I'm Thinking of Ending Things - A Book Club Recommendation!

Give yourself room, time and expectation to read I’M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS twice. At least. Even after the second time through, you may love or hate this debut novel by Iain Reid, either because you understand what has happened within its pages or you still do not have a clue.

While beautifully written and a one-sit read by design, it is a puzzle. Indeed, it is so much so that Reid’s publisher has ever-so-thoughtfully created a website for those who wish to comment on and discuss the work, what happens with it, and, in the end, what it all means. It has been great fun --- after reading it, of course --- to visit the site occasionally (and no, I’m not giving it to you. Buy the book and read it, and then you can have it) and watch the arguments, discussions and opinions pitch and yaw, back and forth, up and down. It’s almost as wild a ride as the book itself, which, I think, is intentional.

The majority of I’M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS is told in the voice of an unnamed young woman who has been dating her boyfriend, Jake, for about a month. As the story proper opens, the couple is driving to Jake’s boyhood home to have dinner with his parents. This gives the reader a chance to get to know them both, primarily through their conversation, which is tedious but telling, and the woman’s thoughts. She is unsure about the relationship, about meeting Jake’s parents, about everything, really. I was reminded just a bit of the first half-hour of the film The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Tobe Hooper’s original), where one is waiting, seemingly interminably, for something to happen. Meanwhile, there are a couple of short interludes that interrupt the narrative and appears to have nothing to do with the story.

Note well: Those opening pages are the ascending climb of the roller coaster, which begins to clip the apex of the track once they get to Jake’s parents’ home. The woman is not a country girl, by any means, and is a bit unsettled by what is represented to her by Jake as a part of everyday rural living. What is inside the house --- including Jake’s parents --- ranges from slightly off to unsettling, all the way to downright weird. That’s before dinner. It gets worse and worse. The night, as seen through the narrator’s eyes, is going to go places that she never would have anticipated in some ways. Yet, in other ways, we learn that what ultimately occurs was more or less inevitable.

The strangest thing for me about the book is that even now I can’t tell you in sum whether I liked it or not. It continues to haunt me, in ways good, bad and indifferent, days after reading it. I’m not sorry I read it, but I don’t know if it’s for everyone. And yet I would compare it favorably to a book published several years ago that I loved, but if I reveal the title, it will give away the ending. That would be unfair to you, the reader, and particularly to Reid, who I’m sure labored mightily to make the construct of this shapeshifting novel look easy. It’s short enough and interesting enough that you should read it, just so you’ll know what people will be talking about.

Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

very once in a while I have one of those rare and wonderful reading experiences with a near perfect book. This was one of those times.

The best descriptor of a book like this is "unique". In the genre of suspense, where cliched tropes and crazy twists have become the tired norm, Reid manages to write a story that feels fresh and insightful.

As a very short book, the writing is particularly concise and tight. The novel borders on literary, exploring philosophical ideas of relationships and human thought. Yet, the storytelling remains completely accessible to the average genre readers, like myself. The narrative is particularly compelling, with a strong, distinct voice. The result is an utterly compulsive reading experience. This is a book I truly did not want to put down.

The other great strength of the novel is the atmosphere, which creates an ominous and unsettling tone. The novel manages to invoke suspense out of otherwise seemingly, ordinary events. The story is written in a purposely ambiguous style. The author is clearly intentionally holding back information. The reader knows that something is slightly off with the story, which further creates a sense of unease and speculation. While other readers were able to correctly guess the ending to this novel, I personally was not. However, I strongly believe that even if I had, it would not have taken away from my enjoyment of the overall story.

While I recognize that this book may not be for everyone, it certainly was a book for me. The novel left me with a serious reading hangover and a strong urge to immediately reread. If you enjoy exploring an ambiguous, insightful stories, I highly recommend picking up this short, yet powerful story.

As per usual, this is a legit, no spoiler review.
I didn't know anything about this book, nor have I read any reviews now that I've finished it. I'm eager to read some reviews after I'm finished writing this--
My thoughts:
This book will be on my list for my favorite reads this year, I know that for sure.
Here's what happened:
I wanted to read this book because I have an ARC of Iain's next book, FOE sitting on my nightstand and I just wanted some author context under my belt--like style and voice.
So I used some birthday money to buy this. I was currently reading the Outsider by Stephen King when I accidentally left that book downstairs. Already in bed, I was too lazy to go get it, so I decided to entertain myself by reading a little of this book.
I was hooked after 7 pages.
Then I read about 100 pages on Friday and a 100 pages last night, finishing the book.
It's like *nothing* I have ever read before. It gets in your head. There is this unnerving feeling that there is all this subtext going on just under the surface of what you're reading but you, the reader, can't get to it. The author has hidden it from you.
There are certain reveals in the story where you *think* you've pulled a thread out to follow--a little theory to cling to but then that thread is quickly pulled away as the author leads you somewhere else.
I'm not going to give you anything in this review.
You are totally on your own as far as I'm concerned and it is my opinion that you should buy this book before someone spoils everything for you and read it straight through in one sitting.
Then, follow the author's instructions when you're done. You'll see.
Thank you Iain Reid for hours of pure, reader's bliss. I'm looking forward to FOE even more now.

Before we get started, I just found out that this book will be made into a Netflix film with Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, & Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) set to direct it. If nothing else, you might want to get a jump start on the novel before the movie release…Now, on to the book review.

I’m going to be honest. I considered avoiding writing a review of this novel. Why? Because I have conflicting feelings about it. Usually I write up my take within a day or two of finishing a read. And I normally write up my reactions before consulting anyone else. Well, you might be glad (or not) that I did some skimming through of both the store and Goodreads reviews. One thing I can report is that readers either LOVE I’m Thinking of Ending Things or HATE it. Now, when I say hate it, I mean give it one star. (My heart goes out to Reid for that alone!) What’s the main complaint? Ironic in light of the title, but some readers loathe the ending. Some didn’t understand it, while others saw it coming from a mile away. Obviously I can’t tell you what that is, since it would be a spoiler. And, some of you are going to want to make up your own minds about this novel. Just know that you might end up throwing the book across the room when you’re done. (This could be tricky if you’re reading from a device, so be careful).

Let’s start with the positives. This book is a quick read. Not only is it short, but it was able to pull me in and keep me engaged. The story is told from the point of view of a girlfriend thinking of ending the relationship with her boyfriend, yet she goes on a road trip with him to meet his parents. One thing that Reid captures very well are the complexities of relationships and also communication. Much of the narrative is a history of the couple’s time together from their first meeting and up through the present. What I found most fascinating is the idea of what we say to another person and what is left unsaid. The same thing in regards to what we do versus what we don’t do. How many people have stayed in a relationship past its expiration date because they think things might change or their feelings might change? (I can admit to doing this on more than one occasion). Reid definitely captures those emotions. He also manages to have the characters discuss both the mundane as well as the deeply philosophical. This does not appeal to all people, so some readers might find themselves hitting the snooze button to stay awake. But that is a purely subjective thing.

I, personally, enjoyed the philosophical banter, which made me wax a bit poetical. That’s just me.
What about the horror, you ask? There are lots of creepy elements to this story. Reid does a great job planting details that are unnerving. And his descriptions of circumstances and events are quick reading. However, not all of these elements are tied together at the end of the story. I’m not one that needs a conclusion with everything packaged in a neat bow. I’m okay with having to wonder and surmise. But I like to look back at a story or a movie and be like: ah, that’s what that was all about! When a writer plants a seed that connects with a later event or detail that I don’t see coming, that’s what blows me away and makes me enjoy it even more. I did do that with some things in Reid’s book, but there were also others he left dangling. Some might even accuse them of being red herrings. In the end, there were aspects that could have been explored/explained further. For me, this novel should have been fleshed out some more.

I didn’t walk away from I’m Thinking of Ending Things wishing I’d had my time back. In fact, it made me reflect on many aspects of a story—what works well and what might not. Also, the edition I read included discussion questions for a possible book club. This novel has value, but you need to be prepared for the possible fallout. I suggest reading it with a friend or a group to see what you get out of it. Chances are no one opinion will be exactly the same.

*Originally reviewed on Goodreads and My Blog*

HOLY CROW!

I put off reading this book for such a long time because there were so many negative reviews and I don't see why! I freaking loved this book! It blew me right way! I got if from the Overdrive library and I'm going to be buying it to keep.

Okay, so like the narrator is this woman that I have no idea who she is, name-wise. Unless I missed it, they never say in the book. She's on a road trip with her boyfriend Jake. He is taking her to meet his parents for the first time and they live a few hours in the country on a farm.

Through-out the ride, SHE, talks about her thoughts. She tells about this man that calls her on the phone all of the time but she hasn't told any one. She hasn't even told Jake. He says scary things, bizarre things.

And, SHE, is kind of weird herself. She keeps talking about ending it with Jake and not ending it with Jake and people and places and weird stuff. I actually thought this book was about teenagers when I started it but these are two adults. Jake works in some kind of lab and he's super smart.

There is a certain point that I started to figure things out. I thought a few different things at first but then the stranger it got it started to click into place.

I was on the edge of my seat to get to the bottom of everything I'm still confused on a few things but it's okay, I never figure everything out in books.

This one was creepy and cool and weird and freaky deaky and I just loved it. There are some meh parts but the cray outweighs the meh!

Awesome peeps! Awesome!

Thank you for reading my review ♥

Not positive how I feel about this book. It is like two separate stories contained within the taut 210 page novel. The writing is crisp. The dialogue excellent. There is a constant eerie, and overcast feel the entire time I was reading. The hairs on my arms stood on end.

