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

Reviews tagging 'Stalking'

I'm Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid

79 reviews

literatureleaf's review against another edition

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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.

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honeyenbee's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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wends_nblw's review against another edition

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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.

Content Warnings

k_mackenxie's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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peachani's review against another edition

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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

Content Warnings

finleigh's review against another edition

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dark tense medium-paced

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

4.75

Content Warnings

redefiningrachel's review against another edition

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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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hallie_iv's review against another edition

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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

3.75

It a nice short read with a twist ending that’s satisfying enough to want to read the book again. The main character is relatable in her anxiety and it gets surprisingly philosophical at points.

“We can never be the best kisser alone” is something that might stay with me.

Content Warnings

agustdefault's review against another edition

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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? It's complicated

2.0

it was unsettling at times and i didnt hate it, but definitely not my favorite. the hints given throughout seemed to be very obvious (even if you didnt know what the hint meant it was very clear that you were supposed to make note of it, and twists are much more satisfying when the hints are woven in subtly). i guessed most of the ending pretty early on and i think i would have liked it a lot better if the narrators realization as to what was happening wasnt so abrupt. i think the format of the book was really cool but the work as a whole kind of disappointing.

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len_magoi's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective fast-paced

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

3.5

ik what it was trying to do but it didnt. it was a little scawwy but i also read this in a morgue at 3am

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