Today, I am reviewing a crazy book I was send for review, I'm Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid. Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada for sending me a copy of this book for an honest review. As always, all opinions are my own.
I don't even know where to start with this book. I loved it, but at the same time, I'm so beyond confused. If you've been reading my reviews for awhile, you will know that the only reason I don't give a book a star rating is when I either DNF'd it, or if I was so enthrallingly confused by it. In the case of this book, it is the latter.
Usually, I start with the characters, but in a way, the writing was so much more important than the characters. This really is a story driven by the atmospheric writing, and while it was a unique aspect that I personally found refreshing, I feel like some people won't love it.
At just over 200 pages, this book is a quick read, in terms of length and pacing. I started it before bed, which was also a minor error on my part, I knew it would be creepy, but not this creepy, and kept telling myself to go to bed, but I needed to know what happened at the end. Next thing I knew, it was 1 am and I was too afraid to turn out the light.
This book reads more like a short story than a novel, which is good because your body will be on edge THE. WHOLE. TIME. Even the flashbacks to previous months were creepy.
I think the scariest part for me was the high school. This is pretty much the major climax point, and because the writing is so detailed, you were right there with the girlfriend (who, as far as I can recall, isn't named).
I do have to say, the ending really messed me up. I'm still not sure what happened, even after reading some other peoples reactions. I don't want to spoil anything but I'm so confused. Who was the man? Did Jake actually have a brother? The narrator was so unreliable, you couldn't tell at all what was going on once they got to the farm. And what was up with the parents?
I think this is a very unique book, that some may not like as much as others. It's not so much a thriller or mystery but, as one reviewer called it, psychological horror. I think that perfectly sums up this book because it messes with your head and terrifies you.
Overall, a crazy whirlwind of a book that you should definitely check out if you want a fresh twist on the usual thriller.