If you've read an Iain Reid book, you know that the stories read as more of an experience and not something you can easily explain to someone.

In We Spread, we follow Penny an artist who has lived alone since the loss of her long-term partner. After an accident, her landlord shifts her into Six Cedars Residence, an assisted living facility where things seem to be a little too good to be true. I love how thought-provoking this weird, but beautiful tale was, the ending was ambiguous and up for personal interpretation. I enjoyed the use of limited characters that were used in the setting, it added to the tension of what was going on.

This is a book that will leave you puzzled, as soon as I put it down I was confused. Had I missed something? Perhaps I wasn't thinking about it critically enough? Once it hit me I felt as if I could relate to the book so much more, I've always had a fear of growing old, and the fear of forgetting who I am so I can only imagine how personal this was for Reid to write. If you're looking for something thought-provoking, this is for you.
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I would like to thank NetGalley, Gallery/Scout Press, and Iain Reid for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This book was published on: September 27th, 2022

Reid does it again! I was confused, intrigued, bewildered and absolutely delighted by every word! I love that his endings are are always open to interpretation and conversation! Great book club reads!

This was my first book that i have read by Iain Reid and it definetly wont be my last.
The book had me hooked and wanting to know more as i read through the book. My co workers and i all had different opinions on what we thought was happening in the story. But will anyone really know?

Conceptually brilliant. A thriller and a literary meditation on aging. Thanks to Netgalley for this advance edition!

We Spread is exactly what I would expect from Iain Reid - the unexpected! This novel is no different from the others - I find myself still mulling it over months later. Glad to see it having renewed interest thanks to the Canada Reads longlist.

The creeping dread and atmospheric tension Iain Reid builds holds up through this slim novel, and the ins and outs of Penny's mental state and train of thought was fascinating. Ultimately though, I was in for the ride but the destination was not one I intended to end up at.

"We Spread" follows Penny, an elderly artist forced into a long-term care home. The novel, like Reid's other works explores the texture of memory. When things take a turn for the surreal it poses the question to Penny and the reader - is she experiencing the cognitive decline of aging, or is something more at play?

Iain Reid's third novel is both compassionate and unsettling, Like Michael Haneke's 'Amour' and Florian Zeller's 'The Father' Reid mines horror from the dark realities of aging. This is another great entry from Reid who is quickly becoming the modern master of psychological horror.

Penny is an elderly woman living alone in her apartment. After experiencing a fall, she is taken to a care facility in an isolated rural area. There are only four residents in the facility. Penny suspects something untoward is happening. Are her suspicions true or is she slowly losing her memory and slipping further into dementia. The novel is a quick read which raises questions about loneliness and aging.

not my favourite reid novel, mostly because i felt a lot was left completely unanswered and unjustified - i liked the fall into psychosis and the question of memory and what is real and what is fabricated by our minds but there was just not enough answers at the end of this the way his other books kind of did enough with

Penny is an artist living on her own. Before her partner died also an artist the couple made arrangements for Penny’s care when it became necessary. Penny had a bad fall and was unable to call for help. She was discovered by her landlord Mike who decided it was time Penny went to live at the Six Cedars Residence as directed by her late partner. Surrounded by trees Six Cedars is a small long term care home with only four residents. It is run by Shelley and her helper Jack.
Though a bit disoriented at first Penny begins to fit into the routine of Six Cedars and makes friends with another resident by the name of Hilbert. Penny even starts to paint again. Keeping busy and being productive is strongly encouraged and expected by Shelley.
Penny begins to feel unsettled. Periods of time allude her. She starts to feel trapped
and starts to ask questions. Something is off but Penny isn’t sure if it is her or them.
WE SPREAD is an unsettling yet compelling story. There is definitely a sinister undertone to the story. I did enjoy it even though it was unsettling. The writing is strong and the characters are memorable. I think it would make a good book club selection.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced digital edition of this book.
4.5 ⭐️

Penny ends up being committed to a long term care facility after she has a few incidents at her apartment. She had been struggling to live on her own in solitude after her long-term partner passed away. She begins to flourish again amongst the company of the other residents, but she starts to lose her grip on reality as all of her days blend together. She feels as though she’s being watched and begins to question her safety.

Reid can always be depended on for a thought-provoking, uncomfortable horror novel. His writing style is so unique and philosophical. This isn’t a horror novel you pick up just for cheap thrills. He drops little nuggets of incidents that make you second-guess yourself. The tension is just building, building, building until you can feel it about ready to implode. Penny was such an interesting character and I loved the exploration of ageing as a horror trope.

Penny has lived in the same apartment for decades. As she grows old, and her mind and body start to face, she moved out to a care residence. Penny immediately feels a sense of unease in the home but struggles to locate the source of danger. Is Penny in the middle of something sinister or is her mind simply failing her.
Highly recommended quick read.

* I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book from NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada, Simon & Schuster in exchange for my honest review

You know those nightmares that you can’t make sense of, but you know it’s creepy as hell? The ones you wake up from and go back to sleep right back into it. Recognizing your surrounding and situation, but can’t figure out how to escape.

This book is like those things. And so is Penny’s experience at Six Cedars retirement home.

How long has she been there? Who can she trust? Why does time seem to be moving at hyper speed?

This book had me gripped from the first page. I felt so uncomfortable reading it, but in the best way. Iain Reid just has such a way of captivating you with isolating, unsettling fear that you just have to see through to the end.

What can I say about We Spread? I am a little bit at a loss.

