Review – The Origins of Iris by Beth Lewis

Posted October 12, 2021 by Carole in Reviews / 6 Comments

I received this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review – The Origins of Iris by Beth LewisThe Origins of Iris by Beth Lewis
Published by Mobius Books on August 19, 2021
Genres: Fiction, LGBTQ+
Pages: 336
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
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four-stars

Author of the critically-acclaimed debut The Wolf Road, Beth Lewis returns with her brand new novel The Origins of Iris where Wild meets Sliding Doors.

'I opened my eyes and the woman wearing my face opened hers at the same time.'

Iris flees New York City, and her abusive wife Claude, for the Catskill Mountains. When she was a child, Iris and her father found solace in the beauty and wilderness of the forest; now, years later, Iris has returned for time and space to clear her head, and to come to terms with the mistakes that have led her here. But what Iris doesn't expect in her journey of survival and self-discovery is to find herself - literally.

Trapped in a neglected cabin deep in the mountains, Iris is grudgingly forced to come face to face with a seemingly prettier, happier and better version of herself. Other Iris made different choices in life and love. But is she all she seems? Can she be trusted? What is she hiding?

As a storm encroaches, threatening both their lives, time is running out for them to discover why they have been brought together, and what it means for their futures.

This was really good! I read and enjoyed The Wolf Road by the same author so I was eager to give this book a try. This is a very different book than that one was and I love that this author’s work is so varied. This is a thriller that paints a picture of life within an abusive relationship for Iris and her wife, Claude. This is a story about finding yourself, quite literally. I am so glad that I was able to pick up this book!

The story is told from Iris’s point of view during two different alternating points in time: before and after. Since we know where Iris ended up, it is really eye-opening to learn about her past and how she got to the place she was at. All of the events and choices in her life have made her the person she is today. Imagine her surprise when she is put face to face with another version of herself whose life looks a little different due to the different choices she has made in life.

I thought that this book was really well-done. I really liked the fact that it was really unique and different than anything else I have read before. I grew to really like Iris. She has been through a lot and I really felt for her with many of the events in her life leaving her feeling very alone. I thought that the abusive relationship was expertly illustrated in this book. I liked Iris more and more as I worked my way through this book. She had a lot to figure out so that she could move on with her life.

I would recommend this book to others. This book deals with some pretty important topics and it does it well. I found this to be a very thought-provoking book and had a hard time putting it down.

I received a digital review copy from Mobius Books via NetGalley.

6 responses to “Review – The Origins of Iris by Beth Lewis

  1. I really respect an author that write a variation in the book they write, it just shows how adaptive they are as a writer. Happy to see that you enjoyed this one like you did.

  2. A book about finding yourself? Nice! Sounds deep, a different and quite interesting kind of read. Glad it worked so well for you!

  3. This sounds really interesting and a bit different. I like the different POVs -especially since they’re from the same person. I’ll have to look for this one.