Iain Reid never fails me! This is a chilling story about aging, fearing the unknown, and feeling a loss of control over your memory and grasp on reality. If these ideas sound as terrifying to you as they do to me, this is the perfect book to pick up and instill a sense of unease. I liked the eerie way we were introduced to Penny and her time at Six Cedars, where she is forcefully placed after a bad fall shows she may no longer be able to care for herself on her own. We feel the full force of Penny's discomfort and loss, and when things start to unravel it's hard to tell what is happening and what might be deterioration in Penny's body. I enjoyed this ambiguity and found it added to the overall horror of We Spread.

This was my first Iain Reid novel and now I know I need to go back and read this other works. Not knowing what was real or not, what was happening at Six Cedars, and the realness of aging for Penny, made this an engaging read.

Thanks To netgalley for an advanced copy.

I have a stepmother who has dementia so this book really hit home. It really gives you an inside view of what a person with dementia or Alzheimer’s goes through.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so good! Iain Reid has such a way with words.

I really liked the format this was written in because it made it so easy to fly through. The messages of this book are really profound and beautiful, and they really had me thinking.

Reid's writing is just really beautiful, and it just really blows me away.

I wasn't a huge fan of I'm Thinking of Ending Things, but this could have also been because it felt way over my head.

I would have LOVED to read this with a group of people so I could read it and discuss with people. Instead, I will probably just get everyone I know to read it so that we can all talk about. I hope as that happens I can began to understand the ending more and more.

From The New York Times bestselling author of “I’m Thinking of Ending Things” and “Foe” comes “We Spread,” a psychological thriller following artist and long-term care resident Penny as she slowly starts to lose her grip on reality. A meditation on morality and perception that colors reality, “We Spead” might be the scariest book on this list, simply for its grounding in an all too possible existence that no one, regardless of gender, location or affluence, can escape. “Despite the lack of resolution, the story feels complete as it closes with a disturbingly upbeat and peaceful scene,” a starred Publishers Weekly review reads. “This deep plunge into fears about growing old and losing control is unforgettable.”

TWO-CENT TUESDAY

Below are a few (somewhat) brief $.02 opinions about books I've read or listened to recently but don't have the opportunity to review in full. Many of these titles I enjoyed as much or more than those that got the full court press. I hope you'll consider one or two for your own TBR stack if they strike your fancy whether they struck mine or not.

WE SPREAD, by Iain Reid

This fantastic cover would have made me pick this up even if Reid hadn't exploded my brain with I'm Thinking of Ending Things a few years back. We Spread gave me similar creepy feelings of horror and the unknown as I read it, but it was also much different. Penny has lived in the same apartment for decades with her unnamed partner, an artist. She herself is a painter, but does not have the confidence to show anyone her work. After her partner dies and she has a fall, Penny's landlord packs her up and takes her to Six Cedars, a unique care facility that has only four rooms and two staff members. The food is good, the views beautiful, the care detailed. But the schedule is strict, the rules plenty, and no one is allowed to go outside. As strange things begin to happen to Penny, she questions how she ended up at Six Cedars and what the intent behind the "care" really is. Reid does spooky ambiguity better than just about anyone and We Spread is full of it. Ultimately, it's either a creepy tale of the horrors of elder care, or a heartrending look into aging and losing what one used to be.

⁉️Do you worry about what will happen as you age? Physically or mentally or otherwise?

BOOK REVIEW
We Spread, by Iain Reid @tidydissolve
Pub date: September 27, 2022
304 pages
@gallerybooks @scoutpressbooks

This book was like Sally Rooney’s Normal People if all the characters had been elderly and also, maybe it was a horror (lite) story?

You may know that I’m a big Sally Rooney fan. So, while it took some time to digest the ending of this one, toggling between love and hate, I’ve officially landed on love.

It isn’t without flaws, but the commentary on age alone (the physical side, the mental and emotional piece, the social dynamics of getting older ugh 😫) made this such a rewarding read.

I worked in a nursing home back in college for a few summers, and the dialogue between the protagonist (Penny) and the other residents in the home she finds herself in felt so wildly authentic. I’d love to know more about how and where Reid did his research for this story.

So much of the narrative had meaning beyond the physical text. I don’t won’t to share much, because so much can be given away so easily. If you pick this one up, definitely don’t read it passively. It is short, but requires your attention, I think.

This was definitely superior storytelling to I’m Thinking of Ending Things, imo, and has me itching to read Foe by the same author. I don’t think this will work for all readers, but if you don’t mind loose ends I think this will delight you. All three of his books have been/are being adapted to screen btw.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks @netgalley and @scoutpressbooks for the ebook ✌️

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WOW WOW WOW. What did I just read! I read this in one single sitting and was gripped from start to finish. If we are lucky enough, old age is coming for all of us. A blessing and also a terrifying reality. Our main character has newly moved into a home for the elderly. Is she losing her grasp on reality or is something more sinister at play? This work of philosphical suspense got under my skin and is still there. We Spread is an unsettling reflection on the terror that comes with the mundane, the fragility, and the monotony that can be end of life. This would be a perfect book club selection.

