The Need
Helen Phillips • 2019
Devastation Rating
psychological literary fiction philosophical
Our Take
A paleobotanist discovers impossible fossils and then an intruder who is also herself. Phillips writes motherhood as cult-like devotion — the rituals, the sleep deprivation, the obliteration of self. The doppelganger is the life she did not live, and the confrontation with it is existentially terrifying.
Appears In
Also available as an audiobook on Audible. Free 30-day trial — one free audiobook included.
Kindle Unlimited
Read over 1 million books free — 30-day trial →
£9.49/month after trial. Cancel anytime. Affiliate link.
This page contains affiliate links. If you buy a book through one of these links, we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Full disclosure →