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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.
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
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Bullying and Death of parent
cen0z0ic_me's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I actually watched the Netflix movie (directed by Charlie Kaufman) before I read the book. They have the same bone structure and ending, but the journey they take you on is so different it was like I was experiencing the story for the first time. I highly recommend both.
The writing was phenomenal. It was just complex and clever enough to keep me engaged while not being pretentious. I love stories that are non-linear and that mess with your perception of reality, and if you do too you'll love this book. It's like putting together the pieces of a puzzle, trying to figure out what is actually going on. It kept me on the edge of my seat.
The pacing was generally pretty good. Reid knows when to speed up and when to slow down so it best fits the narrative. There is one part near the end that I think goes on for a bit too long and that was a bit distracting, But overall, the pacing was good. The characters are compelling and add to the confusion of the narrative.
This is a horror novel, so make sure you check the listed content warnings before engaging in this material.
Overall if you're a fan of psychological thrillers that mess with your perceptions of reality, suspense, and you don't mind a bit of gore and some heavy themes, you'll love this book!! I also HIGHLY recommend this audiobook. It does some fun things with the narration near the end.
Full review with spoilers here: https://open.substack.com/pub/mediathatmakesus/p/im-thinking-of-ending-things-iain?r=1gr0he&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
The writing was phenomenal. It was just complex and clever enough to keep me engaged while not being pretentious. I love stories that are non-linear and that mess with your perception of reality, and if you do too you'll love this book. It's like putting together the pieces of a puzzle, trying to figure out what is actually going on. It kept me on the edge of my seat.
The pacing was generally pretty good. Reid knows when to speed up and when to slow down so it best fits the narrative. There is one part near the end that I think goes on for a bit too long and that was a bit distracting, But overall, the pacing was good. The characters are compelling and add to the confusion of the narrative.
This is a horror novel, so make sure you check the listed content warnings before engaging in this material.
Overall if you're a fan of psychological thrillers that mess with your perceptions of reality, suspense, and you don't mind a bit of gore and some heavy themes, you'll love this book!! I also HIGHLY recommend this audiobook. It does some fun things with the narration near the end.
Full review with spoilers here: https://open.substack.com/pub/mediathatmakesus/p/im-thinking-of-ending-things-iain?r=1gr0he&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gore, and Suicide
elisha002's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicide, Violence, Blood, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
conniemarch's review
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I alternated between the audiobook and the ebook when reading this – the narrator's performance was incredible, but I think some context is missed when listening to it.
The book was very well written and I think I enjoyed it more having already seen the movie. The way the authoradds clues to the ending throughout the whole book is fantastic.
One caveat: if you're struggling with your mental health, I would not recommend this book at all.
The book was very well written and I think I enjoyed it more having already seen the movie. The way the author
One caveat: if you're struggling with your mental health, I would not recommend this book at all.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
azbaloney's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-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? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Mental illness, and Suicide
elysests's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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? It's complicated
3.0
So, so weird! Really interesting and atmospheric, but painfully slow at times. This book swerves from a tense and drawn own suspense novel to a devastatingly drawn out psychological horror ending. Even as a person who loves suspense/thrillers, and psychological storylines, I wish the author would have cinched together more of the (very cool) threads. Love the symbolism though, and the characters feel fresh. More specifics below the spoiler tag.
I really felt like the ending was unsatisfying— there are so many details I’m left confused by. I get that Jake was the janitor the whole time, and he was imagining what could have happened with a girl to care about him, but what was the man outside the window waving when she was a little girl? What about the scratches in the basement? What was the deal with the video in the janitor’s room, and the freaky notes? I feel like I barely understand what the caller signifies, and what their message means. This book is haunting, and definitely tense, but I wish the ending could have relieved some of the tension instead of just letting out the air. :/
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Abandonment
Moderate: Alcoholism, Gore, Blood, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Vomit
mediocrebest's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
gentle_garbage_baby's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Pretty good read. A little confusing in parts but it all comes together in the end in a very poetic way.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Suicide, Blood, and Stalking
Minor: Mental illness
zizzlee0305's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Mental illness, and Suicide
madelinequinnee's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is an incredibly confusing but beautiful book. I went into this expecting it to be about suicide, then thought it was about the end of a relationship, and then it went full circle and back to suicide. The experience of reading this feels like watching Black Mirror, very trippy and gut wrenching.
The writing is absolutely beautiful, and for a horror/thriller, it has some amazing lines that really hit me in my personal feels. This book covers the difficulty of relationships, family dynamics, mental health and stalking all in one tiny little novel, and i truly think it’s one of the best modern literary fiction books i’ve read; this will definitely be considered a classic in the future!
The writing is absolutely beautiful, and for a horror/thriller, it has some amazing lines that really hit me in my personal feels. This book covers the difficulty of relationships, family dynamics, mental health and stalking all in one tiny little novel, and i truly think it’s one of the best modern literary fiction books i’ve read; this will definitely be considered a classic in the future!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Cursing, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail