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iliveinletters's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
dani_thebookdragon's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
dodosbookcorner's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
leah_grace07's review against another edition
3.0
3.25 just really unsettling but well written and fast paced
mathman329's review against another edition
4.0
2023 Book Review - Book No. 13: “I’m Thinking of Ending Things”, written by Iain Reid
Date started: 4/7/23
Date finished: 4/13/23
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (would recommend reading if you like A24 horror films, constant unease, and darkness)
Spoiler free review: My first exposure to the work of Iain Reid came back in 2019 when I read another of his works, the sci-fi novella “Foe”. Thanks to some birthday gift cards, I picked this book up with the assumption that, though short, this book would pack a pretty hefty punch. I was not disappointed in the least.
I typically don’t give a lot of credence to the quips found on book covers from other publications, but one that held true in this instance was “You’ll be scared, but you won’t know why.” I wouldn’t say I was exactly scared, but perhaps uncomfortable or uneasy would be a better way to put it. To really delve into the tension might be giving too much away, and I think this novel is much better off being experienced without any sort of spoiler. For the basics, though, the main premise is the narrator (a young woman) is going along to visit her boyfriend’s parents, and from the outset we’re informed she’s thinking of ending things. Hence, the title. Beyond this, any other details are better left read and discovered than presented by me.
Much like “Foe”, Reid manages to create a novel that is at once simplistic yet also nuanced. The unsettling nature of the scenes and situations, for example, starts ambiguous and progressively becomes more pronounced, though still not explicit until the final pages of the book. As far as horror novels goes, this one reads much like a movie would play out and leaves you with plenty of thoughts once it ends. I’m not sure whether I enjoyed “Foe” more than this one, but both novels make an excellent addition to a horror/sci-fi reader’s library, and I highly recommend them.
Date started: 4/7/23
Date finished: 4/13/23
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (would recommend reading if you like A24 horror films, constant unease, and darkness)
Spoiler free review: My first exposure to the work of Iain Reid came back in 2019 when I read another of his works, the sci-fi novella “Foe”. Thanks to some birthday gift cards, I picked this book up with the assumption that, though short, this book would pack a pretty hefty punch. I was not disappointed in the least.
I typically don’t give a lot of credence to the quips found on book covers from other publications, but one that held true in this instance was “You’ll be scared, but you won’t know why.” I wouldn’t say I was exactly scared, but perhaps uncomfortable or uneasy would be a better way to put it. To really delve into the tension might be giving too much away, and I think this novel is much better off being experienced without any sort of spoiler. For the basics, though, the main premise is the narrator (a young woman) is going along to visit her boyfriend’s parents, and from the outset we’re informed she’s thinking of ending things. Hence, the title. Beyond this, any other details are better left read and discovered than presented by me.
Much like “Foe”, Reid manages to create a novel that is at once simplistic yet also nuanced. The unsettling nature of the scenes and situations, for example, starts ambiguous and progressively becomes more pronounced, though still not explicit until the final pages of the book. As far as horror novels goes, this one reads much like a movie would play out and leaves you with plenty of thoughts once it ends. I’m not sure whether I enjoyed “Foe” more than this one, but both novels make an excellent addition to a horror/sci-fi reader’s library, and I highly recommend them.
c_marie_writes's review against another edition
4.0
This is one of those books I honestly have no idea how to review or rate...
(I rounded up from 3.5)
I hadn't read anything about it, and saw it in the Book of Horror FB group a few times, so I figured I'd check it out.
Is it a creepy read? Is it a horror? (Hmmm horror-ish at best.) Twisted emotionally? Sure, I'd give it all of those.
The ending is definitely a WTF moment, one that made me scratch my head and get that "huh" look most definitely. I'm sure I'm going to give it a re-read or re-listen because...
(I rounded up from 3.5)
I hadn't read anything about it, and saw it in the Book of Horror FB group a few times, so I figured I'd check it out.
Is it a creepy read? Is it a horror? (Hmmm horror-ish at best.) Twisted emotionally? Sure, I'd give it all of those.
The ending is definitely a WTF moment, one that made me scratch my head and get that "huh" look most definitely. I'm sure I'm going to give it a re-read or re-listen because...
kasvi_mavani's review against another edition
4.0
I have no idea what happened but whatever happened was great and I need time to recover.