I should probably start by saying this is actually my first time reading Iain Reid so I wasn’t prepared for the absolute fever dream that is his writing.

This story follows Penny an elderly artist living on her own who seems to be suffering with cognitive decline and after a nasty fall is relocated to a senior care facility where nothing is quite what it seems.

As someone who saw my mother get dementia and fade away the writing here is so painfully accurate at times it was heartbreaking.
I found myself entirely to emotionally invested in Penny and what was happening to her which made this reading experience quite anxiety inducing.

We are privy to Penny’s disordered thoughts which as the story unfolds makes her experiences seem unreliable and dream like, this had me second guessing every single interaction.

I didn’t love the ending, though it had a full circle quality to it. That said, this book is scary because of how ambitious it all is, how many questions are left unanswered. The atmosphere is also isolated and unsettling.
I think Reid tapped into the core fear of losing ones mind and played it out across the pages, very little is truly scarier then that.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 4 stars , Read it!

Big thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the review copy of this book.
We Spread will be available Sept 27th.

I can always count on Iain Reid to give a genre-bending spine-tingling novel that makes un unsettled for days and this one is no different.

Review Copy

I wish I could categorize WE SPREAD into a nice little genre as so many others seem to have done. It's certainly not horror fiction, Nonfiction horror, yes, but Amazon doesn't have a tag for that. It sure ain't a thriller, 'cause nobody wants to live that kind of thrilling life. There's no true crime, romance, and sure isn't any humor. For those of us whose partners have died and are living along this is a descent into madness.

Penny is an senior citizen in remarkable condition for her age. Certainly in better shape than I! But after a fall she finds herself being moved into an assisted living home of the eeriest type. The plot is yours to delve into in the compelling novella.

I'm not a highlighter of books. But on the first page of the first section my finger itched to highlight. And I wanted to continue to highlight for nearly the entire first section of the book. It's truth. I'm living it and read through tears. I didn't highlight knowing the publisher wanted reviewers to wait for the final copy. I hope that first part doesn't change as it's perfection and needs to be read,

If for some reason you don't like WE SPREAD, save it and re-read it when you're older. If you're aging, read it. But read it. It's beautiful. It's sad. It's eerie.

This book was a surprise. I have never read anything by this author and didn’t know what to expect. I have to say that Mr Reid is very creative and writes very well. The story centers around Penny who is an elderly woman left alone with no children. She goes to live in a home for elderly people who need help and there she meets several interesting characters. However, the interesting part is watching Penny change and come to grips with her past life, her surroundings and the choices she has made in life. She finds happiness in this home, but also uncertainty and fear. Is it dementia playing with her mind, or Shelley, the manager of the home? The book is written in such a way that it almost feels like a thriller- it reads quickly and you do want to know what’s happening.
This book was given to me by Netgalley, publisher and author in exchange for an honest review

Like Iain Reid’s other novels, this one was definitely thought-provoking. The ending was a little confusing, but I'm sure that was what was intended. Definitely a solid read, though.

How does Iain Reid do it? I was up way too late finishing this. He writes these shorter books yet they are so full of meaning and creepiness and mystery. He leaves things out but you don't feel cheated by it, if that makes sense - it just makes you think. He's so good at evoking an atmosphere that makes you feel claustrophobic and question everything. 5/5.

Penny is deteriorating. She's having trouble getting around her apartment she once shared with her partner, everyday tasks are becoming large feats to complete. Clutter, unfinished paintings, small "reminder" notes litter her space. She simply can't keep up. Her body is failing her. Her since deceased partner knew this would happen. He's taken care of things, ensured Penny would be looked after. Penny is sent to be part of a community at Six Cedars and initially it's nice. Meals, activities, conversation with people her age sharing different experiences is worlds different from her solitary life in the city. Camaraderie is formed, she enjoys this. Until things begin to feel off. Penny can't quite pinpoint it but something, just isn't right. Days shouldn't mesh together as easily as they do at Six Cedars. It just doesn't feel natural. It isn't natural.

Wowowowowow. Disturbing, obscure, and unsettling themes hit the ground running fast in We Spread and never let up the pace. Reid has a way of flawlessly creating a heavy atmosphere in which the reader may not know all the facts but, they know it can't be good. Throughout Penny's experiences at Six Cedars, the shift from enjoyable to uncomfortable is unnerving due to the fact that this happens through minute occurrences. Small, slow, steady shifts. While We Spread does have shocking solid plot points, that wasn't what made the book what it is. The feeling of conspiracy and secret systems put into place gives the story its unique energy. The bubble on this distorted reality never quite pops, and that's okay. It doesn't matter. Whatever is going on, you know it's not good.

