Reviews tagging 'Schizophrenia/Psychosis '

I am thinking of ending things by Iain Reid

64 reviews

aparker89's review against another edition

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!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement and Gaslighting

Moderate: Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Self harm, Suicide, and Torture

grizzlysnack's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Suicide, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Stalking

Minor: Confinement

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 against another edition

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

offtheraels's review against another edition

dark

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Abandonment

Minor: Suicide and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

montsebens's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

I genuinely think this is one of the most mind-blowing stories I’ve come across.

I’m not generally a fan of thrillers, but the twists, the turns, the ambience, the questions holy shit. I’ve never read anything like this. My first thought after finishing it was “WHAT THE FUCK” and how this is the only book I would give up anything to experience for the first time again.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Suicide, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Cursing, Vomit, and Alcohol

redefiningrachel's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, and Stalking

Minor: Alcohol

ifweweresorrows's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Animal death

mcdonaldssecretsauce's review against another edition

challenging mysterious 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? No

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide

Moderate: Mental illness and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

alexisgarcia's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.0

i have never read any other book like this so far. the concept was fascinating and i thought it was executed well for the most part. the only issue was i wish the ending was explained a little bit better. i did have to do some research to understand the ending which i did not think i should have to do. maybe i just missed something though. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Stalking, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis