Iain Reid's writing keeps getting better. And he has firmly staked his claim in the realm of mind-bending "what is really going on here" subgenre of fiction. And while he could throw hundreds of pages at the reader to lead them on a psychedelic journey, he instead employ a less 'is more approach, keeping to the heart of the story to make it even more unnerving and questionable. While I would have like more of an explanation at the end, the surreal nature of the story lent itself to some ambiguity at the conclusion. 3.5/5*

3.5 stars! Thank you for this early copy. I am a huge Iain Reid fan. He has such a unique voice and gripping story telling ability that creates unsettling atmospheres. This book held my attention and gave me the creeps. The story made me feel so uncomfortable and wondering what the heck was going on. It was an intersting book about aging and the fear of aging and losing our memories but also being able to still do the things we love and a part of what makes us, "us. However, I found the ending a little rushed and I was left with more questions and just utterly confused as to what was actually happening at the end. Maybe I just was not smart enough haha! I think people will either love or hate this. I enjoyed it but I prefer his previous books to this one. I will always read anything he writes cause he is the KING of the weird, the psychological mind bending wtf is going on types of books.

I have loved every book this author has written. I loved this one as well. A story of aging and what we lose. The only fault I found, is I felt it could have been longer. Reid has a way of writing characters to make them feel so real.

I was really excited to read We Spread since I’m Thinking Of Ending Things was so weird and mind blowing. But We Spread just fell kind of short for me. We Spread still had an eerie feeling about it but it wasn’t as mind blowing as I’m Thinking Of Ending Things. It was honestly a little bit boring for me and wasn’t as good as I hoped. It was a quick read though. All thoughts and opinions stated in this review are my own! Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for a copy of the arc in return for an honest review!

I read this in two sittings, as I was super excited to get Iain Reid’s new book. I loved I’m Thinking About Ending Things, and I had high hopes for this novel. We Spread does have a similar eerie creepiness to it, and I was never quite sure what was going on - a definite plus point. However, I felt that there were a lot of underdeveloped plot points and there was potential for more development of story and characters. I did enjoy the book overall, but it wasn’t as good as I had hoped.

While We Spread attempts to raise and discuss old age as a concept for horror, it fails on the aspect which should've been the most interesting: the tension. Lack of stakes and Penny, the narrador, being completely passive throughout the narrative made We Spread a quick read, though not always entertaining and certainly not suspenceful. I guessed the plot twists from miles away and the prose felt unpolished, like I was reading a first draft and not a book that's about to be published. The characters I found all one dimensional (except for Penny), but I did enjoy the setting and the general idea of it, even if not the way it was presented.

I LOVED this book. Iain Reid has done it again — this had me gripped from the very beginning and was a super quick read. I love how well Reid conveys the sense of confusion and not knowing what is real. Truly a master of psychological horror. No notes for this one.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Another really good one by Reid, one of the things I mention to customers and coworkers when they ask for recommendations is to give I'm Thinking of Ending Things a chance, you'll be scared but you won't know why. We Spread is another example of how Reid can make the reader very uncomfortable but also unsure as to why. This time dealing with the scariest thing of all; the lose of one's own mind and faculties..

Incredibly creepy and riveting storytelling. I read this short book in only two days and I would recommend this book to others.

Absolutely brilliant. I love Iain’s work and this is no exception. A deceptively simple meditation on creativity, life, memory, and self-love with all the complexities, moralities, and sinister vibes of one of the great Twilight Zone episodes.

My first book to read by this author but definitely not my last! Such a gripping novel that made it hard for me to put his book down once I started it. Highly recommend!!

We Spread is, to me, the best piece of COVID fiction since the start of the pandemic. Much like M. Night Shyamalan's Old, We Spread is a treatise on aging and time passing us by that feels especially appropriate during a two year period where I felt like I accomplished nothing while simultaneously feeling like I've aged far more than two years.

The story is about an elderly woman who is forced to move into an assisted living facility after she falls and hits her head. Once she moves in, time passing begins to feel like it is out of her control and grasp. This lack of control over the way she is experiencing time hits hard in a time where time feels like it is being wasted. As an elderly woman, the slipping of time is more problematic as she is running out of it. For me, this made me look inward on a time where I've felt my age for the first time in my life. I was profoundly affected by this novel, and found everything about Iain Reid's writing enthralling. It's a mystery, it's scary, and it's beautifully written. I couldn't recommend this more highly.

This book was so incredibly good and I devoured it in hours- guess it’ll be another long wait for Reid’s next book haha!

This was really different than I'm Thinking of Ending Things in terms of focus, but it left me with a similar feeling. It's a quick read where you're never quite sure if what you're experiencing is real and if you can trust what's happening. I also really enjoyed the concept here; there were lots of weird and interesting details I am left wondering about after finishing. I would recommend to readers who enjoy psychological horror that's light on blood and gore and who like when horror makes commentary or greater themes and concepts.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.