Reviews with content warning for Bullying - I'm Thinking of Ending Things

Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

I'm Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid

9 reviews

huntingforagoodread's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

What did I just read? I went into this book thinking it was going to be suicidal, then changed my mind and I’m like “okay, she’s going to break up with her boyfriend”. But the entire premise was confusing as all get out.
Why don’t we learn her name throughout the book? Who is the mysterious Caller? Why does Jake leave her in the car? Does Jake unalive himself at the end or WTH is going on?
I will be watching the Netflix adaptation just so I can hopefully get a better understanding of what I just read.

UPDATE: I watched the Netflix adaptation and I think I have a better understanding of what’s happening in this entire book and I’m updating my rating to a 4 star. I think this is a book that might need multiple rereads for the reader to really understand what is going on.
One- I think the woman in the novel isn’t real. I think she’s a figment of Jake’s imagination, which is why toward the end of the book the narrator (who has been the woman up until now) starts to refer to themselves as “we” instead of “I”. There’s commentary mixed in every few chapters that seem to be following the death of someone.. and I think it was Jake. It’s hard to explain without reading it yourself, and the movie may or may not help you but I think the authors ultimate goal was to showcase depression and loneliness, especially as we age and grow to have regrets about what our lives could have been like.

Please note, this is not a light hearted, easy read. It can be very triggering and as someone with depression myself, it was a very tense read. Please be cautious going into the book and/or the movie and remember that your mental health matters.

Content Warnings

missgrangerr's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I cannot stop thinking about this book. I read it two weeks ago and I cannot shake this book, in the best way.

Disclaimer: this book is not going to be for everyone. However those is is for will be consumed with this story. This is about all I can say without ruining the book. It really is a fantastic book that will stay with you for a while after reading.

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ggcd1981's review against another edition

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challenging mysterious sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

I’m thinking of ending things é um livro bastante popular, porém polarizador. Escutei opiniões positivas e negativas sobre ele e isso despertou minha curiosidade. Após a leitura eu não sei ao certo o que foi tão polarizador para a maioria das pessoas. Achei um Thriller/Horror bastante interessante, com diálogos e dinâmica entre personagens bastante instigantes. Concordo com as pessoas que dizem que você sente o tempo todo que tem algo errado mas não sabe o que é. Isso na verdade é o que torna o livro tão interessante. Não sei se acho particularmente original pois me lembrou bastante o enredo do filme Identidade (Identity), pelo menos o plot twist é bem similar. Contudo a escrita fluiu muito bem, os diálogos entre os personagens eram bastante instigantes e a atmosfera foi excelente. Achei particularmente assustador os diálogos das ligações de telefone recebidas pela protagonista feminina. Não entendo muito porque alguém odiaria o final já que para mim foi bem satisfatório. Acredito que o fim ficou relativamente claro e não tão aberto quanto ouvi falar. Meu único problema com a obra foi a descrição de um cenário de crueldade contra animais (porcos) para o qual não estava preparada. Fora essa ocasião minha experiência com o livro foi muito boa, algo que não posso dizer sobre sua adaptação para filme. A adaptação foi péssima, talvez uma das piores adaptações de livro para filme que já vi. Recomendo ler o livro e ignorar o filme. Para a obra original dou 4.25 estrelas.

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jude_rose's review

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dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book is captivating, complex and a little creepy. I loved it, it's a psychological thriller that keeps you guessing till the end. It was a bit hard to follow till the end, but that was just part of the fun. If you aren't into thrillers or confusing books that put a lot onto you as the reader to take from the book, you won't like it. I liked it cuz I'm a sad bitch who loves vague books so I can make up my own ending.

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bookishgoob's review

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No

3.5

“Sometimes a thought is closer to truth, to reality, than an action. You can say anything, you can do anything, but you can't fake a thought.” Slow burning and confusing, taking place over the span of 1 evening, this book will have you questioning things the entire time. is the main character being treated poorly? is she being gaslit? what is going on? why isn’t he telling her anything? why won’t he listen to her? those are all questions i had while reading this book. those questions didn’t get answered until the very end. it’s a very quick read but the slow burn aspect will make you wonder how long you’ve actually been reading. the conversations the main characters have can be incredibly dull and boring, but it really is kind of like that in a relationship. not every conversation is going to be interesting, and not every conversation you have will be interesting to others. this book ends sort of the way that the outsiders does, but that isn’t necessarily as clear, so i recommend that once you finish, you go back and re read the first couple pages. maybe even just the 1st page could be helpful, it really ties the story together completely. the imagery was unsettling and the story telling was great. all in all, 3.5/5 just because i was confused for a lot of it and it was too slow for my liking. but it is a good and suspenseful read good for a spooky season one-sitting book or even a cold and comfy evening when you’re in the mood to be unsettled.

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jezebelligerent's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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rebelstorm's review

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

4,3/5
Quality of writing: 5
Plot development: 4
Pace: 4
Characters: 4
Enjoyability: 4
Ease of reading: 5

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luckydragonnerd's review

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challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced

Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

this is an objectively good book, but i guess i just wasn't in the right mood. m expectations were also pretty high so that probably had a part in me not liking it as much.

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farmerzonly's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

after being in a reading rut for a while i finally got back into novels with this one and I’m SO GLAD i did. i watched the movie first so i knew the end of the narrative which really let me relax and get into it without worrying about the plot that much. the end was soooo jarring and spooky as hell. the book was overall much more satisfying than the movie. brb going to read foe now.

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