©2025 Fable Group Inc.
3.0 

The Shape of Things to Come

By Maud Casey
The Shape of Things to Come by Maud Casey digital book - Fable

Why read on Fable?

Discover social reading

Chat inside the ebook with emojis, comments and more

Annotate with notes, tabs, and highlights

Share or keep your notes private with our annotation features

Support the World Literacy Foundation

We donate 20% of every book sale to help children learn to read

Publisher Description

Isabelle, a woman in her thirties without any of the trappings of a grown-up life, has just been fired from her job at a San Francisco phone company. Returning to the midwestern suburb of her childhood, Standardsville, Illinois, she contends with her dating single mother, a neighbor who once appeared on The Honeymooners, and an ex-boyfriend. She also becomes a mystery shopper for a temp agency, posing as a variety of potential tenants for newly built suburban communities to access their exclusive services.

Enchanted by the possiblities of disguise, Isabelle spins a web of lies that keeps the world at a distance until she unearths long-kept secrets that force her to rethink everything she thought she knew.

3 Reviews

3.0
“I like this book. I fluctuated between a 3* and 4* because some of the book left me scratching my head and other parts left me nodding, having been there. I finally settled on 4* when I realised this book is something any woman (or man, I suppose) that has recently had a life changing event could easily relate to. Myself included. Who hasn't wished to reinvent themselves to salvage their badly wounded pride and their self-image? Who hasn't looked around and gone. . . Wait, how did I get back to start? This book reminds me very much of a Film Noir, it is a dark, moody read but has brilliant bursts of light. The relationship between Isabelle and her mother never seemed to make any sense to me. But then again, what mother/daughter relationships do make sense? I couldn't really tell if deep down they hated one another or if they loved one another, perhaps it was a little bit of both? I also appreciated the ending. It wasn't fluffy, cinematic or expected - just as real life is.”

About Maud Casey

Maud Casey stories have appeared in The Threepenny Review, Prairie Schooner, The Gettysburg Review, and elsewhere. Casey received her B.A. from Wesleyan University and her M.F.A. in fiction from the University of Arizona. She lives in Washington, DC and teaches in the MFA program at the University of Maryland.

Start a Book Club

Start a public or private book club with this book on the Fable app today!

FAQ

Do I have to buy the ebook to participate in a book club?

Why can’t I buy the ebook on the app?

How is Fable’s reader different from Kindle?

Do you sell physical books too?

Are book clubs free to join on Fable?

How do I start a book club with this book on Fable?

Error Icon
Save to a list
0
/
30
0
/
100
Private List
Private lists are not visible to other Fable users on your public profile.
Notification Icon
Fable uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB