The Turn by Rachel Feder review

By Mark Young

I went into The Turn completely blind—no research on the author, no expectations, no idea what I was getting into. It’s also my first review since high school (longer ago than I’d like to admit), so finding the time to sit and read properly wasn’t easy. But it was absolutely worth it—this is a deeply satisfying story, expertly told by Rachel Feder.

There’s a temptation with something like this to overanalyse and risk spoiling it. I won’t do that. Instead, I’ll say this: The Turn is a brilliantly written introduction to Feder’s work, with a length that perfectly suits what it sets out to do.

The story follows Baxter, a live-in nanny, trying to figure out what comes next in life. Then things start to happen—strange, unsettling things that blur the line between dream and reality. Feder handles this ambiguity with precision, drawing you in as the tension steadily builds.

What stands out most is the detail. The small touches, the vivid imagery, the way the ordinary and the fantastical sit side by side without ever feeling forced. It’s seamless—until it isn’t. And by the time you reach the final act, everything clicks into place at exactly the moment it does for Baxter.

It’s also the kind of story that rewards a second read. You’ll spot things you missed, and they matter. 

A smart, controlled, and highly effective piece of storytelling—I loved it.

The Turn is available from TriQuarterly Books from July