There are, essentially, two characters. They have recently started dating. The female is pretty sure she wants to end the relationship. Thing is he invited her back home to meet his parents. She agreed, since she really isn't sure what she wants to do next, or expects out of the relationship.

The first 100 pages is the drive to the old farm house, and some flashbacks. The 2nd 100 pages takes place once they reach the farmhouse and the female meets her boyfriend's parents. And from there on until the end the book goes from just odd to off the wall bizarre.

It's hard to write a review without giving plot twists and turns away.

Let me try this. There is a stalker. A secret Caller. A peeping Tom. And maybe a serial killer? Maybe not. Maybe none of it. Does that help?

Probably not.

Read the book in a few hours. It may be a day or two before I can explain more about how I feel after having read it. At this point, I am just not sure.

Phillip Tomasso
Author of Absolute Zero
and Damn the Dead

Well, I had this thing all kinds of wrong. I knew some shenanigans were afoot, but I had it pretty much backward from the beginning. Not sure how that happened because the clues were there the whole time. Ok, I do know how it happened…that’s how it was written. Duh. I’m slow on the uptake sometimes.

Taking my friends Edwards advice, I listened to this on audio versus reading it and I think it made a world of difference. It was perfect for audio. The ending really nails that fact. I’m not sure how it would have read, but I have a feeling I would have been confused and possibly pissed. With the audio, the reveal made sense and I got what was going on right away. I almost want to listen to this backwards per Edwards suggestion, but don't think I have the gumption to do it. Maybe one day.

The narration for this was very good - the pacing, the cadence, the tone, everything fit like a glove. Perfect for the story. I really liked it. It was strange, off-putting, and engaging all at the same time. I have a funny feeling people are either going to love this one or completely hate it. I for one, thought it was very well done and I dug it. 4+ the store Stars!

“It's a no mirrors day for me.”

WOW, this book was really interesting! First, I love that it was short. It added to the pacing that it was a book you knew you could race through and especially once things got towards the middle, I couldn’t put it down.

I also have to hand it to Iain Reid for how this book was structured. Obviously it’s a thriller that has been advertised as having a shocking ending so I’m not giving anything away there, but it was something that certainly surprised me and I immediately went back to the beginning of the book to check out how everything had started again because I needed to retrace my steps! The structure was excellent and it was so interesting to read! The ending was definitely shocking and I totally didn’t see it coming, somehow. A lot of times, I’m able to pick up on “obvious” things and piece together the end of a mystery or thriller but this one really got me. Looking back, I should have known but I guess that was the true nature of the book.

I was still confused about a few things after immediately finishing but once I started to look back on the whole book, it just became more and more clear to me. There were lots of clues tucked all over the place but you’d never know they were there if you didn’t know to look for them, but then seeing them again just made everything click. It was very creepy at times, definitely thrilling, and quite an interesting read!

Once I finished the book, I actually went back to read other people’s reviews as I often do and there was something that totally surprised me that I didn’t even pick up! It’s kind of a spoiler, in my opinion, so I won’t mention it outright here but you can check out my review on Goodreads to check out the spoiler within spoiler tags if you’re interested! Basically, it was another little surprise of the book that I didn’t even notice until I started reading other people’s reviews and it was neat to have the book STILL keep going after I had finished!

If this book is supposedly written to portray mental illness, it fails miserably and obviously does not fit into any DSM category. As a PhD practicing psychologist of 25+ years i deem this book as a total waste of time.

On a recent road trip I listened to both this and Foe. They are incredible. But they have some very negative reviews. Why? My theory is that to get the most out of the books, you must read (or listen) to them when you give them your full attention. They are short, and every detail, no matter how mundane, is there for a reason. Everything comes together at the end. If you don’t pay full attention, you will mistake the carefully crafted journey leading up to the reveal as pointless. And you will miss how the reveal explains all of the little oddities and quirks that you have picked up on along the way.

Pay attention and you will appreciate it. Reread it for a second time and you will appreciate it even more and you realize how thightly everything fits together. If you still don’t understand what happed at the end, get on the publisher’s website where they have a decent discussion from readers about what everything means.

I was in the mood for a relatively short book. I grabbed this one, curled up on my couch in my darkened living room, and began to read it by lamplight (because scary stories are better when they’re read in the dark).

I’m Thinking of Ending Things begins from the perspective of a young woman who is thinking of ending things during a trip with her boyfriend to meet his family. They have philosophical and psychological discussions on this road trip. She thinks about the nature of relationships, her feelings for him, and her memories with him. Not exactly the usual foundation of horror.

But…something is a bit…off. The sentences are very short, like most thrillers. Propulsive. That style makes it feel like there is more going on than a decision about ending a relationship. Something dark. Something wrong. It’s unsettling.

Gradually, the tension builds, but it is unclear what the tension is building towards or where it’s coming from. Every interaction that the main character has is loaded with anxiety, uncertainty, and confusion. It’s not scary in a “jump scare” or supernatural predator way. It’s scary in the David Lynch Mulholland Drive way: everything is weird and uncanny. It’s creepy.

And then I was done. I finished reading the book in a single evening. If you’re up for something weird, thoughtful, not-full-of-action, creepy, philosophical, fast, and confusing, you should consider trying this out.

Jake is driving his girlfriend to meet his parents at their home deep in the countryside. It is a very dark night and the weather is frigid with a blizzard on the way. It immediately becomes apparent that something is amiss but as the two discuss the essence of reality they keep driving through the night to the parent’s home. Eventually, and inexplicably, a turn off the country road to an abandoned high school sets the stage for one of the most terrifying episodes I have ever read.
This is one of the most brilliant debuts I can remember reading. There is a persistent unease throughout but so much of the discussion centers on philosophy and the nature of our existence. But something is wrong! It is initially subtle then becomes increasingly apparent that nothing is as it appears. I will say no more for fear of spoiling the plot. Just know that this is not the book to read when you are alone late at night. It is a slight book but I guarantee you will go back and reread parts of it just to see and admire how the author pulled this off. This is one of my favorite books not only of the year but of many years

There are very few books that I would describe as really, truly eerie. Many are violent. Some are scary in short bursts. But this novel has a sense of building dread that is rare and I enjoyed that. This book reminded me of a David Lynch movie. You are not entirely sure what is happening most of the time, but the atmosphere of the book draws you in and holds your interest. When I finished, it felt a bit like coming out of a dream. Only then did I really start thinking about whether the plot made sense. I'm considering re-reading it, knowing the ending, since it is a very short read. I did see aspects of the ending coming--the twist is pretty popular these days in film and television. Still, for me, this novel is more about the eerie, compulsive style. I emphatically disagree with the reviews saying this novel is a waste of time because of the ending. This book is perfect for the winter months--set aside a few hours, settle into your couch with coffee or a glass of wine and just let this one wash over you. You won't regret it.

As everybody has said, this is a weird one. It has plenty of moments of being weird for the sake of being weird. Some of that I can appreciate. I find the fact the mother changed outfits during dinner without comment to be hilariously unnerving, for example. But otherwise, it's a weird, frustrating book. I see the author has written nonfiction in the past, which makes sense, as one of the characters speaks in full paragraphs of nonfiction writing (outtakes from other books?).

It's almost like Reid wrote about a woman's creepy visit to the remote area where her new boyfriend's parents live (good, I'm with you...), then decided it needed something, and brought it to an Intro to Philosophy class to "punch up" with lots of Woody-Allen-movie-style reflections on relationships vs the self (gah! pretentious! just give me a killer janitor!) Then to top it off the book tries to goad you into re-reading it like you just missed all the amazing introspective nuances. I'm not falling for it, man! I'm getting out of this gym and flagging down a car and I don't care if it's full of Kardashian-Wests, the conversation will be more fulfilling than a reread of this book.

That said, I think it would make for an hysterical book club read. The club might collectively flog whomever selected it, sure, but it would be one of those experiences that seem really funny in the retelling. Like, it would come up constantly and all the new members would wish they'd been there for it, kind of thing.

I’m thinking I don’t know what to think other than this novel, 'I’m Thinking of Ending Things' is a brilliant, well-constructed Hitchcockian tale with a huge creep factor that will leave you scheduling a manicure for wrecked nails.

From the first page, Iain Reid knocks it out of the park with, “I’m thinking of ending things. Once this thought arrives, it stays. It sticks. It lingers. It dominates.”

The novel begins when a girl takes a road trip with her boyfriend to meet his parents at their isolated farmhouse. There’s a detour, and what follows next is a twisty, dark, psychological thriller that does indeed ‘linger, stick and dominate’ long after the last eerie page is flipped.

An unusual and truly unique tale, and the very first thing I thought of after closing this book; a straight-on crazy win. By far, my best read of 2016!

this book wasn't selected strictly for the title or the cover, I was intrigued by the reviews. In retrospect, I wish I hadn't read any, because I think they may have set the bar too high or left me expecting more than the book offered. Don't get me wrong, it's a neat petite mindfuck of a book. It's cleverly narrated by the ultimate in unreliable narrators. It gives itself away slowly in hints and glimpses toward the final reveal. And yet...the juxtaposition of the seeming normalcy of the start to the utter lunacy of the end isn't so stark as to really wow the reader, or at least not the reader prepared by reviews. From the very start it reads like a movie viewed through some sort of a distorted weird lenses for the effect. And if you pay attention, you'll find clues left and right pointing to something being off, way, way off. I'd say best approach to this book is a blind zero expectation one. With expectations it was still a perfectly entertaining way to pass a couple of hours. The author does a specific atmospheric unease very well and mental disorders are always interesting to visit from a safe distance the written word affords. Recommended for fans of dark psychological fiction.

