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

This is the only novel ever that I have finished, and then reread from page one. Definitely worth the read and I look forward to reading more works by this author.

Content Warnings

karmapen's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious 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

This was so scary.

Content Warnings

aparker89's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-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? It's complicated

4.75

What on earth? That was a twist I wasn't expecting! So we'll written. So much anticipation- the ending was perfect!
This is one of those stories that seems a little conflated UNTIL the VERY END! And the end is SO worth it! The perfect amount of realistic horror, terror, fear and nothing too out of the ordinary. Unsettling to say the least! Fantastic read!

Content Warnings

angrynerd's review against another edition

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dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No

1.0

Labeled as a novel, I would put this work more in the ‘novella’ category. The plot compels readers to tackle it quickly and an avid reader with a stretch of time on their hands could finish this in a sitting or two. However, if it weren’t for it’s shorter length I may have abandoned it before the end. The writing style is very staccato and at the start I was unsure if I was being led by an unreliable narrator or if the author didn’t properly narrate from woman's perspective. The answer was yes to both and in the end it actually worked, but I wasn’t left with the feeling it was done purposefully. Women are not a monolith, but it never felt natural. The author does well constantly supplying a feeling of unease. The second to last chapter contains four pages of a single question asked over and over. However, there are several plot devices, at least one of which I considered important, that are just never explained. I thought reaching the end would give me the ‘Aha!’ that explained the things I was annoyed about or at the very least make them less annoying, but in the end it just wasn’t what the reviews promised.

Content Warnings

literatureleaf's review

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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.

Content Warnings

ginkgoleif's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

bitchigo's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.5

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