Penny, an elderly artist who never finished anything, is uniquely relatable almost immediately. Loneliness and regret plague her but not to the cost of her independence and identity, which are challenged when she’s admitted into a care home. I loved the sparse prose, the quick pace, and the exploration of control and meaning in old age (and in general.)

Each time I read something of Iain’s I always feel so haunted. They pick apart culture’s deepest fears and get to the tiniest of horrors. This look on aging and even the way we treat our elderly near the end is so scary and refreshing.

3.5/5 stars. This book was haunting, but not because it was traditionally spooky; because of the stark realities of aging and the harsh, spare first person descriptions of what the process is like. The pure loneliness, the sadness, the confusion, and the influx of living through memories, plus the strange situation at the elite 4-person old age home she ends up at. Is she losing time due to memory issues, or is it something more? Reminiscent of "Requiem for a Dream," in the elements of sad loneliness.

Wow, this story was filled with deep conversations, propulsive writing, and the kind of mystery and "WHAT IS HAPPENING?!" that we all expect from an Iain Reid novel. I devoured this in a couple of sittings and think if you love philosophical conversations and fiction that falls a little on the weird side, you should pick this one up!

A short but wise book drawing the reader into the world of an elderly widow without a safety net except for arrangements made by her partner prior to his death for her to live out her days in a quiet, caring, forest surrounded home. Assuming Iain Reid does not have dementia (or how could he write such compelling books) - he nails the experience and attends to details most of us would gloss over or simply not see. The book will - and should - shake you. Those caring for the elderly directly - or considering moving someone into a care facility - should consider carefully whether this is a good time to read this (trigger warning)

I was a big fan of Iain Reid’s 2016 debut 𝘐’𝘮 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘌𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴. It was a little strange at the start and 𝖉𝖆𝖓𝖌 𝖘𝖈𝖆𝖗𝖞 by the end! (In fact, if you’re looking for 𝖊𝖊𝖗𝖎𝖊 𝕺𝖈𝖙𝖔𝖇𝖊𝖗 books, add it to your TBR.) His next book, 𝘍𝘰𝘦, wasn’t quite as scary, but equally well done and also frightening, but more in a sci-fi sort of way. Based on those two books, I was really excited to read his newest book, 𝗪𝗘 𝗦𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗. Unfortunately, this slim book turned out to be the one that didn’t work as well for me.⁣
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The story centers on Penny, an elderly artist who has lived alone for a very long time and after a fall finds herself in a “very special” assisted living facility. Nothing there is quite as it seems and Penny grows more and more confused…as did I. The publisher’s blurb ends by saying “...𝘐𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘙𝘦𝘪𝘥’𝘴 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘳𝘦-𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘢𝘳𝘵, 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵, 𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺, 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸 𝘰𝘭𝘥.” I use that direct quote because I never could have come up with it on my own. I can see that all those elements were contained in his story, but I didn’t truly feel like they were explored. For me, it was more like they were all tangled in a knot that I didn’t even want to try to untie!⁣ (Rounded up from 2.5 stars)
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Thanks to @gallerybooks for an ARC of #WeSpread, which releases today.

Iain Reid has a gift for writing the most compelling stories that leave you wondering what you’ve just read.

In We Spread, we are introduced to Penny. Penny lives alone in her house surrounded by memories of a life lived with her dead partner. Everything is a memory and Penny’s memories are fading.

After a fall, Penny is placed in a long term care facility. Apparently it all been arranged many years ago by her partner, so that if he was not around, Penny would have someone to take care of her.

The first thing Penny notices is that it is a very unique care facility, with only 3 other residents. At first, Penny is lulled by how easy it is to sleep, how nice it is to have food placed in front of you to eat and how enjoyable it is to talk and carry on conversations with people.

But then she starts wondering about things. Her memory is fading and at times it feels like she is losing her grasp with reality. Is something going on at the care facility? Are they there for a reason? Are they really trying to help her?

This book really makes you feel what Penny is going through. What old age can feel like. How you could easily doubt yourself. Perhaps it resonated with me even more because of my age, knowing that this stage of life is coming up fast. Beautiful, sparse writing, and the perfect length. I received an ARC of the book.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Gallery Books/Scout Press for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest novel by Iain Reid - 5 stars!

Penny lives by herself after her long-time partner died and has surrounded herself with the trappings of their lives, both artists. She begins getting paranoid and hearing things from surrounding apartments, so after a fall, plans that her partner had set up before his death were put into motion. Penny was swept away by the building landlord and taken to a long-term care residence. Initially she thrives being with people her own age and being cared for, but soon begins wondering if something is wrong at the home.

