Genre: Science Fiction
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 272
Release Date: August 7, 2018
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.
Foe is a character driven novel that explores relationships and humanity. I’ve never read anything by Reid before, but I’ll certainly be seeking out his work in the future.
Reid’s writing reminds me of The Walking Dead in that the plot/action are only catalysts for the characters to see how they’ll reaction. Junior and Hen are a reclusive married couple placed in an isolated area and are chose chosen to take part in a historic journey, but only Junior was selected to go. Foe then follows them as they wrestle with the consequences and complications of being apart for so long and how it will affect them personally and as a couple.
Reid excels at creating an unsettling suspenseful atmosphere that will make you question what you’re reading. You think you know what’s going on only to have your idea debunked a few pages later. I guessed what was going on before the reveal, but that didn’t lessen my enjoyment at all.
Overall, Foe is a philosophical novel about relationships, marriage, and humanity disguised as a science fiction novel. It’s a book that will leave you clamouring to talk to someone about, even if you have to force them to read it. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone!
*** I received an ARC from the publisher for an honest review.
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I actually have this, but I’m not sure if I’ll be reading it anytime soon. Your review definitely gives me hope that it won’t be disappointing though! 😮 I actually think this book is already optioned for a movie adaptation too! Maybe once we get a trailer I’ll be prompted to give the book a try!
I didn’t know that! It’s going to make a fantastic movie.