I’m Thinking About Ending Things is one of those books that pulls you in from the very first paragraph and doesn’t let you go until the last paragraph. No, wait that’s not right. This book doesn’t even let you go at the end. At then end of the book, I thought, “What?” and then immediately went back to the beginning to read through it again.

The story opens with Jake and his girlfriend on a road trip. Jake’s girlfriend is narrating. They are on their way to meet Jake’s parents - her first time. They have only been dating about six weeks. The thing is, she is thinking about ending it, the relationship.

This book is full of words. I know all books are, but this one seems extra full. Everything is described just so, but more in the manner of a conscious train of thought. Sentences start with “and” and “or” keeping it constantly flowing.

I’m not going to give anything away, but the ending completely surprised me and made me want to go back and reread the whole novel again.

I received an ARC copy of this book.

I'm Thinking of Ending Things had quite a bit of atmosphere and a few vaguely creepy moments to it, but overall I had to severely dock this book for two main reasons:

1. I found the writing style initially to be crisp and clear but by the end it became very repetitive, with a lot of useless words and digressions that went nowhere. This was a very quick read, partly because it is only 200-someodd pages long but mostly because so little happens that it allows for lots and lots of skimming.

2. I don't want to spoil the ending for you, but I will say it was incredibly trite. I've seen it before, it wasn't done particularly well here and it made everything that came before it feel like a complete waste of my time.

Nothing really leapt out at me. Jake was the only vaguely interesting character, none of the settings were particularly unique, there were some creepy elements dropped in that amounted to very little. If this were a horror movie it would be a really bad one.

This book was unsettling, mysterious, darkly humorous, and intriguing for about 90% of its duration. Then the ending just sort of landed awkwardly. I'm not sure if I would have been more amenable to the eventual big reveal had the ending avoided the desire to explain everything (to avoid a spoiler, let's just say that the level of clarity offered lessens the credibility of the resolution), or if some of the previous clues had been more gracefully handled, or maybe if there had been a bit more nuance in the end. It's a pity because up until the last few chapters, I was uncomfortable in that wonderful way as you are waiting to see just what is going to go terribly wrong. But with that clunker of an ending, I was left unsatisfied.

I guess you could call I'M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS a creepy book, Hitchcockian.

It is short and takes place in just one evening. Jake and his girlfriend drive two hours to have dinner with his parents in their old farmhouse. She is thinking of ending things with him and ruminates on that throughout the book.

Everything that evening is strange. The farmhouse is strange, Jake's parents are strange, the girls at the Dairy Queen are strange, and their detour to the big school is strange. You'll be searching for correct explanations through it all.

Between chapters are discussions that are clues to what is really going on. When you finally figure it out, you'll probably want to go back and re-read those clues.

I'M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS is Iain Read's first novel, although he has written two award-winning books of nonfiction. I'll be keeping my eye on him now.

Ugh. One of those "and it was all just a dream" cheap twist endings that makes me feel miserable about the time I invested in getting there. Starts out interesting and appealing for maybe 10 or 20 pages, gets bogged down, and then the author bails himself out with laziness masquerading as cleverness. Avoid.

Every time I go to the library to pick up my holds, I like to peruse the shelves and grab (at least) one extra book, something I had never heard of. I’m Thinking of Ending Things was that book this time, and holy moly, what a treasure I unearthed. Only 200 pages, but it covers so much ground: hallucinatory, haunting, weird, thrilling, scary, sad, and just the right level of abstract to really NAIL the ending and payoff the whole escalating story that led up to it. It’s a quiet kind of horror book, but sometimes, in the quietness, things echo the loudest. Loved this.

Holy crap. I don't even know what to say. This book blew my mind.
I'm Thinking of Ending Things starts with the author writing from what seems like the conscience of the character. It was very weird for me.. I felt like a therapist hearing this girl's thoughts and feelings. It then evolved into the relationship of her and her boyfriend. It felt like random conversations between the two and a very awkward encounter with his parents. I wasn't sure if I even liked the book while I was reading it. There were parts where I felt eerie, parts where my heart was pounding, and parts where I was just down right confused. AND THEN there was the ending. The ending changed everything. I could not stop thinking about this book once I was finished and with everyday that I thought about it, I added a stars. I had to wait a week to write the review because my mind was everywhere. This book. Gosh.

Meh..characters I didn’t care for. This concept had potential if the characters were built up better but the girlfriend sounded like a total whiny pretentious brat. I wasn’t scared for her and I didn’t care for Jake. I didn’t care for any of them. The twist was just meh. One of those rare momemts when I actually ask audible to refund my money.

I finished “I’m Thinking of Ending Things” then I went back to the beginning and read it again.
You will want to read this book more than once. Or you’ll want to hide it in the depths of the earth never to be seen again. Probably won’t be that much inbetween those two things and the range of reviews would seem to back me on this.

Me? I’m going to tell everyone I know to read this book then read it again.

It scared the living crap out of me but no, don’t ask. Iain Reid has written, in my humble opinion, a masterclass in unsettling the reader without them being able to put their finger on why exactly. It has a surreal, emotional and deeply disturbing vibe that starts on the first page then builds to a crescendo of turmoil at the end followed by a “Wait. No just wait a minute. What the all heck did I just read? Wait what now?” Then a sudden dawning of realisation as it settles and a desperate urge to go back to the start and see it with new eyes. I did that. I was just as haunted the second time round but for utterly different reasons.

Brilliantly constructed, absolutely gorgeous use of language, those little things that make you shiver, glance behind you, wonder what that noise was coming from the other room and when the blurb says “you will be afraid but you won’t know why” that is exactly it. That right there.

It is incredibly difficult to review. Its a road trip for sure, one hell of a ride. Its like Stephen King dropped acid then wrote a story about a girl who is not sure whether she wants to break up with her boyfriend or not. And very much like King when he’s bang on the money, you won’t know what you are getting until you get there and when you DO get there everything you thought you knew will be turned on its head. That might get over some of the sense of it. Maybe. You should just read it.

Iain Reid has his own unique writing style to be sure that feeds into the story being told perfectly, there is an intensity of prose, an intuitive sense of things, it shines through and then sucks you into a vortex of impossible to describe, erm, things. Life is in here, a twist of life, some insightful commentary on how we all see things, how human interaction works. Or does not. Or could. Or something.

Oh yes I’m not making sense – but at the very heart of this one is one thing that I can’t talk about without spoiling where this possibly ill fated couple end up. So really you probably just need to decide to read it. Or not. I would. I’m probably going to again because I’m sure I’ve missed nuances. I’m sure actually that I missed a lot of things. Only lets just see if I can sleep first. I doubt it. I’m still a little afraid to be honest…

I’m Thinking of Ending Things will quite definitively not be for everyone. But it was absolutely for me. And therefore I can’t do anything other than highly recommend it.

**purchased via local bookshop UK**

Weirdest little book of 2016 so far with a superbly ambiguous and most apt title. At 224 pages, this can easily be read in one sitting and maybe the best way to enjoy it. My initial reaction on finishing this was too rude to be repeated here, and I was all set for a 2-stars rating. Then I went back to the first chapter and went over it again, and that's when I started to appreciate the real brilliance of this.
As the road trip in the cold and dark to the remoteness of the parents' farm started, it was all quite slow with the most peculiar "conversations". It wasn't until the destination of dinner-with-the-parents was reached that I was really getting into this. From then on, I pretty much had to keep going just to discover how exactly things would be ending.
As is already apparent from the reviews so far, this isn't a book for everyone and opinions will differ widely on this. Its promise of "You will be scared" wasn't quite delivered. But it had an unsettling and compelling atmosphere that kept you reading. I think readers who enjoy psychology and philosophy will enjoy this. If you're looking for a straightforward suspenseful psychological thriller or even traditional horror story, you may be disappointed because this is more literary fiction exploring the human condition.
It really wasn't until I read over some of it again that I could see how cleverly constructed the entire plot was and how I missed little clues. Smart, for example, in the way the theme of the "there's only one question to resolve" kept getting picked up throughout the story and the "are you good or are you bad?". However, even after skimming it again, I'm still left with questions (the man outside the window? The girl in the Dairy Queen?). I find it quite difficult to rate this because a) I'm not sure how much of this was just too over my head, b) my first reaction to it was less than positive but c) the more time I'm spending with this and think about it, the higher I want to rate it. It's definitely very different, and I guess if a book stays with you like this and keeps you thinking about it, it deserves a better rating. Hence, 3.5 stars rounding up. An oddly entertaining experience.
Thanks to Gallery Books for my copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

OMG I was so confused for a while. The title made me think the book is about suicide. I was thinking 13 Reasons Why type thing but the story starts off with a girl narrator wanting to break up or end things with her boyfriend. Not exactly what I was planning on reading but the first few pages were so well written I continued. At the end of each chapter is italic sentences about a future conversation about someone dying or a crime scene which furthered my curiosity. Parts of the story were super creepy and the end twist was crazy. This story is amazing. I loved it.

The very beginning was interesting but then it became irritating to read. Very irritating. Example... three and four sentences would say the same thing in a different way and the same word would be used two or three times within the same couple of sentences. The dialogue was terrible. Had the reviews on the back cover not been so promising, I would've put the book down forever at that point. But I pushed through and gained some hope it would get better around page 90 something and decided I would finish it. The introduction to the "boyfriends parents" saved the day and the creepiness set it. The idea of the story was great... intriguing and original... but the execution was not. It was choppy and disorganized. Though I understand why it was delivered that way, it could've had more coherency for the readers sake. The inner dialogue was so monotonous that I skipped through paragraphs at a time toward the end, thinking it would've been better as a short story unless the writer could've replaced half the content with something more interesting.

