quick Statistics //
Overall: 5/5 Stars
Plot: 5/5 Stars
Setting: 5/5 Stars
Characters: 5/5 Stars
Writing: 5/5 Stars
Memorability: 5/5 Stars

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// Quick Review //
There is so much to say about this heavy and realistic novel that deals with topics uncommonly talked about. It is one of my favorite novels because of it’s ability to convey deep, heavy, and horrific topics in a way that is bearable and yet truthful.

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"They say love is blind. Blind to white lies and small failings. Blind to pain. Blind to cruelty. They are right. I was blind to it all."

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// Other Information //
Publisher: Hodder Studio
Page Count: 336 pages
Release Date: August 19, 2021
Series: None
Genre: Fiction, Adult, LGBTQ+, Thriller

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// Book Description (via Goodreads) //
Author of the critically-acclaimed debut The Wolf Road, Beth Lewis returns with her brand new novel The Origins of Iris where Wild meets Sliding Doors.

‘I opened my eyes and the woman wearing my face opened hers at the same time.’

Iris flees New York City, and her abusive wife Claude, for the Catskill Mountains. When she was a child, Iris and her father found solace in the beauty and wilderness of the forest; now, years later, Iris has returned for time and space to clear her head, and to come to terms with the mistakes that have led her here. But what Iris doesn’t expect in her journey of survival and self-discovery is to find herself – literally.

Trapped in a neglected cabin deep in the mountains, Iris is grudgingly forced to come face to face with a seemingly prettier, happier and better version of herself. Other Iris made different choices in life and love. But is she all she seems? Can she be trusted? What is she hiding?

As a storm encroaches, threatening both their lives, time is running out for them to discover why they have been brought together, and what it means for their futures.

An important, searing novel about one woman’s journey in fleeing an abusive relationship and confronting the secrets of her past.

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// Characters //
Lewis’ characters are flawed, but in that way they are human. The novel follows the journey of Iris/Jane to the center of her discourse; her grief, guilt, scars, past and future. Iris is married to Claude, her abuser and wife; her love and her pain. As I mentioned, all of the characters are flawed and most horrible people, including Iris. *TRIGGER WARNING AND SPOILER* It is revealed that Iris rapes Claude after being abused by her for many years throughout their marriage.

For a large portion of the novel, Iris is alone in the woods where she has escaped to discover happiness and what she has been missing from life since meeting Claude. This allows the reader to slowly descend in Iris’ “madness” with her. The way the novel is written helps the reader become ingrained into the story as a spectator, a fly on the wall.

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"I had broken my life. Snapped it clean in two. Into a then and now, a before and after. All because I’d loved the wrong woman."

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// Writing and Setting //
The thing that makes The Origins of Iris so unique is the way that the novel presents issues like abuse within LGBTQ+ marriages. I have never before read a novel or seen a show/movie where this topic is discussed. It is a very real issue and I’m so glad that this novel handles it so well.

The novel flashes back and forth between ‘Before’ and ‘After’. ‘Before’ her and Claude’s relationship reaches its peak, and ‘After’.

Iris’ world is heavy and dark, full of pain, abuse, grief, and guilt. The atmosphere of the novel is super heavy, sucking the reader into the black hole that is Iris’ situation.

I think what really makes this novel a masterpiece is it’s openness. And the ending, I must say, is brilliant. The way it is left open for the reader to interpret Iris’ future is a great decision on the author’s part.

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"I wanted out. Wanted oblivion and quiet darkness. wanted an end to the pain and guilt and fear. My life had been so full of fear and sadness for so long."

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// Plot //
The Origins of Iris is obviously a heavy novel. And the journey through this heaviness is fairly paced. I definitely see how the novel could appear slow to some, as Iris is alone for all of the ‘After’ chapters.

Iris ventures to the woods where she used to come with her father, who she had a difficult relationship with. Not only is she trying to deal with her and Claude’s relationship and her guilt over her father’s suicide, but she is also trying to find herself.