We Spread follows Penny as the ability to take proper care of herself declines. We follow her through her transition from independent living, in the home that she and her partner lived in for decades, to a peculiar, assisted living facility, where all her needs are taken care of. This sort of transition is difficult, it is hard to admit when we are no longer able to do what we used to be able to do.

The story is told solely from Penny’s perspective, we know that her mind isn’t what it used to be. The whole thing made me think of a line I had heard years ago, I looked it up. Guess what? I found it on Goodreads and got the whole thing: “There are three sides to every story: your side, my side, and the truth. And no one is lying. Memories shared serve each differently.” It comes from Robert Evans. I had to call into question everything that Penny told me, her story was inconsistent, fantastical and even horrifying. I had so many theories of what was going on in that house. I’m sure that if Shelley, the caretaker in the story, were to tell it, the story would be very different; but I don’t think that I would trust her either.

As someone with an aging parent, I was able to relate to/see parallels with what I see in my own life. I found, I want to say comfort in the story Reid told, but it really isn’t comfortable, perhaps an acceptance of the story being as accurate as possible. I found I could relate to the situation.

What was Reid doing with We Spread? Was he exploring the possibilities of an unreliable narrator, all the fun he could have with that? Was he exploring the aging process, to reflect in the story how a person sees things as they age, how their imagination seems so real to them? Or was he just having fun and is now laughing “Na, na, na, na, na, you still don’t know what happened.”

*4 Stars

Having read Iain Reid’s other two novels, I should have been better prepared for We Spread. It is a chilling, emotional page-turner that kept me riveted to the pages, but this novel hit a little close to home.

Growing old is not only a privilege, but it can also be scary and worrisome. We all hope to be the ninety-year-old who is in good physical health, still sharp as a tack, and able to live independently in our home, partaking in hobbies and visits with family and friends. The prospect of growing old comes with the fears that we may not be one of the lucky ones.

We Spread is told entirely from Penny’s perspective. She was recently admitted to a small long-term care facility to live out the rest of her days. The residents were well fed, cared for, and encouraged to pursue their passions, but was there something a little bit off or sinister about the lady who owned the care home?

I wanted the best for Penny and her fellow residents. Did I trust what was going on at the care home? Nope. Did I trust Penny to be a reliable narrator? Not quite. Was something malevolent going on or was Penny just succumbing to old age? That’s what I wanted to find out.

Iain Reid has a unique writing style. It pulls the reader in, keeps them glued to the pages, and makes them question everything. I had so many theories going through my mind as I was reading this novel. I still have so many theories even after finishing it. It’s the type of book that makes you ponder life, loneliness, and the effects of aging. Iain Reid took a subject that is a normal and realistic part of life and made it feel personal, he amped it up and still managed to give it an eerie feel that chilled me to the bone.

I am a huge fan of this author. His writing and storytelling are among my favorites. We Spread left a strong impression on me, in fact, I’m still thinking about it.

*5 Stars

Minimal and beautiful, full of creeping suspense. Reid's stories are these fantastic, short, tense, surreal masterpieces.

We Spread is the story of a woman who may be loosing track of time after being put into a care home, and is wrapped in themes of art, meaning, and memory.

I love that I always seem to get his new titles on a stormy day. Perfectly fitting.

The author does an amazing job putting us into the mind of Penny and how she processes things. What is real? Is this all really happening or not? Is Penny hallucinating? Is Penny delusional? A gripping, emotional, unsettling story about being alone in old age and having to move to a care facility where you are at the mercy of the caregivers. Intense reading right to the end ……and then the end…..WOW!

Reid is a successful Ontario author and has written two memoir type books as well as two novels. His debut novel was the very successful "I'm Thinking of Ending Things" which has been made into a movie. His second novel "Foe" was a science fiction and is also being made into a movie. This new release is about an elderly woman who has been moved into a small long term care residence. She becomes confused and both the character and the reader has to figure out if something nefarious is actually going on or is it just a growing dementia. This short novel will touch anyone who has watched a love one with dementia and is a good recommendation for fans of literary works that are a little bit unusual.

WOW! I am struck dumb by this book and have no idea how to review it. It's not often I come across a book that I want to read more than once but this one broke the mould. Is it because of my age and knowing I'm closer to the end of my life than the beginning? Is it because I read it so quickly I feel like I may have missed some of the nuances? Perhaps a re-read will answer these questions.

Penny has been living in the same apartment for over 50 years, now on her own but previously with a man, an artist, never named and just referred to as "he". Penny is also a painter, mostly of portraits, but has never shown her work as she always feels like the paintings are unfinished. She suffers a fall in the apartment and is whisked off to Six Cedars, a long term care home in the middle of a forest with only four residents and two staff. She is told that she and her partner had selected this residence years ago, before he died. Initially all is well and Penny enjoys being pampered and cared for but as the days start to blur together, she begins to lose her grip on the passage of time and on her place in the world.

This is a fairly short book, broken into three parts but without chapter breaks, and the narrative is sparse but so meaningful. There is a sense of menace throughout the book which leaves the reader wondering what's real and what's imagined. As others have commented, Iain Reid's writing is hypnotic and unsettling and I can't wait to see what he does next.

My thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada via Netgalley for the opportunity to read this excellent novel. All opinions expressed are my own.
Available September 27, 2022

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada. Iain Reid always. writes books that are deep and creepy as well books that you need to read with a deeper understanding. Reid uses metaphors and you have to read between the lines to have understanding of his book. This book was written well and the book title is so accurate.