I loved this book - it is creepy, suspenseful, and so beautifully written so that you will question things along with Penny. It will make you think about things that we don't like to think about - aging, death, the human need for purpose, contact, touch, art, beauty. Since as a society we don't seem to treasure our elderly like we should, this is a book that will make you pause. Old age comes to the lucky and death comes to all. Highly recommended!

Iain Reid always has a way of creating quiet and intense stories that leave you feeling a growing sense of unease. Reid’s latest effort, We Spread, is no exception!

Penny spent decades of her life with her lover, a fellow artist, in the same apartment. Little did Penny know that her partner, who has since passed away, has made provisions for her to have a room in a long-term care residence when the time comes.
As old age creeps in, Penny spends her days in the apartment surrounded by the art she’s made throughout her life, rarely leaving. When a particularly concerning incident happens, Penny has no choice but to move in to the unique residence she didn’t know a thing about. Her trepidation soon turns to happiness as she finds herself sleeping soundly, eating well, and having wonderful conversations with peers — she’s even painting again! But as the passage of time seems to strangely warp, Penny is beginning to distrust the facility.
Is Penny succumbing to time/aging …or is something far more sinister happening in her care residence?

This short novel packs a huge punch of compassion as it explores the uncertainty of relationships and aging with Reid’s trademark spare writing that lends itself to the growing dread that something is not quite right.

Thanks to Gallery/Scout Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. We Spread was released September 27, 2022.

First off, thank you so much to #Netgalley, the publisher and especially the author for this ARC!

I love this author, I loved I'm thinking of ending things. This book was no exception… it’s as atmospheric and creepy as ever. I would say to go in as blind as you can because his books are best read like that but know you won’t be disappointed!

I'm not exactly sure what I thought of this, but I think it's best to go in without expectation. The story is very well written and you'll feel uncomfortable. Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery/Source Press.

I’ve always had a really good relationship with the older people in my life. When I was a child, I got along better with my grandma and great aunts better than I got along with my cousins. I used to go to the local convalescent hospital and visit with elderly patients who had no one to visit them. When I was a teenager I’d rather spend the day with my grandma than my mom, because I was way more like my grandma than I was my mom. So you would think I wouldn’t mind the idea of aging. After all, I’d been around it all my life. You’d be wrong. I don’t fear death one bit. But aging? Aging is something that scares the beejesus out of me. The slow, inexorable loss of everything you were and everything you had until there is nothing left but the days waiting for the end. No thanks. Do not want.

Yet aging isn’t what’s so scary and insidious when it comes to “We Spread”. It’s memory and time; or, rather, the lack of both and the way it can be messed with and we would never know it once our minds start to close certain pathways down in order to conserve power so we can live just that much longer. I may not even be 50 yet, but some of this is deeply familiar to me, since I have a form of epilepsy where I lose chunks of time. At its worst, I lost months at a time. My greatest fear was (and still is) that someone in my life will gaslight me and start telling me I did things and just start telling me, “Oh, you just don’t remember.” Can you imagine? Not having enough control over your memories that someone could tell you something and because of your memory you believe them because you trust them? (Yes, I have major trust issues.)

This book is, in a way, deeply touching in the way it practically begs us to look at the elderly not as a group, but as individual people who still have something to give to the world. Not people who should just be put into a home and forgotten, but people who still have stories to tell, wisdom to spread, beauty to show, affection to give, and memories to share (even when they’re fragmented). The elderly aren’t to be dismissed or underestimated. They are still people with hearts and minds. It’s a lesson most of the western world has forgotten.

The way in which Reid chooses to put a big, red pin on this issue is by setting this book inside a private long-term residence care home, where there are only four elderly residents: two females, two males, and all four have very distinctive areas of specialty. A musician. A mathematician. A linguist. An artist. A holistic education for any young mind. But these minds aren’t young. Their caregiver is obsessed with keeping them productive, making sure they eat, making sure they’re clean, making sure they sleep. Normally, these would all be the hallmarks of the very best kind of caregiver, if it didn’t come with hefty doses of gaslighting (but is it?), undercurrents of malice (or are we imagining it?), casual dismissals of patient concerns, the mistreatment of other patients (or have we just forgotten what happened to them?).

The prose is beautiful even when sad or reflective. It’s downright striking when the scenes are awkward, malevolent, or downright frightening.

What was the most surprising thing about this book for me is how fast it moves. I was reading a 250 page book yesterday and it took me all day. I read this book in less than five hours. That’s how engrossing, compelling, and simply fantastic this book is. It’s absolutely a psychological thriller at its finest.

Thanks to NetGalley, Gallery Books, and Scout Press for granting me access to this title in exchange for a fair and honest review.