LoveReading Says
A Maxim Jakubowski selected title.
A striking, unnerving debut literary thriller from Canada. A man and his girlfriend are on a road trip, on their way to a secluded farm owned by her parents, where she hopes to clarify the nature of Jake's commitment, which she has begun to doubt. Stranded by an unexpected snowstorm, she finds herself in a deserted high school in the middle of nowhere with no apparent ways of escape. Edgy, atmospheric, tinged with mystery, at times reminiscent of Michel Faber's haunting Under the Skin, this is both a suspenseful puzzle and a claustrophobic examination of the nature of free will and relationships, at times a philosophical tale and at others a cloudy mystery shrouded by the uncertainties of emotions. Fascinating and quite unlike anything else around. Give it a go.
Maxim Jakubowski
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Iain Reid Press Reviews
‘I’m Thinking of Ending Things is one of the best debut novels I’ve ever read. Iain Reid has crafted a tight, ferocious little book, with a persistent tenor of suspense that tightens and mounts toward its visionary, harrowing final pages.’ Scott Heim, author of Mysterious Skin and We Disappear
‘Iain Reid’s I’m Thinking of Ending Things is an engaging and bizarre dialogue between normality and weirdness…in a novel this twisted it shouldn’t come as a surprise that its ending is even stranger than the narrative route that takes us there—but it does. Reid’s novel is a road trip to the heart of creepiness.’ Sjón, author of The Blue Fox
‘Here are some near-certainties about I’m Thinking of Ending Things. Number one: you’re going to read it fast. Over the course of an afternoon or an evening. The momentum is unstoppable—once you start, you won’t be able to stop. And two: once you race to the end and understand the significance of those final pages, you won’t be able to stop thinking about it. This novel will find a spot in your heart and head, and it will live there—for days, weeks, months, or (in my case) the rest of your life. Yes. It really is that good.’ Craig Davidson (AKA Nick Cutter), author of Cataract City and The Deep
‘An unsettling psychological horror novel…I’m Thinking of Ending Things begins with the unnamed narrator setting off with her boyfriend to visit his parents at their remote farm, and soon devolves into an unnerving exploration of identity, regret and longing. Delightfully frightening.’ Mark Medley, Globe and Mail
‘I’m Thinking of Ending Things is an utterly compelling modern Gothic that stakes its claim in the inner precincts of horror. Reid builds tension the way Edgar Allen Poe builds brick walls in his basement.’ Wayne Grady, author of Emancipation Day
‘An addictive metaphysical investigation into the nature of identity, one which seduces and horrifies in equal measure. Reid masterfully explores the perversity of loneliness and somehow also creates a very entertaining thriller. I found myself yelling at the characters to put their feet on the pedal and drive.’ Heather O’Neill, author of Lullabies for Little Criminals and Daydreams of Angels
About Iain Reid
Iain Reid is the author of two critically acclaimed comic memoirs, One Bird’s Choice (winner of the CBC Bookie Award for Best Nonfiction Book of the Year) and The Truth About Luck (named by Canada’s Globe and Mail as one of the best books of 2013). Reid recently received the 2015 RBC Taylor Emerging Author award. He lives in Kingston, Otario.
Author photo © Lucas Tingle
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