This book creates such a sense of dread and provides such an unsettling feeling in such few pages. You will finish this book's couple hundred pages in a day, if you're not careful. It's an intoxicating read, and every time you think you're nearing a place to take a break, something happens that compels you to keep going.

This is also the rare book that I wanted to reread almost immediately. Reading the book a second time adds another deep layer of understanding to the core story.

The fact that this is the debut novel of Iain Reid is astonishing, as it demonstrates a level of understanding of building a tension that even several authors that are man y novels deep still fail to capture. Pick up this book to get in on the ground level for an author on the rise.

I'm Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid is a free NetGalley ebook that I read in late May.

"Something that disorients, that unsettles what’s taken for granted, something that disturbs and disrupts reality— that’s scary." - The Girlfriend, I'm Thinking of Ending Things.

Saddest of all, I read this book while in a car. On a road trip. With my boyfriend driving. About to visit his mom and step-dad. Yeah, a little too on-the-nose eerie. So, take it from me, don't read this on a sunny day, when you're otherwise perfectly happy - wait 'til it's glum weekday afternoon, cozy and tucked lazily in bed. Also, give yourself a bit of space on the floor next to you in the event that you want to toss this book aside in fear.

This is a darkly twisted novel that puts you into the head of the main character but then takes you on a roller coaster ride of wondering. The suspense builds with a steady creepiness. If you are looking for something NEW, EXCITING, and NOT like anything else, get this book. It is twisted and brilliant! I could not put it down. This book proves that you don't have to write long winded descriptions and drawn out characters. It reads the way the character thinks. It has a depth and narrative that is wonderfully refreshing. Do yourself a favor, ignore the reviews from those readers who just didn't get it...ignore them, they missed out. This is a brilliant thrilling ride. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys suspense and true psychological horror.

Firstly I purchased this as an audiobook on audible, which I highly recommend as it adds a level of performance that you simply cannot get from a paper copy if you don't have the imagination.

Lots of one star reviews are shrewd, and from people who, in my opinion, seem like they either didn't finish the novel or have the depth to understand the protagonists immaturity. This novel is very well planned out, but seems hectic and poorly written at times (lots of plot holes, unexplained pieces, irreparable conversations), but this is because of the mental health of the protagonist (they are emotionally destitute).

Honestly you do not, and will not understand the novel if you do not read to the absolute last page, and even if you do, you still may not understand if you cannot figure the split chapters and character evolution.

Highly recommend the audiobook, especially to those whom gave a poor review, as this book is something special and written to inform in some majors. "I'm thinking of ending things", is in a way, a double entendre.

You may not want to read “I’m Thinking of Ending Things,” but you will.

With a pounding heart.

And flying fingers --- I read all 210 pages in two hours.

Then you’ll ask yourself: WHAT HAPPENED?

Then you’ll go back to see if you missed anything --- well, really, if you missed everything.

And then you’ll tell others: You’ve got to read this.

Yes, this is that book --- the book you want to put down, and can’t.

For once the publisher’s hype is accurate: “You will be scared. But you won’t know why.”

Which seems stupid. Iain Reid, a youngish Canadian who published two sweet memoirs you’ve never heard out, has created Jake, a young man, and his girlfriend. They met at trivia night in a campus bar. Six weeks ago, maybe seven. He slipped a note in her purse: “If I had your number, we could talk, and I’d tell you something funny.” and then he’d written his number. That was six weeks ago, maybe seven. Now they’re taking a short road trip so she can meet his parents.

What could go wrong?

Start at the beginning. The novel is narrated --- interrupted by brief, after-the-fact commentary from people not in the book --- by the girlfriend, who is nameless. It starts like this:

"I’m thinking of ending things.
Once this thought arrives, it stays. It sticks. It lingers. It dominates. There’s not much I can do about it.
Jake once said, “Sometimes a thought is closer to truth, to reality, than an action. You can say anything, you can do anything, but you can’t fake a thought.”
And here’s what I’m thinking: I don’t want to be here."

And yet…. The girlfriend also writes:

"I think what I want is for someone to know me. Really know me. Know me better than anyone else and maybe even me. Isn’t that why we commit to another? It’s not for sex. If it were for sex, we wouldn’t marry one person. We’d just keep finding new partners. We commit for many reasons, I know, but the more I think about it, the more I think long-term relationships are for getting to know someone. I want someone to know me, really know me, almost like that person could get into my head. What would that feel like? To have access, to know what it’s like in someone else’s head. To rely on someone else, have him rely on you. That’s not a biological connection like the one between parents and children. This kind of relationship would be chosen. It would be something cooler, harder to achieve than one built on biology and shared genetics.
I think that’s it. Maybe that’s how we know when a relationship is real. When someone else previously unconnected to us knows us in a way we never thought or believed possible.”

So smart, so self-aware. They both are. Relationships, philosophy, secrets --- they’re getting along so well.

But why is she getting phone calls… from her own number?

Why does she think The Caller is spying on her?

Why are Jake’s parents… weird?

Why is one sentence --- “What are you waiting for? --- repeated and repeated and repeated until it fills four pages?

Why does Jake, when he kisses his girlfriend, call her by another woman’s name?

Why, late at night, on the way home, do they stop in a snowstorm at a Dairy Queen and then, at a seemingly abandoned school?

And, at the end, what happens? To whom? By whom? And why?

After the end, in italics:

"--- It’s not that simple. I don’t know. Here. Look at this.
--- What is all this? This is a lot of pages? Is this what he wrote?
--- Yes. You should read it. But maybe start at the end. then circle back. First, though, I think you better sit down."

Follow directions. Read it again.

Not for the weak of heart. There are layers here. Layers and layers and layers. A masterful thriller, and will either leave you puzzled or blown away. Nutshell: Girl goes with boyfriend to his home to meet his parents in a blizzard. Girl has unknown stalker. There's a stop at Dairy Queen. Lactose intolerance. Things get weird, then weirder, and then her hands are full of red paint. A lot of stuff in between. But if you love puzzles, literary ones especially, this one's for you. I admit I didn't get everything at the end and had to search a little bit to find answers to my questions. Thank goodness there are way smarter people than I, and I had the editor's email address. :) I passed a Dairy Queen today, and I shivered.

This book is all about the twist ending. Problem is, you can see it coming very early on. It is very reminiscent of 1 movie in particular, which I won't mention because to do so would give away the book's secret.

Anyway, if you have seen the movie I'll bet you figure the book out pretty quickly. If you don't see the end coming, you might be totally confused, as some reviews suggest.

The writing is ok, and there is some subtle creepiness that is well done. But, how much would you have liked, say, The Sixth Sense, if you had figured out that Bruce Willis is dead in the first half hour of the movie?

I'm so confused by the negative reviews? If you like suspense, you should love this book. Very few books keep me guessing until the end, but this was one of them. I actually listened to the audio version, but was about 10 minutes from the end before it all started to make sense. It's one of those books where you feel like you have to read it again to see all the clues you missed the first time. Highly recommended--again--only if you enjoy suspense

A mundane trip to meet the parents turns into something much more sinister, or does it? This is one of those books that when the last page is turned you say, what in the world just happened!! One that leaves you thinking about it for days! Eerily creepy. Thought provoking and ultimately sad. It will be interesting to see what Netflix does with this book in the movie adaptation.

This book made me so angry, I had to write a review. What a stupid, stupid piece of drivel. WTF was happening at the end of the story? Although, by that point I had trouble reading it because I was so bored with these characters and the inane plot line. Wish you had ended things after the first chapter.

What the hell was this. I'm glad it was only 200 pages. I only finished it cause I won in a giveaway and wanted to give my HONEST opinion. So many questions left unanswered. I do NOT RECOMMEND.

Thank you good reads.

Cherie'

I can’t give this more than three stars. The writing is good, there’s a creepy feel about it, but I was left with no real sense of what happened at the end and a feeling that I’d completely wasted my time with this book. The “existential” questions were sophomoric, and one entire chapter consists of a single question repeated over and over again!

I have very mixed reviews about this book. This is my first time reading anything by Iain Reid, so it was all new to me. The author had a way of keeping my attention, but only because I had so many questions throughout my reading. The ending was not nearly justified by the body of the story. I'm disappointed that there were not more "obvious" indicators as to what the ending would be...if that makes sense. I didn't love this book, but I would definitely read other stories by Reid, as he has a very creative, complex, and yet entertaining writing style.

I knew what the end was going to be by the end of the first chapter, I just wasn't sure how it was going to explain itself. It was interesting enough to keep me reading to find out. It was definitely creepy at times, but ultimately, I can't rave about something where the ending was right there in Chapter 1. Good for a stormy night where you just want a creepy book without too much thinking.

One thing’s for sure. I’ll never hear “Hey Good Lookin’” again with having chills go down my spine…

Iain Reid’s novel is not for everyone. I think that you will either hate it, or, as I did, love it! Some reviewers have said that it really messes with your mind. I have to agree. It is the type of book, that to appreciate all the nuances, you have to read twice. Even though my TBR is long, I did go back and reread many pages in order to get my head around it. This review will be different because I can’t say much without giving too much away…

I am a retired library cataloger. If I was still working and this book came across my desk I would have likely given it the genres ‘psychological thriller’ AND ‘horror’. It had a feel of Stephen King crossed with Minette Walters.

The story begins with Jake and his ‘girlfriend’ traveling to his parents’ farm in order that he might introduce her to them. The car conversation is overshadowed by the ‘girlfriend’s’ thoughts. In fact most of the book is told from her point of view. The girlfriend is “thinking of ending things’ with Jake, although they seem quite well suited. She has not told him her intentions. Another thing that she has not told him is that she has an anonymous ‘Caller’ that sends her texts messages. Sometimes several times a night – AND they always come from her own phone number. The messages are always the same: “There’s only one question to resolve…”

Jake is super-intelligent. He is a scientist, a reader, an intellectual, and a philosopher who has a great sense of humor. He met his ‘girlfriend’ at a pub’s trivia night. They haven’t been going out for long, just over a month. In this short time they have become close and have developed an intense attachment.

