I'M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS by Iain Reid

My Quip: Final Girls, Get F*cked.

Today’s Topic: I'm Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid

From the Top: Just over 53,000 words, and this book isn’t conventionally scary but profoundly unsettling. The kind of horror that lingers quietly, leaving a persistent sense of unease long after it is put down. Like staring into a broken mirror, readers won’t be able to look away. I'm Thinking of Ending Things reveals its horror in subtle, creeping layers. Reid explores the aging process—the slow, uncomfortable realities of growing old—and turns it into something both fascinating and disturbing. The distortion of reality? Masterfully done. The same slow-burn dread readers find in Sundial by Catriona Ward, but even more personal and claustrophobic.

Sidenote: The title? Deceptive in the best way. Despite its (potentially) off-putting phrasing, hesitant readers can rest easy: this book isn’t really about s*icide, but rather identity and perception. It disturbs with existential tension rather than shock-value.

My Quip: Reid’s deconstruction of the Final Girl trope. The last woman standing, bloodied but triumphant, surviving through her “virtue” and willpower? Reid picks that trope apart with precision, unraveling it bit by bit until the truth emerges—not explosively but with a slow, chilling realization. It’s sharp, disorienting, and a genuine shift from the usual psychological thriller formula.

Tie it Off: This one is for fans of quiet, mind-bending horror, dread without gore, and psychological tension that calls everything into question.

Flavor profile: Trippy, subtle, smoky.