Thank you Simon & Schuster Audio for the ALC and @BookClubFavorites & Gallery/Scout Press #partner, for the finished copy of We Spread in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Gallery/Scout Press / Simon & Schuster ALC
Published: September 27, 2022
Summary:
A new work of philosophical suspense.
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?
At once compassionate and uncanny, told in spare, hypnotic prose, Iain Reid’s genre-defying third novel explores questions of conformity, art, productivity, relationships, and what, ultimately, it means to grow old.
My thoughts:
This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and it will absolutely not be the last. When I requested it, I knew it was a bit out of my comfort zone, but I’m so glad I ended up requesting it anyway because I just loved it for its uniqueness as much as it’s genre-bending qualities.
This is an unsettling, bizarre read, yet it’s also one that once I started reading it, I could not put it down and ended up finishing it in a matter of hours. Yes, it is on the shorter side, and yes I did listen to it, but I’m also really glad I have a print copy because I know I will be revisiting this one. It’s the type of read that I feel will hit you differently each time you read it. But it’s also the type of read that leaves you wondering what you just read, and I love those types of reads. It makes you think.
This book delves into memory and aging but also has a chilling sense of unease as the story progresses. It totally kept me on edge, and I just loved that. I don’t want to say much more than that for fear of giving anything away…but trust me when I say this is definitely going to be one of my favorite books of the year! I read this one back at the end of September and am still thinking about it. It would also make a great bookclub pick…there is a ton to discuss here!
Audio thoughts:
As I already mentioned, I listened to this one which was narrated by Robin Miles and she did a fantastic job with the narration. Her pacing and intonation were spot on and she really brought this story to life. Her voice is soothing at just the right times, but broken and confused at others – it could not have been performed any better.