The weather worsens as the day draws to a close. Their arrival at the farm is written in such a way that it makes you uncomfortable. Not overtly menacing, but menacing all the same… The parents are quirky and not altogether what one would expect.

Refusing to stay the night, Jake and his ‘girlfriend’ leave the farm in the worsening storm. Weirdly, they stop at a Dairy Queen to get lemonade. Then when they want to get rid of the cups he travels a distance out of their way to go to an empty high school he knows of to dump the lemonade cups in the trash. He leaves the girlfriend in the car and takes the keys. When he doesn’t return, she follows him into the school. That’s when things get frightening and intense.

This is an intelligent novel that expounds on loneliness and solitude (though this is done in such a way that it is almost incidental). It is a philosophical treatise on how fine a line there is between genius and madness. How you never really know another person.

I can understand that the cerebral quality of the narrative would not appeal to some readers. Some just won’t ‘get it’. I think I did ‘get it‘, but then again, another reader might think the same and will have interpreted it a different way. As Edmund Wilson said: “No two persons ever read the same book”. I just know I liked it. I liked that it made me think, it made me uneasy and ultimately it made me applaud what I believe to be an outstanding debut.

This book is one of those slow burns that pick up in intensity. Before you know it, there's a figurative forest-fire burning around you. Reid has a masterful way of building dread and suspense. This book will have you questioning things along the way, wondering what's real and what isn't. If you like psychological suspense, do yourself a favor and pick this up.

I’m Thinking of Ending Things by Ian Reid is a puzzling psychological thriller, intensely suspenseful, constantly foreboding; the reader knows something terrible is going to happen, but no clues to what that terrible thing will be. I found this book impossible to put down. Several reviewers have mentioned the "what exactly happened" reaction after finishing this book. It's creepy and scary and the end is such a surprise. One of the scariest books I've read recently. Breath taking.

This is a book that is probably best to read without any spoilers. I unfortunately heard one very vague spoiler that kept me jumping ahead of the author. Perhaps what I have already written is too much of a spoiler because the book will succeed or fail based on the reader’s perception of the ending. An intriguing book sure to spark some reader’s imagination more than others.

I don't really know why. Probably because it was too fast a read, not catching or appreciating the words. The story pushed ahead. The characters vivid but then blurred without the reader's consent. I can't remember any of the names the day after finishing. I remember wondering what s in Reid's head that he would come up with this stuff. How could he instill such fear in his characters, such confusion? Does he not like them? It was so creepy. It was so creepy. It was so creepy. It was so creepy. It was so creepy.

To me this book was beyond boring!! Once they reached his parents' farm it really went downhill. I ended up just having to skim the last few chapters to finally see what happened at the end and that didn't help because I'm still not even sure what did happen. It was a total waste of my time!

First off, I loved this book. LOVED IT! This is a book you should go into knowing nothing beforehand. So my review will be very vague. It is well written. It will make you think. At certain points I felt little spasms of insanity in my brain, I'm not exaggerating. It made me feel a little crazy at points. Like I was thinking too deeply about things. One last thing. I recommend the audio version. I think the story is better enjoyed that way. Just check it out.

I haven't devoured a book this fast in a long time! Superbly written, dripping with suspense and unanswered questions. Spooky! A great October/Halloween read. Great character development and imagery. As others point out there is a twist ending, but I did not find it confusing at all. I'm sure there are multiple interpretations but I thought the author delivered a pretty heavy-handed explanation. If you are confused, the publisher set up an entire website for readers to discuss.

Highly recommended!

Quite frankly, I find it very hard to understand the sub-3 star reviews of this book. Mr. Reid links DIRECTLY(apologies) to an online forum where readers can discuss it, akin to a support group. Why do I mention support group?, you will need an outlet after reading this. Sure, one can argue that all of the classic literary tropes have been used ad nauseum, and this is no exception. However, I believe that the execution of the trope in this case is excellent. Once you get past page one, he, like Dicaprio's character from Inception, plants a seed in your mind that grows for the duration. I initially compared the plot of this book to that of Memento, with its intersecting plot lines. It's not quite that, but this book is unique in that it is very quick, and it will force you to read it again. I was very pleasantly surprised with the outcome, and I'm excited to see what Mr. Reid has in store next...

No, like for real, what just happened. This book is good but really really confusing. I do not get it at all. This is not something everyone will enjoy. The writing style is bland until you get to the last 100 pages and then it just gets really creepy.
I love and hate this.

I'm Thinking of Ending Things takes you on a thrill ride and keeps you riveted the entire journey. From the outset there is a sense of dread, that increases as you turn the pages. A taut, quick read, I was anxious to get to the conclusion, but it still kept me thinking long after I had finished it.

This book is one I definitely recommend - even if you don't enjoy the twisted ride, you will certainly want to discuss it once it's over.

A cleverly conceived and mostly effectively written concept thriller. Very intriguing and with a dark, foreboding aura from the very start, this novel contains images and ideas which would make for nightmarish images in a horror movie - and yet its non-plot is simple, meandering and very much an internal thought process by the narrator. For lovers of explorations of the darker sides of humanity, this book is time well-spent - but beware the lingering melancholy it evokes.

From the looks of things, it appears this is a book you'll either love or hate. Count me in with the latter group. I've listened to half of it and so far, the vast majority of the book is devoted not to narrative but to long philosophical soliloquies. A little of this is OK, but enough was finally too much and I did something I rarely do, stopped reading (listening) in the middle. Sorry. It's not you, it's me.

So many polarizing reviews of this book! It seems as though most readers loved it and gave it five stars or didn't understand it and gave it one or two stars. It would appear I'm in the minority here. I understood what was happening—I caught a whiff the twist by page 20 and was convinced of it shortly thereafter. So all that tension the writer tried so hard to create (and believe me, you can tell he's trying) deflated like a sad little wrinkled balloon. And there was nothing else to carry the story. Reid's sentence structure and word choices aren't horrible but his writing style isn't comparable to, say, Cormac McCarthy (ahem, other reviewers).

*****SPOILERS BELOW*****

I wasn't kidding about starting to figure things out by page 20. Maybe it's because I'm a woman, but I kept thinking, "This narrator really reads like a man." So much so that I flipped to earlier pages in the book to make sure that I'd been explicitly told the narrator was supposed to be a woman. Then I thought, "Maybe Reid's just not very skilled at writing from a woman's perspective." And then I read about how the Caller's calls came from the narrator's own phone number. Oh, okay, so the narrator reads like a man because she is a man. Got it.

Holy moly! An intense read that gave me the creeps and had my stomach in knots. So much to think about and process, but I think I get the ending. And now that I know the ending, I'm definitely going to read it again to see if I catch the clues.

I'm Thinking of Ending Things is a psychological thriller that gets very disturbing. I think a lot of the negative reviews are there because the ending it very confusing. I was perplexed by the whole novel. I had to really think about the novel and compare my thoughts to others. I liked that the author made me think about it. It wasn't just there in black and white but hidden in all the parts of the novel, even the title.

It was all I could do to go to work today. Because I started reading this on the train ride in. And then delayed my arrival to the office to keep reading it. But, NO, I had a meeting I just HAD to be in for. So back on the train at the other end of the day I'm back in to it and then on the walk from the train to my place I almost walked into traffic twice while finishing and YEAH. This. This is a book. That I may well put back in my bag for the commute again tomorrow. And maybe skip the office this time.

This book messed me up in all the best ways! It had so many ups and downs, and so many twists! It was one of those books that after I finished reading it, I had to set it down and just sit there thinking about the genius that wrote this!
So amazing! You should read it, your best friend should read it, everyone should. This was such a wonderful book.
Even now, after 3-4 years I still recall different parts, this book definitely will stick with you, you really need to read this and experience it for yourself!

Criminally Disturbing, Engrossing INCREDIBLE!
Wow this won't take long to read and I tell you you won't even want to get up for a potty break it is that engrossing!!
Best Book I've read in a while that held me from cover to cover.
You will be in the reader wormhole and come out chilled and depressed (In a good cathartic way!!!) Trust me this author is one of my new faves!

Unsettling, dark, disturbing, sad.. brilliant .I read this and my anxiety just grew and grew and I couldn't put it down.. I never saw the ending coming. Awesome. Sad. I just sat here thinking like forever it seemed... very hard to figure out...all the online reviews and blog posts definitely helped fill in the holes I didn't quite grasp. I haven't read a book like this before... definitely top of MY list!

“I think there’s a perception that fear and terror and dread are fleeting. That they hit hard and fast when they do, but they don’t last. It’s not true. They don’t fade unless they’re replaced by some other feeling. Deep fear will stay and spread if it can. You can’t outrun or outsmart or subdue it. Untreated, it will only fester. Fear is a rash”

I’m Thinking Of Ending Things is the first novel by Canadian author, Iain Reid. Jake is taking his new girlfriend to his parents’ remote farm. She’s not entirely sure this is a good idea: he’s a nice guy and she doesn’t really want him to think their relationship is quite so strong; she’s been thinking of ending things.

Things at the farm are not what she really expected, although she’s a city girl, born and bred, so how would she know what’s normal? But Jake’s parents are a bit strange, and she’s glad when Jake doesn’t take them up on the offer to stay the night, even though it has begun to snow quite heavily. Despite his girlfriend’s anxiety about getting home, Jake insists on a detour.

