“I’m Thinking of Ending Things”

“I’m Thinking of Ending Things”

Written by Iain Reid

Review written by Diana Iozzia

“I’m Thinking of Ending Things” was a mystery, thriller, and horror combined, in such a rich and immersive read. This book was completely different than what I thought it could be, especially because the premise is often a bit misleading. To be honest, I’m not really sure I understand the ending of this book. When I speak to friends and read reviews, we’ve all interpreted this a little differently.

This book begins with our twisted and unreliable narrator who announces that she’s thinking of ending things, meaning breaking up with her boyfriend, Jake. We understand that Jake is enigmatic and supremely interesting to her. She finds him intelligent and charming in many different ways. As we see them on a road trip to meet his parents, we learn more about the both of them and become increasingly concerned for the lives of the characters and their sanities.

Until the ending, I found this to be an incredible book. I found myself petrified during certain scenes. I found myself confused beyond any belief, but I enjoyed this. This book felt really bizarre and disconcerting, as the narrator makes strange announcements and lets us in on secrets. For example, we have strange red herrings and references that you need to look into. Don’t ignore small signs and assume everyone is safe. This book really reminded me of the movie, “Get Out”, which also shows that you shouldn’t assume someone is trustworthy. Every little word they say could have a second meaning.

There are some strange moments and aspects of this story that I did not enjoy. Like I said, the ending boggles me. It’s not clear enough to make me feel like I was satisfied. I don’t always need a perfectly wrapped up ending, but I’d like at least a road sign telling me where it could have gone. In addition, throughout the story, we have small lines of dialogue about the characters and plot, but they don’t connect fully to the ending, so they seem a bit useless.

Realistically, there isn’t much more I can tell you about this story without spoiling it. I enjoyed the plot, felt completely terrified during certain moments, and enjoyed the characterization Jake and the narrator. They’re interesting, and we find ourselves compelled to continue reading. This book is highly unsettling and I fully recommend it. But, I plan to re-read it first, ha!