Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

I'm Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid

30 reviews

chickelope's review

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Suicide

Minor: Sexual content

moxiereads's review

dark tense medium-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? It's complicated

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Stalking, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol

crows_in_a_trenchcoat's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-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? N/A

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Suicide

Moderate: Child death

Minor: Sexual content

princess_marie's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Moderate: Animal death and Blood

Minor: Sexual content and Death of parent

autumnwhite's review

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Alcohol

literatureleaf's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

4.5

Age: 15+

 

Reading time: 3 days

 

Difficulty level: 1.5/5

 

Rating: 4.5/5

 

 

I’m Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid follows our nameless protagonist and her boyfriend Jake as they embark on a road trip to have dinner with Jake’s parents. Plagued by thoughts of ending the relationship, she spends the car ride mulling over how it got to this point, and wondering if this is how it was always meant to be.

 

Meeting his family does not quell her hesitations, and the journey back home begins in a very similar manner to the trip there. However, after an unplanned stop at the local high school Jake attended as a teenager, things begin to go downhill in a way that neither the characters themselves nor the reader could have predicted.

 

A genuine literary thriller, I’m Thinking of Ending Things intricately weaves suspense and in-depth, authentic character study together in a way that has never been done before. Without holding anything back, Reid puts a new spin on the concept of a plot twist and utilizes it in a way that can be described as nothing short of poetic.

 

Atmosphere reigns supreme in this novel. Built up slowly and steadily, through scarce but vivid depictions of a desolate, snowy setting brimming with despair, and an unfiltered look at the flitting, unfettered thoughts and observations of the main protagonist, consistent, permeating feelings of dread and unease slowly creep up as the plot advances.

 

Written in a deceptively simple, choppy manner, I’m Thinking of Ending Things will sneak up and grab you in a chokehold when you’re least expecting it. As the tale unfolds, and little glimpses of something that is deeply wrong just beneath the surface of what appears to be a straightforward, even somewhat boring, trip between a couple on the brink of a breakup emerge, the reader is left deeply unsettled, wondering what it is that they are missing.

 

Flaws are few and far between, but so much of the story takes place within the protagonist’s mind, that at times it can be a bit stifling. Inner monologues fill much of the story, only broken up intermittently with the stark, vivid imagery mentioned earlier, and although they are incredibly well written, feeling stuck in the narrator’s head is not an uncommon feeling.

 

Invoking feelings of longing, despair, unease, and grief for the characters, I’m Thinking of Ending Things reads and feels like a beautiful punch to the gut that will leave you simultaneously longing for more and begging for it to be over. A devastatingly believable account of a life filled with pain, loneliness, and resentment, I’m Thinking of Ending Things will live on in the minds of those who have read it for months after the final page is read and the book itself is closed.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Body horror, Gore, Violence, and Stalking

Minor: Cursing, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Alcohol

splatteredbastard's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexual content

wends_nblw's review

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

2.75

Mini Disclaimer : I am both reading and reviewing this while under the influence of marijuana so maybe take my review with a grain of salt?

                                                                                             ----

Hrmmmmnghhhh.... I'm disappointed.

Once again, I've read a highly recommended book that unfortunately didn't live up to expectations. However, I will pat myself on the back for semi-guessing the twist about 3/4 into the book.

i initially thought jake was the fake one, not lucy

I didn't find the writing style to be quite appealing. I've seen others complain about the choppiness, but I found that to be the only thing appealing about it. Towards the end, it really lost me though. I feel like the twist could've been written better, but maybe it was intended to be that way. 

Otherwise, I didn't find the story to be all that interesting, nor all that unsettling. But if you enjoy piecing a challenging mystery together and being utterly confused on where to place each piece, I'd say to give this book a try. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Moderate: Animal death and Stalking

Minor: Sexual content

peachmoni's review

challenging dark mysterious 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? Yes

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness

Moderate: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Stalking, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Sexual content and Alcohol

archer_w27's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense

• 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

3.75

no thank you. i can't. i won't.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Stalking, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Sexual content