A review by minamouse
I'm Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

4.0

I’ve seen a few reviews stating that they knew exactly where this novel was going, and I just have one question for those people...UMMM HOW!?!?! 

I genuinely did not understand what was going on until the last 10 pages of the book, but I enjoyed every second of it! I loved how uncomfortable and overwhelmed this story made me feel. I was looking for something that would really grab me by the throat and throw me through a window. Something that would make me scratch my head unironically. This book succeeded. 

I’d be lying if I said I thought this book was perfect, it’s not. 

Like most psychological thrillers with horror elements the story can/is confusing. And while I personally enjoy thrillers that don’t spell everything out for me, I can see how some readers may have a hard time getting through this book. 

There are three separate distinct voices in this book. You have the POV of the main female, but there are also moments where she will go on these long stream of consciousness rants (because after a while that’s what they start to feel like) about her life in which she is guaranteed to mention her doubts about her romantic relationship. And then we have the occasional page or two that appears to be a discussion between two people about the death/possible murder of an unnamed man. 

I reveal at the end of the book triggered an audible gasp from me.
I literally had to put the book down for 5 mins to process this information. THAT’S WHY THE BROTHER WAS NEVER BROUGHT UP! THAT’S WHY THE KITCHEN WAS EMPTY! THAT’S WHY EVERYTHING FELT FIMILAR TO THE FEMALE LEAD! IT WAS JAKE THE WHOLE TIME! 

Andddddd this is when the bad taste kicked in. Why must the story of a deeply insecure man use a woman’s POV? I get that she is an expression of his perceived failings, but the more I consider the context in which she is used the more annoyed I become.


It’s still a great book! It’s still a story worth exploring, and I will probably recommend it to my friends, but
I’m getting a little tired of women being used as a foil for insecure men <insert gif of sighing woman eating pizza alone in a diner at 11 PM>.


4 out of 5 ⭐ 

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