The main narrative is from the woman’s perspective; this is interspersed with some pages printed in italics that consist of conversations between unknown persons about a tragic event. It is apparent from the start that the woman is probably an unreliable narrator. Is her mental stability also in question? While some of it is sound, both her inner monologue and their conversations feature faulty logic and invalid reasoning.

“Just tell your story. Pretty much all memory is fiction and heavily edited. So just keep going… A memory is its own thing each time it’s recalled. It’s not absolute. Stories based on actual events often share more with fiction than fact. Both fictions and memories are recalled and retold. They’re both forms of stories. Stories are the way we learn. Stories are how we understand each other. But reality happens only once”

Reid skilfully constructs his story so that the tension builds to a dramatic climax that may annoy, anger or even confuse some readers. But the clues are there throughout, and the astute reader soon realises that all is not as it first appears. An original and thought-provoking debut.

I gave this book four stars, with the caveat that it's four stars for its qualities as a thriller. Compared to other books I've recently read and given four stars, it's not so original or so well-written, but I can't deny the effectiveness of the tension in this book. I found the ending a bit of a let-down, as it was signaled so strongly throughout the book, and I'd have liked some "why" in the explanation; however, good marks for the tension as well as stimulating me to go back and fit the pieces together along the way. Which, I realize, is exactly what the reader is ultimately encouraged to do. That's a self-aware cleverness that makes me smile.

This is just another glaring reminder that, just like music and film, most or all of the best books have already been written. "I'm Thinking of Ending Things" is yet another pseudo-hipster, Freshman pop psychology 101 hash, thinly veiled within a hack b-grade thriller. One can almost hear the author's beard growing as he indulges in unnecessary, misguided pretentiousness. The characters are, by and large, quite boring and flat. Several times I kept thinking that the author would pull a fast one and leave me totally blindsided. Alas, I predicted the outcome long before I was half way finished--but I kept believing that there would be some clever turn of events in which the author would leave men dazzled and thrilled. For those who come away feeling they "didn't get it," or this was simply "too deep," as other reviews have offered, I posit this: there's absolutely nothing to get, beyond what's on the surface. There are no insightful themes to unpack. The author telegraphs the conclusion's "big reveal" throughout the entire story.

I don't want to seem totally negative, but it's hard not to feel any other way. There were a few story threads that I thought were quite compelling, but they are only tenuously tied together to make way for the hasty conclusion. Maybe it's just that I've read too many books with similar aims and themes that did leave me thinking and pondering them long after I finished. Perhaps the author is targeting a more conventional audience, but I doubt it. Though I hate to say it, "I'm Thinking of Ending Things" is strictly for amateurs.

Great psychological thriller. Scared to turn off lights towed the end. Well written, had me speculating about the twist with just enough bread crumbs. Disagree with critics who say the ending isn't tidy. I was just enough to satisfy my need for closure. Makes you think - great read.

Fully 50% of this book takes place in a car as a couple are driving to and from a destination. Throughout this journey, the narrative is driven almost exclusively through conversation. It appears that the author used this as a vehicle to express his own philosophies about relationships and how they work. The rest of the story is supposed to fill you with a sense of terror as the final denouement approaches. However, there are uncountable false flags thrown up that are never explained; such as whispered warnings, unanswered phone calls and their messages, notes handed to the heroine that are never read, etc. I was prepared to enjoy this book, but I did not. I feel duped.

Not very original at all. You know (or should know) the big reveal. It might take 5 or 6 pages, but think about it for 2 seconds and the answer will come to you. Or to your alter ego. If this doesn't sway you, check the reviews. As many 1, 2, and 3 stars as 4 or 5. Not exactly an overwhelming endorsement. Obviously those 4 or 5 star reviews from people who picked this as the first book they've ever read. I get what the author was going for, but it just didn't work.

Not sure why this book is so badly reviewed except for the fact that people don’t appreciate good writing and twisted endings. I appreciate this book more than anything because of the psychology behind it. It was a fast read that kept me wanting to know what happened. When finally the end reveals all it leaves you jaw dropped! Very good read and much appreciation for the ending!

Iain Reid is the author of two award winning non-fiction titles. (I really enjoyed One Bird's Choice) I'm Thinking of Ending Things is his fiction debut.

Rather than try to paraphrase the plot, I'm simply going to quote from the publisher....

"You will be scared. But you won't know why....

In this deeply suspenseful and irresistibly unnerving debut novel, a man and is girlfriend are on their way to a secluded farm. What follows is a twisted unraveling and an unforgettable ending that will haunt you long after the last page is turned."

True, true, true! Oh, this was such an unsettling, disturbing, addicting little read. (I literally read it straight through in one sitting - it's 224 pages)

Jake and his unnamed girlfriend are travelling in the car. There seems to be a serious disconnect between the two looking in from the outside. Jake is quiet, intellectual, but a bit off in some way. The girlfriend is torn - they have been happy, maybe they still could be, but maybe it's just not working. She's thinking of ending things.

"I’m thinking of ending things. Once this thought arrives, it stays. It sticks. It lingers. It’s always there. Always."

There's some weird stuff in her own life, a stranger that keeps phoning her over and over with the same message. Things get odder when they reach their destination and downright terrifying when they leave. My thoughts and feelings about each character changed many times over the course of the book.

Interspersed are comments after a death takes place. No name is ever uttered, but there are clues in these remarks.

I kept turning pages, getting closer to the end, but not feeling sure of anything that was happening. I was frightened, horrified and quite shocked and surprised by the time I read the last pages. Enough so, that I had to go back to the beginning and take a second look at how Reid adroitly manipulated me. A second read is not out of the question, now that I know what I know. Events, actions, thoughts and dialogue would take on a whole different tenor

When I first rated this book on Goodreads right after I finished it, I gave it ⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars. I am chaning that rating mostly because I have not been able to stop thinking about it and talking about it with others who have read it. I fully intend to read it again and pay closer attention to each detail. While I felt like some aspects of it didn't quite work, I cannot remember the last time I found a book that unsettling and creepy without being able to put my finger on why. Mr. Reid's ability to create an unnerving, tense mood throughout the book is superb. Definitely worth a read (and re-read)

Although the twist is interesting, I was expecting more. Perhaps that’s rude on my part, but I felt that the story has a slow build and that the climax just didn’t do the buildup justice. I would have preferred more clarification of “why” and a more nicely wrapped ending because I’m more confused about how certain things came to be.

My guess is that the author had just read Thr3e by Ted Dekker. It reads more like a modern horror movie script with lots of "Why is she doing that? That makes no sense other than to move the plot along" moments. And lots and lots of internal dialogue.

This scared the living hell out of me. Like the "girlfriend" in the book says, the most terrifying things aren't the gory, bloody, surface-level or even paranormal scary stuff...it's the small, quiet things that shake our perception of reality. Like this book.

I couldn’t decide if this was brilliant or horrible. It’s got some merits but overall, it’s...well...just read it. It’s very readable, but I can’t answer the one question—

Is it good or is it bad?

I'M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS was a very odd, very strange book. My first thought was to wonder what the title meant. End things? How? Why? What's wrong exactly? The story is about two people going on a drive. Only one is named. We're going to his parents house in the country to introduce "her" to the parents.

The parents are nice enough and invite the couple to stay the night, but they have a two hour drive back in the snow. Question is, why go to all this trouble if you're thinking of ending things?

Creepy book,. The answer will creep you the hell out.

I received a copy of this from the publisher. Check it out.

This was a very unique book, with a sense of unease that built throughout the story. While I can understand that not everyone will like it, the book deserves big points for being original -- it's safe to say that I've never read anything like it. Recommended for adventurous readers.

I really enjoyed this book, but like most people I started to lose it towards the ending. I won't spoil anything - but the ending doesn't quite explain things in the way I would have hoped.

The story pulls you in and does a great job of holding your interest and building a sense of dread. You're always feeling that something sinister is going on and you're not sure what. It's just that once you learn the "what" it isn't as interesting as you'd hope.

This is a PHENOMENAL novel--so cleverly written. It is not fluff. If you are a serious reader who enjoys a novel that is dark, disturbing, and cerebral, this novel is for you. It is truly brilliant. There are scenes and images in this book that will continue to haunt me for years to come. Exceptional.

This book was predictable from the first sentence - well, actually, the title. I understood everything in this book. There is really not much to understand. Every "clue" points to one very obvious thing. There have been dozens of movies made with this exact same plot. A few of the philosophical points brought up in this book could have gone somewhere interesting, but they just fizzled out. No. No. No.

what the heck happened in this book? was it all a delusion? was there a GF? who was the Caller? who was the custodian? who died? who was the girl at the DQ? Is there a plot summary available? help!!!

Since I read a lot, like 250-300 books a year the subtle clues in this story stood out like neon lights and I figured the plot twist out quite quickly. Having said that, I think many folks will be mind-blown. At two hundred and twenty-four pages Reid takes us on an unsettling ride. The book is strange, freaky, boring, riveting, and disturbing. Despite being uncomfortable the reader is drawn in like a gawker viewing a train wreck. They say curiosity killed the cat….

The story begins in the car on a cold crisp day. Jake is driving and our unreliable narrator known only to us as “the girlfriend” is sharing their story as it unfolds. We get a little recap from “the girlfriend,” her feeling, and her relationship with Jake. She has also been receiving strange calls from an unknown man who has her on edge. From the onset we are an uncomfortable passenger.

