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

dark mysterious reflective sad 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

5.0

I love surreal horror. I love surrealism in general. This book was one long strange experience from start to finish. It was painfully tense. As I described it to friends, it had "bad vibes."

Based on my own anxiety disorder and dissociative episodes, this entire book felt like one long anxiety attack. It felt like I was dissociating. Nothing felt right. Everything was off, slightly to the right, slightly to the left. Putting my finger on specific parts that made me feel that way didn't help me express why it did. Like a  dissociative experience, explaining it to people who haven't dissociated (or, in this case, haven't read the book) would be confusing.

This is not a book if you aren't interested in self-reflection, philosophy, or a semi-slow pace. The offness of everything might help keep your attention, and there are several key events in the book, but it's not particularly fast either. You need to be patient and attentive for the story to settle in. Even then, you might want to reread it. I'll definitely be going back to analyze passages, maybe entire chapters, to see what I missed and how everything built up upon each other. 
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