I'm Thinking of Ending Things
A Novel
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3.8 • 728 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
Now a Netflix original movie, this deeply scary and intensely unnerving novel follows a couple in the midst of a twisted unraveling of the darkest unease. You will be scared. But you won’t know why…
I’m thinking of ending things. Once this thought arrives, it stays. It sticks. It lingers. It’s always there. Always.
Jake once said, “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.”
And here’s what I’m thinking: I don’t want to be here.
In this smart and intense literary suspense novel, Iain Reid explores the depths of the human psyche, questioning consciousness, free will, the value of relationships, fear, and the limitations of solitude. Reminiscent of Jose Saramago’s early work, Michel Faber’s cult classic Under the Skin, and Lionel Shriver’s We Need to Talk about Kevin, “your dread and unease will mount with every passing page” (Entertainment Weekly) of this edgy, haunting debut. Tense, gripping, and atmospheric, I’m Thinking of Ending Things pulls you in from the very first page…and never lets you go.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
I’m Thinking of Ending Things completely redefined everything we thought a thriller could be. While traveling with her boyfriend, Jake, to have dinner with his parents for the first time, the book’s unnamed narrator wrestles with her feeling that it’s time for them to break up. And that’s before she encounters Jake’s creepy mom and dad or sees scratches on the basement door of their secluded farmhouse. By the time the couple’s drive home is thwarted by a snowstorm, the heroine’s awkward evening has devolved into a full-fledged nightmare. Iain Reid does an incredible job of making you feel increasingly untethered from reality as each freaky scene builds momentum toward one of the most mind-bending twist endings you’ll ever experience. We were thinking about this book for days….
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Nonfiction author Reid (The Truth About Luck) fuses suspense with philosophy, psychology, and horror in his unsettling first novel set in an unspecified locale. When Jake takes his unnamed new girlfriend to meet his parents, he doesn't realize she's thinking of "ending things" (just what she might end is at first unclear). Dinner at the family farm proves awkward, reinforcing her doubts about their relationship. On their way home, the weather turns nasty and Jake pulls off the road at a darkened high school. He takes the keys and exits the car, but never returns, leaving his girlfriend little choice but to strike out after him. While the events preceding the couple's separation have the air of a disquieting dream, those that follow are the stuff of nightmares. Stream-of-consciousness narration by Jake's girlfriend adds to the story's surreal quality, and occasional blocks of unattributed dialogue about an unspecified tragedy impart dread. Capped with an ending that will shock and chill, this twisty tale invites multiple readings.
Customer Reviews
A good read
It was really good honestly I couldn’t stop reading. I do feel the ending was rushed and I was like what?? I don’t get it… until I got it. Honestly I still think it is worth the read!
Well written but horrible story.
This book was well written, but it seemed as the author was more intent on being "literary" rather than providing a good story. It was dark yet boring. Couldn't wait to finish it, not because I wanted to see what happened but so I could move on to a better book. Don't waste your money.
3.5 stars, almost 4
This is a tricky one and short. Thankfully short because the madness and twists are maddening and twisty.
Goodness the ending is somehow expected, unexpected, thrilling and predictable. For that alone the writer is a genius,
Must have been difficult to write and think about.
I’m sure I’ll think about this for a while.