I’m Thinking of Ending Things – Iain Reid

The narrator and her boyfriend Jake are embarking on a trip to Jake’s parents’ farmhouse during a snowstorm.  Along the way, the narrator tells the story of her relationship with Jake, how they met and their time together up to this point – a point where she’s thinking of ending things between them.

I’m Thinking of Ending Things is the definition of a “page-turner”.  I blew through this in two days and to be honest, it would have been a lot quicker had I not had to do things like work or sleep.  As I was reading this story, I knew there was going to be a shocking turn of events at some point, but I didn’t know what it would be.  Scenarios raced through my mind as I tried to predict the novel’s big twist.  I probably had half a dozen ways the story would go before the big reveal and even then, it wasn’t one I predicted.

There is a consistent feeling of uneasiness and dread permeating the entire novel that for the most part, kept the paperback glued to my hands.  There is one section in particular that for me, is deeply unsettling and straight up terrifying.  If you’re a fan of his new novel Foe, you’ll probably enjoy this (and vice-versa) as they have a similar tone and style.

This isn’t going to be for everyone.  Honestly, when the novel finished, I was utterly confused and had no idea what I had just read.  Sometimes, that can be a hindrance.  In this case, I welcomed it.  I immediately went online to see what other people thought of it – what their theories were about the final twenty pages or so.  I can’t imagine what I would have done if I didn’t have the internet as a resource.  Is that the sign of a good book?  If you can’t figure it out on your own, is it poorly written?  I guess that is up to the reader to decide.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go convince everyone I know to read this so I can talk to them about it.