The two have not been dating long, but he is taking her to visit his family farm. The story is relayed mostly in her head, with brief exchanges between herself and Jake. The girlfriend ponders life, questions the universe, analyzes Jake. She rambles in her mind about everything from love to what is normal and the reader is made privy to this endless dribble. Through her, we begin to feel on edge. Things are not quite right between them. A part of you wants to get out of the car, but in the corner of your eye, you see/sense something that makes you continue reading.

One would think that being inside “the girlfriend’s” head would be boring, but it was so odd that it had me a little off kilter. Reid had me flipping the pages as the continued sense of wrongness escalated. Once we arrive at the farm things picked up quite a bit for me. I loved Reid’s quirky, descriptive writing. He revealed just enough to have me on edge and questioning everything. Copy provided by publisher, full review at caffeinated book reviewer.

I kept putting this book down while I was reading it — not because I was bored, but because I never wanted it to end. I needed to prolong the experience and truly savor every thought-provoking moment of it.

This is a book for anyone who has ever questioned the value of relationships and long-term monogamy. For anyone who has experienced a rush of anxiety at the thought of exchanging their independence and solitude for romantic connection. For anyone who has felt the loneliness and unease that accompany the realization that it’s impossible to ever truly know another human being.

It’s a snowy night and Jake and his girlfriend are on their way to his parents’ rural farmhouse. The girlfriend, who is our narrator, is thinking about ending things with Jake, but she hasn’t told him yet. Her inner monologue is funny, quirky, thoughtful and extremely readable. For the first half or so of the book, we’re given insight into her thought process interspersed with her and Jake’s philosophical road trip conversations. Then, when they arrive at Jake’s parents’ house, things start to get weird. Creepy weird. The kind of insidious existential creepy where the world and the people who inhabit it stop functioning the way you expect them to.

And I’m not going to tell you anything else. Suffice to say, it just keeps getting weirder and creepier, building to a crazy ending that readers will either love or hate. I’m going to be honest with you: It gets pretty nebulous, and I’m still not even sure I fully understand it with just one reading, so if you’re the kind of person who wants everything to come together in a cohesive, sensible way, it will probably infuriate you.

The thing is, with this kind of book, it’s more about the journey than the destination. I might have been frustrated by the ending had I not been so enthralled throughout. But as someone who gravitates toward philosophical horror, I really couldn’t have asked for a more satisfying book. This was Iain Reid’s debut novel, and wow, I can’t wait to see what he does next.

Note: Huge thanks to Simon & Schuster for providing me with an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, I didn't like the author's style of writing or maybe I just couldn't stand the character of Jake. He seemed very pompous and spoke that way. There was suspense but it led nowhere. What a total letdown. I feel bad for the author who is quoted under the title of this book if this is "one of the best debut novels he's ever read." Maybe he should read some more. I've never heard of him so maybe I wouldn't like his books either but this is one I wouldn't recommend to anyone.

Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of I'm Thinking of Ending Things, in exchange for an honest review.

I cannot say, with absolute certainty, that I truly understand I'm Thinking of Ending Things. The ride with Jake and his girlfriend to his parent's house aside, there is a lot of random thoughts and actions in this relatively short book. The Caller, for instance, does not seem to have much of a purpose, as that plot thread seems to just end. I'm Thinking of Ending Things is a bit strange but, if the intention was to confuse the reader, the author did his job. The suspense did build, but I was not really satisfied with the conclusion. This book was a miss for me, but readers who enjoy the bizarre and the strange might like I'm Thinking of Ending Things.

This book is kind of crazy, in a good way. I thought I knew where the story was going, but I was so wrong. Very surprising.with lots of twists. It's a fast read with a very interesting idea. I did not see the end coming although there are clues along the way.

This is a PHENOMENAL novel--so cleverly written. It is not fluff. If you are a serious reader who enjoys a novel that is dark, disturbing, and cerebral, this novel is for you. It is truly brilliant. There are scenes and images in this book that will continue to haunt me for years to come. Exceptional.

This book was predictable from the first sentence - well, actually, the title. I understood everything in this book. There is really not much to understand. Every "clue" points to one very obvious thing. There have been dozens of movies made with this exact same plot. A few of the philosophical points brought up in this book could have gone somewhere interesting, but they just fizzled out. No. No. No.

what the heck happened in this book? was it all a delusion? was there a GF? who was the Caller? who was the custodian? who died? who was the girl at the DQ? Is there a plot summary available? help!!!

Since I read a lot, like 250-300 books a year the subtle clues in this story stood out like neon lights and I figured the plot twist out quite quickly. Having said that, I think many folks will be mind-blown. At two hundred and twenty-four pages Reid takes us on an unsettling ride. The book is strange, freaky, boring, riveting, and disturbing. Despite being uncomfortable the reader is drawn in like a gawker viewing a train wreck. They say curiosity killed the cat….

The story begins in the car on a cold crisp day. Jake is driving and our unreliable narrator known only to us as “the girlfriend” is sharing their story as it unfolds. We get a little recap from “the girlfriend,” her feeling, and her relationship with Jake. She has also been receiving strange calls from an unknown man who has her on edge. From the onset we are an uncomfortable passenger.

The two have not been dating long, but he is taking her to visit his family farm. The story is relayed mostly in her head, with brief exchanges between herself and Jake. The girlfriend ponders life, questions the universe, analyzes Jake. She rambles in her mind about everything from love to what is normal and the reader is made privy to this endless dribble. Through her, we begin to feel on edge. Things are not quite right between them. A part of you wants to get out of the car, but in the corner of your eye, you see/sense something that makes you continue reading.

One would think that being inside “the girlfriend’s” head would be boring, but it was so odd that it had me a little off kilter. Reid had me flipping the pages as the continued sense of wrongness escalated. Once we arrive at the farm things picked up quite a bit for me. I loved Reid’s quirky, descriptive writing. He revealed just enough to have me on edge and questioning everything. Copy provided by publisher, full review at caffeinated book reviewer.

I kept putting this book down while I was reading it — not because I was bored, but because I never wanted it to end. I needed to prolong the experience and truly savor every thought-provoking moment of it.

This is a book for anyone who has ever questioned the value of relationships and long-term monogamy. For anyone who has experienced a rush of anxiety at the thought of exchanging their independence and solitude for romantic connection. For anyone who has felt the loneliness and unease that accompany the realization that it’s impossible to ever truly know another human being.

It’s a snowy night and Jake and his girlfriend are on their way to his parents’ rural farmhouse. The girlfriend, who is our narrator, is thinking about ending things with Jake, but she hasn’t told him yet. Her inner monologue is funny, quirky, thoughtful and extremely readable. For the first half or so of the book, we’re given insight into her thought process interspersed with her and Jake’s philosophical road trip conversations. Then, when they arrive at Jake’s parents’ house, things start to get weird. Creepy weird. The kind of insidious existential creepy where the world and the people who inhabit it stop functioning the way you expect them to.

And I’m not going to tell you anything else. Suffice to say, it just keeps getting weirder and creepier, building to a crazy ending that readers will either love or hate. I’m going to be honest with you: It gets pretty nebulous, and I’m still not even sure I fully understand it with just one reading, so if you’re the kind of person who wants everything to come together in a cohesive, sensible way, it will probably infuriate you.

The thing is, with this kind of book, it’s more about the journey than the destination. I might have been frustrated by the ending had I not been so enthralled throughout. But as someone who gravitates toward philosophical horror, I really couldn’t have asked for a more satisfying book. This was Iain Reid’s debut novel, and wow, I can’t wait to see what he does next.

Note: Huge thanks to Simon & Schuster for providing me with an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, I didn't like the author's style of writing or maybe I just couldn't stand the character of Jake. He seemed very pompous and spoke that way. There was suspense but it led nowhere. What a total letdown. I feel bad for the author who is quoted under the title of this book if this is "one of the best debut novels he's ever read." Maybe he should read some more. I've never heard of him so maybe I wouldn't like his books either but this is one I wouldn't recommend to anyone.

Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of I'm Thinking of Ending Things, in exchange for an honest review.

I cannot say, with absolute certainty, that I truly understand I'm Thinking of Ending Things. The ride with Jake and his girlfriend to his parent's house aside, there is a lot of random thoughts and actions in this relatively short book. The Caller, for instance, does not seem to have much of a purpose, as that plot thread seems to just end. I'm Thinking of Ending Things is a bit strange but, if the intention was to confuse the reader, the author did his job. The suspense did build, but I was not really satisfied with the conclusion. This book was a miss for me, but readers who enjoy the bizarre and the strange might like I'm Thinking of Ending Things.

This book is kind of crazy, in a good way. I thought I knew where the story was going, but I was so wrong. Very surprising.with lots of twists. It's a fast read with a very interesting idea. I did not see the end coming although there are clues along the way.

While there is a bit of an unexpected twist, the twist made the book pointless in my eyes. The ended had me thinking, well that was a waste of time. I did not really enjoy this book as it was a quite slow beginning and felt I had wasted my time by the end.

This entire book was a huge disappointment. Each chapter left me waiting for answers, for some sort of big reveal. The eventual reveal was not only unsatisfying, but also made the entire story line and all of the characters seem like a waste of time.

I saw this described as a "literary thriller" and, as a fan of smarter crime fiction, was intrigued. The prose -- mostly short, staccato sentences and fragments -- is clunky in parts, but the real turn-off is the phony, psuedo-psychological twists. The pages turned quickly but in the end I felt suckered. At least it was short!

This book was fucking creepy. I love thrillers, and this was the scariest thing I've read in a long time (and I've been reading a lot of Stephen King lately). The tension and discomfort is unnearable--I just read it all in one sitting and I'm not excited about the prospect of going to sleep.