If you enjoy a24 horror, this would probably be a good fit for you.

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc! My only complaint about anything by Iain Reid is that it always goes by too fast - I get attached the the characters and then the book is over and I’m left wanting more. This was a very different book than his others, as the main characters are all elderly, but it was a bittersweet exploration on what it means to age and what death really means to all of us. I’m definitely going to reread this one when it comes out!

We Spread, by Iain Reid, is a tray of molasses-pecan sticky buns.

Not bought from a store, not found inside an aluminum tube. Not even purchased from a gourmet bakery in a delicate white box.

These rolls are homemade with love, with care, with intention.

They are a community.

Just like us.

Six of them.

All just fractions of a whole.

In the oven they go as separate, unique identities. Inches apart. The proportions are not equal, some have extra candied pecans, some are a little lopsided and some burst and bubble with a cinnamon-sugar ooze.

But once they rise in the heat of the oven, they reach out to each other with their gooey sap— that blackstrap molasses coating the rolls in its membrane, spreading across the tops and linking them together, forever one. Dark brown swirls in the center of each, like the rings when you cut open the thick trunk of a tree. The closest thing to infinity in a dessert.

When they’re ready, they are set atop the table in front of the six of you. It is difficult to tell which started as the top-heavy one, which had the most pecans. It is hard to tell where one starts and one ends.

You take your pick first— pull a particularly plump bun from the center. Separating them proves to be problematic. They are a part of each other now; they do not want to leave the tray alone. The surrounding buns stick to yours, latch on as if they had grown roots.

But you do not resist the pull.

A singular roll clenched in your fist. 1/6th of one. There is a stray pecan stuck to its left side, a chunk of another bun like a cancerous growth on its right. Your fingers are gooey with brown sugar and molasses and you take a bite.

And it was almost as if the six of you tasted that bite at the same time. A warm coziness washes over your body and you notice everyone wearing a decadent smile, eyes closed in enjoyment. As if it were they that were eating it, tasting it now at the very same time from the very same roll.

If only this feeling could last forever.

If only that cinnamon swirl never ended, continued it’s path until eternity. Then, you might be happy.

I loved I’m Thinking of Ending Things and Foe by Iain Reid, so I was thrilled to receive this ARC from NetGalley. This is a story about Penny, an aging artist whose memory starts to fail and body starts to deteriorate. Following an accident in her apartment, all of her belongings are packed up and she is sent to an assisted living facility. At first she is skeptical, but begins to enjoy her time there being cared for and meeting fellow occupants… But all is not as it seems. In typical Reid fashion, the reader is unsure if it is Penny’s failing memory, or actually a dark and sinister situation that she finds herself in at the home. This was a very fast paced and enthralling read that kept me guessing and trying to figure out what was really going on. I gave it 4 solid stars.









https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4688558992

This was one of my most anticipated read of the year. Reid's writing has the unique ability to make me feel truly unsettled and he achieved that once again with this book. While I feel like both ITOET and Foe were a bit easier for me to follow, I still really enjoyed the atmosphere and the commentary on growing older, memory and the legacy we leave behind. I think this is my least favorite of his releases, but I still really enjoyed and and I would highly recommend it.

This is a deliciously creepy story about old age, loneliness and memory. I’m a little hesitant to write more in this review as I think it’s best to read this knowing as little about it as possible.

I haven’t read any of Iain Reid’s work before, but I’ll definitely pick up another of his books after this. This book had an amazing introspective atmosphere, and though it was quiet, I still found it harrowing. It didn’t have your typical hallmarks of a thriller, but I kept turning pages as though it were one.

<I>I received this book from Gallery/Scout Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>

Such a gripping tale of growing old and the wanting of more time. It is very unsettling as we are told the story from Penny’s mind. Unable to really understand what is truest happening to her and what is her mind failing her. It is a great story about mortality and how horribly scary it can be to grow old and have your memory start to fail. I still don’t know what was true and what was paranoia and I don’t mind that I don’t have my answer. It hit me in my emotions thinking of all the people who live everyday in a mind like Penny’s and how mortality is sometimes the greatest gift.

Penny lives completely alone, living out the rest of her days. But after an accident she is moved to an assisted living facility that was set up by her late husband. And then things get weird. When I read I'm Thinking of Ending Things I couldn't shake the foreboding and anxiousness throughout, and it certainly was back with this one as well! I really love his writing and a few times I got very confused but then came the AHA moment! Such a good writer, he's become a favorite

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.