Thank you to Gallery Books for providing me with an advanced copy of Iain Reid's novel, I'm Thinking of Ending Things, in exchange for an honest review.

PLOT-  Our narrator is an unnamed woman, who is on a road trip with her boyfriend, Jake, to meet his parents who live in a rural community. Something is unsettling about the scenario, but it's hard to determine who might be in danger. Could it be our narrator, who is given a ominous warning by Jake's parents and see creepy things, like a portrait that seems to be her, in their house. Or could it be Jake, with the narrator's inner thoughts that she's "Thinking of ending things"?

LIKE- I'm Thinking of Ending Things has tons of atmosphere. It's unnerving and creepy. I couldn't quite tell where it was heading, but Reid masterfully dropped just enough hints to string me along and keep me turning the page.  I read the book in a single afternoon.  

Right out of the gate, I was engaged in the story, although admittedly my interest waned in the last third of the book (the scenes in the school), however, it was quirky enough to keep me reading to the end. It reminded me of an episode of the show, Lost, with regard to lots of unexplained, odd things happening and I needed to know how the puzzle was going to come together.

DISLIKE- The ending. It was okay, but it didn't meet my initial expectations for the story. I guess I anticipated the ending and was hoping that it wouldn't turn out to be what I had anticipated. I was waiting for a twist that never quite panned out. This isn't to say that the story doesn't have a surprise ending and I suspect that some readers will not anticipate it, thus getting a much greater surprise, enjoyment out of the story. I'm not sure that I can think of a more logical resolution either, but I had hoped for something different.

RECOMMEND- Yes, primarily for Reid's strong narrative and keen ability to write suspense. He's a talented writer and I look forward to his future works.