Review: Foe: A Novel by Iain Reid

Summary from Goodreads:

A taut, psychological mind-bender from the bestselling author of I’m Thinking of Ending Things.

We don’t get visitors. Not out here. We never have.

In Iain Reid’s second haunting, philosophical puzzle of a novel, set in the near-future, Junior and Henrietta live a comfortable, solitary life on their farm, far from the city lights, but in close quarters with each other. One day, a stranger from the city arrives with alarming news: Junior has been randomly selected to travel far away from the farm...very far away. The most unusual part? Arrangements have already been made so that when he leaves, Henrietta won't have a chance to miss him, because she won't be left alone—not even for a moment. Henrietta will have company. Familiar company.

Told in Reid’s sharp and evocative style, Foe examines the nature of domestic relationships, self-determination, and what it means to be (or not to be) a person. An eerily entrancing page-turner, it churns with unease and suspense from the first words to its shocking finale.

Release Date: September 4th 2018

My Review:




What I Liked:

Writing Style. I really enjoyed Reid's writing style. It was a straightforward but Reid also used the writing to hint at what was happening in the story. It was also interesting how Reid used the quotation marks to let the readers know what was happening in the end. 

Plot. Reid does a good job of crafting a unique plot. It has a mix of science fiction with psychological fiction. Without the mention of the space station and the futuristic company this would have felt more like a novel focused on marriage and relationships. 

Characters. The format and writing really lets the reader get to know Henrietta and Junior while making the stranger a menacing figure. 

What I Disliked:

Length/Ending. The book was less than 300 pages. I felt that it could have been longer and then some of the confusing things could have been explained. I enjoyed the strangeness and the mystery but also I wanted more.  

I recommend checking out this trippy novel, it was strange and well-written. 

My Rating:

4.5 Stars Out of 5 Stars