*SPOILER* In the process, she quite literally finds herself, a different version of her with a different life full of different regrets. This was an interesting twist, and it’s sort of left up to the reader to interpret. Did Iris’ interactions with Iris really occur, or was it just a spiral into insanity? It’s up to you, just like Iris’ future.

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"I could end it all right now. I should. But then she’d win. And no one will ever know what she did."

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// Overall Review //
I firmly believe that The Origins of Iris is a novel everyone should read. It is twisted, dark, horrifying, yet a prime example of the atrocities of humankind.

This book deals with some heavy topics. It puts heavy emphasis on how the choices we make make us who we are. The choices we make not only affect us, but those around us as well. Told in alternating before and after chapters we begin to understand Iris and how she became the way she is now.

I almost put this down a few times. I feel like it dragged at parts. It didn’t hold my interest. It was just not for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I just didn't like it. The writing was fine except that a book set in the US kept using the metric system and some british spelling which was weird. I liked the character of Iris and I cared about her but the parallel universes plot line just didn't develop well for me and I was really disappointed in the ending. After all of her work on growth and forgiveness and closure Iris just walked out on everyone including the reader without saying goodbye or saying where she was going so she was right back to where she started basically? Maybe that is more realistic but I don't think it fit what was being set up.

I think this wasn’t exactly what I was hoping for—I was really intrigued by the aspect of the lead characters countering another version of herself, so I was disappointed that it took so long for that part to develop. I’ve enjoyed some other titles that explore the “what if you’d made different choices” idea, but it just didn’t resonate as well here. I found this rather slow and ended up skimming a lot. I did like seeing a lesbian lead in a thriller and there are important topics discussed here—sexism, homophobia, domestic violence—but this never had the page-turning intensity I like for this genre. I think this will work better for readers who are more interested in character development—the “who is Iris?” of it all—and in the metaphors and description about nature and the mountains. Don’t go in expecting a traditional mystery/thriller—this is slower, more reflective, and generally a sad book about trauma, domestic violence, guilt, and healing. That’s not a bad thing in the hands of the right reader, but I don’t think that’s me.

The Origins of Iris by Beth Lewis was a super quick and immersive reading experience for me. I could not put it down. I’m a fan of first person POV and an unreliable narrator so this was perfect.

I especially loved the chaotic and abusive relationship between Iris and Claud. Love might be the wrong word, but I was hooked. I was screaming at Iris to be stronger while simultaneously screaming at Claude to back up and think about what she was doing.

The isolation of the cabin in the woods was an amazing setting for Iris to re-find her true self. I loved going on this journey with her. Amazing prose and setting! Character building was phenomenal! If you like chaotic love stories, creepy woods and a bit of supernatural you’ll like this one!

This book follows Iris on her path of self discovery as she seeks freedom from an abusive relationship. The prose and subjects discussed are haunting and eloquent. Content warnings for suicide, abuse, language and violence. This is not a pretty read, but it is still beautiful in its own way. The writing style is done in such a way that the reader is able to clearly step into Iris' world to see and feel what she does. The book for me was a read it slow and digest kind of a book, not the kind to devour in one sitting. As the subject matter was more substantial and I needed the time to process what I was reading. Take your time with this one.

This is an intense read about a woman escaping her abusive wife. There's a dash of a science fiction element and moments where it reads like a thriller, but at its heart this is the story of a woman fighting to reclaim her sense of self after being physically and psychologically abused for years by her partner. Iris flees NYC and her wife Claude to hide in the wilderness of the Catskills. As the story alternates between past and present, Iris comes face to face with another version of herself living a different life. There's a lot of ambiguity throughout, both in the encounters with her other self and in the ending. This is not an easy read, but it's a powerful one. Many thanks to NetGalley, Hodder Studio, Mobius Books, and Beth Lewis for the opportunity to read and review this book. ★★★★★

Do you believe there is an alternate you somewhere in the universe. Ever wondered what your life would be like if you'd made different choices?
Iris has met her other self and now can see what could have been different, good and bad.
This story will show you both sides of Iris and the life they both live.

And then you'll wonder what your other self is doing right now.