The pacing almost steals the show from the plot itself. In this book the genre itself reveals itself slowly. There are moments in fact where you're sure about what you're reading only to have those conclusions subverted. The subversions can be quite clever as well: at one point, a worry is mitigated in such a way that something much further back in the book is contradicted, unconsciously altering your perception of the book's universe and threading doubts into your trust of certain characters.

Great writer. Very good book. I look forward to more from this author.

I'm surprised by all the reviewers who found this book ambiguous. I thought everything was spelled out way too much, to the point where I wondered if a focus group had complained that they were confused by an earlier draft. To me, the novel was basically one long gimmick, peppered with mostly boring dialog about the meaning of life. I also thought much of the prose was clumsy. On the upside, I did think there were a few creepy scenes, including the one where the boyfriend's parents asked Jake and the narrator to imitate each other.

I don't actually know how to feel about this book other than the feeling of confusion.

I went through other reviews to read others' thoughts on the novel and only one review (which the person seemed to delve deep into metaphorical thought that I would never have reached on my own) seemed to make a bit of sense.

However, I feel like this could have been better developed. I really don't understand Ms. Veal's character, nor what role the Dairy Queen girls took. The "caller" aspect seemed creepy enough but didn't seem to tie in to the earlier story about the man who was watching the girlfriend. I guess it just leaves you wondering how many characters in this story were actually real...

I honestly wouldn't recommend this to anyone.

It was a fantastic read. sometimes it was a bit hard to follow, but I feel like that added to the mystery of the novel. I couldn't put it down. It was so brilliant and suspenseful that I didn't want it to end and I finished it pretty quickly because of that.

3.5 stars. Definitely creepy. The characters are clearly off from the get go. The twist at the end, when it all comes together, left me with more questions than answers. I enjoy books with an unreliable narrator, but I didn't get that 'no way' moment with the big reveal. I was left feeling more confused than satisfied.

Creepy and tense but I didn't know why. I didn't know where this was going much of the time and I wasn't even sure I liked it while I was reading it but it is so short and kept my interest enough to keep on. I'm glad I did because, in the end, it all comes together and WOW.
Reminds me of We Were Liars by E. Lockhart in this way.

OHMYGOD. Easily the worst book I've read in years. Told in staccato, monotonous short sentences. The ending in no way redeems the senseless prose you have to slog through. At one point, the narrator says: "Nothing makes sense. I want this to end." My sentiments exactly! Like how many times do we have to be told a character is "afraid" and "alone" and "cold" and wants to get out? Half this book is just repetitive filler. Four pages, in fact, just repeat the same phrase! And do you really want to endure this kind of claptrap for 200 pages, i.e, "If I can hear it, he can hear it. If I can, he can. If I, then he. If. Then. I. He."

This is basically a 5-page short story stretched out to an unendurable length. The reviews for this book were clearly paid for or a favor given in exchange for something else. Ah, the politics of the lit world. What an embarrassment! I want my hours back spent on this awful creation. Compared to this guy, James Patterson is the equivalent of James Joyce!

What the heck did I just read? Seriously! What was that?!

Jake and a woman known only as “The Girlfriend” are taking a long drive to meet his parents at their secluded farm. On the trip back home Jake takes a sudden detour leaving “The Girlfriend” stranded at a deserted high school. In my opinion that description is misleading. It took more than three quarters of the book to get to this point while I believed based on this description that the desertion would happen early on and would be the main plot of the story. I incorrectly assumed that the story was heading for a murder mystery. That’s why I wanted to read this book but it’s not the story I got.

You will be scared. But you won’t know why. A great tag line, right? There is some truth to it but the fear never really grabbed me. There appeared to be two stories happening at once. 1 – Strange phone calls to “The Girlfriend” and 2 – The road trip to see Jake’s parents. The first 80% of the book seemed to focus on #1 while the remaining 20% focused on #2. The two elements of the story were a bit frightening and filled with tension but I didn’t see a connection between the them. Nor do I feel that the events happening in the beginning were explained. I can’t stop shaking my head. Hoping I’ll shake lose some explanation. The ending! I feel like I missed a big portion of the book. I have no idea what happened. NONE! I feel stupid because I didn’t understand the ending. AT. ALL.

This book wasn’t for me but it might be for you. If you like psychological, brain teasers this is the book for you. And if you can explain the ending to me, I’d love to hear it.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Bizarre and weird. Definitely a change of pace. Don't be too intrigued by the promise of a surprise/twist of an ending, I pretty much knew where the story was going. There is a LOT of philosophizing in this short book, it's mostly a stream-of-consciousness narrative with short interludes that hint at things to come. If all that sounds intriguing, then give it a try. Otherwise, pass.

I really enjoyed this book. It made me very uncomfortable, a feeling of distrust. I enjoyed it. It's a wild ride. It's an inside look. An understanding that I think most people most individuals have a hard time viewing. An idea that is now just being explored in pop culture.

What in the world did I just read? I didn't get the ending at all. This was just stupid. Entertainment Weekly listed this as one of their Scariest Summer Reads. It's not at all scary. It was a pointless read. So disappointing.

Okay, I don't know how to form proper sentences after reading what I just read. I'm just staring at my kindle. Did what I think happen, just happen? Yes, yes it did.

I want more details. The tall man in the beginning, the basement, the Dairy Queen girl. What? All the build up and paranoia to just end like that......

I'll admit I was extremely bored till at least 100 pages and then things just got weird and creepy.

I didn't figured it out till the end, but looking back on it now I see all the clues and hints.

Overall I don't know how I feel about it. There was just too much of nothing for half of the book.. total letdown. If only the first half was as good as the rest.

2 stars

Wow, this was a strange one. Very strange. While the blurb said "you'll be scared, you won't know why", I kept reading this book thinking okay. When am I going to be scared? Mostly what I remember thinking is "am I at the end yet?".

But yet, I kept reading, thinking, "there has to be something coming, look at the blurb". Which is one reason for the extra star. Hooked me in and I went. I still have absolutely no idea what exactly happened. It was like three Twilight Zones episodes brought together in a blender. I don't know how, but it kept me entertained.

Thanks Gallery Books and Net Galley for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this advanced edition in exchange for an honest review.

Couldn't put this book down till I finish it. It was very irritating though that many of the situations that took place seemed completely ridiculous...an open DQ during a snowstorm serving lemonade?? It could have been a bit more realistic & still maintained the core thread. It kept reminding me of "The Shining" while in the school. I did appreciate the twist in the plot and how it was framed. Just glad it was short as the internal babbling and unconvincing settings almost shut it down for me.

I loves the idea of this book, but without giving anything away, I just don't understand the ending. I wish someone would explain it. If the ending had more time devoted to it to make it a slight bit clearer would have given it more stars.

If getting creeped out was what the author was going for, I feel like he succeeded. This had a plot twist that I didn't expect. I was reading the last section of the book like a wild woman lol. I do feel like this book would have an even greater impact from a 2nd reading.

I've been searching for a creepy, goose bumps-inducing book to read as of late. I don't know why, maybe because it's fun to feel creeped out. Maybe it's Halloween in the air. Not the kind of a story that is filled with gore and violence. The kind where as you read it alone at night on your couch your senses heighten--you become paranoid, and tune in to every noise coming from unseen parts of your house -- every creak, every odd noise you cannot identify.

Then I read about this book on some blog: on a list of books worth reading so far this year. Based on the reviews online it looked like it fit the bill. It has the perfect title, one that begs you to crack it open and dive in. This is a fast read, with a little over 200 pages, and just a few pages in you realize something is at play that is not as it appears.

The premise is simple: a man and a woman (the narrator) are driving to a remote farmhouse to meet the man's parents for dinner in the dead of winter. The story is interrupted by short interstices of italicized dialogue between two unidentified people--the topic of whose conversation is an unknown third party. And something bad had happened at some timeline outside of the main story.

Throughout the course of the story, strange, surreal things are noted. For instance, the narrator points out a brand new swing set in the front lawn of a burned out house during their drive. As a child the narrator witnessed a tall man staring at her through her bedroom window. He waved at her. There's also a series of calls from a strange man (the same man who was at the window?), always with the same message she cannot unravel. The calls always come from her own number.

More strange and unsettling things are observed once they get to the farmhouse. There's a story involving pigs they once had on the farm, which they no longer have. It's too good and creepy to ruin. An overheard conversation between the parents talking about their son, which doesn't add up. The parents' strange appearances. Their basement. This basement. It's painted vividly you can feel its humidity, the dankness, the musky odor. I practically heard my heart thumping in my chest in this section. There are more, but I'm leaving them out in this review, because it's worth reading for yourself.

If you perused the reviews here you have noticed how polarizing they are. Some loved it, some disappointed and let down. The 3/5 stars average review score is telling. This is not a bad thing. This means the author knows his audience (or is staying true himself). You can love it or you can hate, but you cannot say it is pandering. The open-ended ending may not be satisfying to everyone. Some may say it's a cop-out, a bait-and-switch, or just lazy storytelling. You may be right. The great thing about it is it's up to you to make of it what you will based on your gut.

I had a similar reaction to a movie from a long time ago -- David Lynch's Mulholland Dr. I felt so betrayed by that movie. Looking back I felt that way because the film didn't fit into my pre-conceived ideas of what it was going to be. I thought I was walking in to see a Lynch's strange but more or less conventional noir film (false expectations from a Lynch movie, perhaps). I have watched this movie many times over to date since that squirmy initial movie theater experience. I went back to it because of the undeniable emotional hooks it had gotten in me. Elements of the movie were stuck in my head many months later. It has become one of my all-time favorite movies.

I'm not saying the book is on par with the Lynch's classic, but I see parallels, a kinship between the two works. I was looking for a book to shake me out of my normal humdrum life just when this book found me. It was a thrill to read.