Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! Without giving any spoilers away, as always, we will be discussing a creepy Sci-Fi book called Foe by Iain Reid. It took me a minute to get into Foe, but once I was in, I was one hundred million percent in. This is one of the most unique books that I have ever read and it was thrilling because I have literally never read anything like it before. There wasn’t anything particularly triggering about Foe, so let’s dive right into the synopsis:

Junior and Hen live on a farm in the not so distant future. Their property is one of the few that hasn’t been taken over by the government and they are completely isolated in a rural setting. Every day for Junior and Hen is just like the day before. They do chores around the home, go to work, eat dinner, and do it all again tomorrow. Then, one day, things change thanks to a visit from an uninvited guest. His name is Terrance and he is a representative of OuterMore.

OuterMore is a high tech branch of the government that focuses on outer space – specifically living there and they are getting close to their goal. So close, in fact, that they are now using a lottery to select people to participate in the Installation. Junior’s name has been chosen, Hen’s hasn’t. During his visit, Terrance assures Junior that nothing is happening just yet and leaves. Over two years goes by until Terrance shows up at their door and let’s the couple know that the Installation is a go. The last thing Junior wants is to participate in this project, but he is left without a choice.

There is much to do to prepare for the Installation and Terrance turns their attic into a space to conduct interviews and takes up the guest room as his own. He wants to observe Junior and Hen’s lives fully because OuterMore has a trick up their sleeves. To help Hen cope with her husband being away for years, they are giving her a replacement. Think of it like a living hologram. He will look and behave exactly like Junior and both Hen and her husband will not be able to tell the difference between the real person and the replacement.

Once again, Junior and Hen are left with no choice but to go along with it. For an entire week, Terrance interviews the couple together and separately. He goes to Junior’s job at a grain mill and does the work for him. In this observation period, Terrance learns the ins and outs of Junior and Hen’s lives to create the perfect replacement while Junior is in space. As the week progresses, Junior grows more and more suspicious of Terrance and is convinced he is lying about the entire thing. But is he really? Read Foe to find out!

Reading Foe was my very first time exploring the world of Sci-Fi. I can’t say that I am interested in this genre, however, the combination of otherworldly technology with the creep factor of a horror book was stunning to read. Iain Reid crafted a delicate dance between the two genres and when they fully collided with the grand reveal, I was simply shook. As you all know, I pride myself on being able to sleuth out a grand reveal before it happens. This time around, though, I was dead wrong and I’m glad for it. The reveal was so shocking, yet so simple and it was absolutely divine.

There are only three characters in Foe (minus a few randoms) and, honestly, none of them are particularly likeable. Junior is fully content in his life, is fine with being an average person, and is slightly needy towards his wife. Hen, on the other hand, is cold and distant. She childishly expects Junior to know what is wrong at all times, but won’t tell him anything and they will go for weeks without talking. All the while, Terrance’s eerie presence lingers around them whether he is in the home or not. His arrival pries apart Junior and Hen’s already broken relationship and the tension created could be cut with a knife.

Despite the characters not being my favorite, I don’t even care. Iain Reid wrote Foe so beautifully that I found myself rooting for Junior and Hen anyways. Throughout the book, I was constantly hoping that their relationship would improve. With every turn of the page, I was willing Terrance to show up again and tell them that Junior’s lottery selection was a mistake. Reid was able to get your hopes up like this, knock it down, and keep you coming back for more. My only regret is that this book wasn’t longer because I couldn’t get enough.

I am going to award Foe with the coveted twenty out of ten star rating. You will never read something that is like this book and, if you do, it won’t be nearly as well done as what Iain Red created. Foe was a masterpiece and is an absolute must read!

What are you currently reading? What should I read next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah