Foe
Ratings88
Average rating3.6
of all the ways i thought this book would obviously end, i'm very happy that it subverted my expectations with something very unpredictable and awesome. does that make up for the mundanity that is the bulk of the middle of the novel? not really, but i also don't think it hits as hard without it.
Strange and unsettling is definitely Iain Reid's jam, but where I'm Thinking of Ending Things was deft and unpredictable, Foe was a bit too heavy-handed, and the ending could be seen from just a bit too far off. Still enjoyed this though. Reminiscent of Asimov and Bradbury's short stories.
Cant review it to much, or Id give away the plot.
The last 50 pages were the best.
& the ending I liked it a lot.
Kind of a decide for your self what really happened.
Fuck yeah, fuck yeah, fuuuuuuuuuck yeah.
I was heavily impacted by Iain's first novel I'm Thinking of Ending Things and oh my fuck I love this novel just as much.
What a whirlwind of an amazingly plotted, eerie, fantastic writing. And that ambiguous ending... I mean, you sort of understand, but there are all those questions and fun theories you can come up with this novel just like his first.
I probs won't shut up about this book for awhile.
3.75 I guessed it from chapter 2 or 3. It felt a bit dragged out and the psychological part took a while to set in, probably past the 50% mark which is suprising. I did like the last few chapters, however, to those who have read this book, what are those beetles meant to signify?
Pros: atmospheric, interesting characters
Cons: somewhat predictable
Junior and Henrietta's lives change the day Terrance shows up at their country house. Junior has been chosen by lottery to participate in the installation, meaning he'll be away for an undetermined amount of time. But the company has decided that Henrietta won't be left alone while he's gone...
The book is very atmospheric. The chapters are short and punchy and leave you feeling unsettled. Junior asks Terrance questions and it's fascinating how easily Terrance deflects the conversation or speaks a lot without saying anything. There's a level of frustration you feel, along with Junior.
The first person perspective was a little peculiar, as both Junior's thoughts and spoken words were done without italics or quotation marks. A few times I wasn't sure if he'd said something out loud or just in his head.
I liked Junior and Henrietta. It was interesting seeing their lives. The book mostly takes place in their home, with only occasional jaunts to where they work or the fields outside their home. It gave the book a claustrophobic feeling.
The book is set in the near future but the world is largely ignored. There are a few SF elements but the book mostly feels like a suspense novel.
I figured out the ending around the half way point, but it was still interesting to see how the book would reveal what was really going on. It was also a quick read, which helped maintain the creepy mood.
If you like books with mystery and a touch of horror, this is a good read.
I read this really fast. I saw the ending coming with this one, which usually I don't with Reid's work; but as always I had to keep reading.
I love how Iain Reid work always keeps me thinking about what I just read. Now let's see if this movie is better than ‘I'm Thinking of Ending Things'
Precise rating: 3.5 ⭐
I think this one would've deserved 4 stars as a short story. It's not bad, but not great either.
Interesting sci-fi book, the concept is good but also quite short and the payoff didn't feel that satisfying as you can sort of see the twist coming. 3.5 stars
I think this book has entered into my all time faves list. This was a page turner for me, I couldn't stop reading it. Existential, but wow what a book. The yummy kind of fear and anxiety my brain oh-so-loves haha.
If you enjoyed the video game Soma, you will enjoy this fast-paced read.
Foe is a quick read, it drew me in and kept my attention the whole way through. It's interesting and there's tension without it being too heavy. I found the writing to be interesting and thought out well. Basically, it's about what it means to be alive and living.
Boring, finally googled if my guess was right (and it was) and then I was finally able to DNF it.
damn i knew whats going on pretty much from the start so this was just a bit boring to me. was confused the whole time waiting for something to happen coz i thought surely there must be something more to this than what i already guessed...but no.
INSAAAAANE BOOK!
Such a thrilling, quick read that completely held my thoughts hostage for the last few days. Obsessed with how cleverly this is written.
Does anyone do it as good as Iain Reid?!