Thank you, NetGalley and Saint Martin’s press/Minotaur Books for this ARC. Let me start off by saying this book was a great example of a who done it novel. It starts out slow, but gains momentum throughout the book. It’s based on the premise of what happens to Kate’s sister Phoebe as she traveled alone on a road trip through the Australian Outback. Katie begins a quest to find out what happened to her sister. I love the use of “social media” and the eerie atmospheric setting. The story had multiple POV’s, which blended nicely throughout the book. There was some nice twists and turns , and I was entertained throughout the entire book! I will definitely be reading more from this author, and I highly recommend this book to all ! Thank you!

Laura goes with her boyfriend to the Pink Sands resorts on vacation and while she’s there she meets a weird woman named Diana who asks her weird questions. And she tells her her deepest secrets and then eventually when they’re both together hanging out and walking on the cliff she disappears and Laura has to report to the police that her friend is missing.

This book was short but a page turner and you don’t find out till the end what happened to the woman. I also feel like the ending story between her and Chloe was random and made it seem like there was going to be another sequel.

A fast paced, page turner - but ultimately disappointing.

As we’re promised a thriller in the ilk of White Lotus, I was drawn in and to be honest it does feel very much like a made for screen story.

I devoured this book up until the midpoint. I loved the relationship being tested between Laura and Dave, Laura’s obsession with Diana the stranger, the potential of dastardliness of the resort's owner. It was set up for so much. But the ending, disappointing, lacklustre, and flat.

Rated 3 stars, because it was an enjoyable read. With a deeper substantive plot it could have been brilliant.

Thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing or an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

This book was unexpected. Based on the description, I assumed I was reading a mystery/thriller…and it had those elements but the story was much bigger than that.

Well written, but with just barely enough detail, emotion and intrigue. Some parts felt a little flat, particularly the dialogue, but the main character’s inner thoughts and experienced carried the story.

📚 Book Review 📚

Title: The Ends of Things
Author: Sandra Chwialkowska
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’m not even sure how I’m supposed to review this book…🤔

To start, this was a major page-turner for me and I needed to know how it would all pan out. But now that I’ve finished…..huh?! That’s how it ends?! I’m dumbfounded and definitely scratching my head with this one.

This story follows newly dating couple Laura and Dave, who take a brief trip to an all-inclusive resort in the Bahamas. They are both lawyers working for the same firm and need a few days of rest and relaxation. Except…that’s the last thing they end up finding when Laura becomes a little too focused on a fellow female resort guest who’s vacationing alone.

On a positive note, this was really suspenseful and I had a hard time putting it down. Had I had the opportunity, I most likely would have read it in one sitting. I had no idea where it was headed or who could be trusted- the exact recipe for my perfect book.

On the other hand…WTF? That’s the ending? And that’s what was going on the whole time, and why? I rated this book 4/5 stars simply based on me truly enjoying it and it being such a gripping story. But how it all came together was a big disappointment for me. Not at all what I had expected- keeping it from being a 5-star rating.

My only other true “complaint” is that this is one of those books with a booksmart successful career women who is a total dolt in regular life. A woman with zero common sense who can’t make a good rational decision if her life depended on it. These types of female main characters make my eyes roll right out of my head.

If you pick this one up, keep in mind it will be going in a very odd direction that you don’t see coming - at all!

*Thank you @netgalley and @blackstonepublishing for this advanced copy. This novel doesn’t hit bookstores until 1/14/25!

#read #reader #reading #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookreview #bookcommunity #readersofinstagram #goodreads #bookrecommendations #netgalley #arc #theendsofthings #debutnovel

"The Ends of Things" is a gripping and thought-provoking exploration of love, loss, and the fragile nature of human connections. Chwialkowska's masterful storytelling and richly drawn characters make this novel a must-read for anyone looking for a deeply immersive reading experience.
Thank you for the Arc!

I really wanted to like this book. Upon receiving a gifted copy from Net Galley, I dove right in. I was really excited and the book started out strong, however I found myself wishing I could race to the end by the mid-way point. I found the MC, Laura to be completely obsessive over Diana. I felt as if the entire book was Laura questioning if Diana was dead or alive. I also found the whole friendship between Laura and Chloe to be so random in the plot line of the book. Idk, it all just felt random and the plot line had nothing to it other than the woman who had gone missing simply just left. I was hoping this one would've been better! :(

This book is good, if you want to read about a young, successful woman who is fixated on something that happened between her and her best friend in their teens. It's good if you want to read about someone growing personally and getting some kind of closure.

I wouldn't have picked that book up - it's not my preference at all.

I thought I picked up a 'thrilling suspense perfect for fans of The White Lotus' where ... 'Laura races to find out what happened'. I love thrilling suspense stories where the main character has to do the investigating; and I loved The White Lotus. This book is no thrilling suspense - yes, a woman is missing and our main character is worried about her and asks around a bit, but there's never any actual clues or danger. The White Lotus connection is that it happens at a fancy resort, where there is a guest who is solo.

The book is fine. I read it to the end and thought it ended well. It's just not at all a suspenseful thriller.

(I can't review this on goodreads as the book is not yet listed)

The End of Things is an interesting, fast read. Laura, the protagonist, is forced into some deep introspection as a result of incidents that happen while on vacation. She is a disturbed character with some deep emotional issues that have affected her life. Through flashbacks, she reviews the mistakes she has made, the miscommunication and misperceptions she has done and other “misses” in her life. Through disturbing events and conversations, she analyses how these earlier issues have been the driving forces that have made her who she is. And she doesn’t like what she sees in herself. The ending is quite satisfactory as it concludes with Laura becoming more comfortable in her own skin, or so the reader is led to believe. As the title suggests, she is ending the unsatisfactory things and moving on to more positive qualities and self talk. Thematic issues are: fragility of life and friendship, obsession, forgiveness, self reflection, honesty and vulnerability.

This is not a thriller which I was expecting. There is a mysterious occurrence which catapults the storyline to some tension. However, interpersonal relationships, knowing and accepting oneself are the true thematic issues explored. While I wasn’t expecting a story about the nature of human behavior and relationships, I liked how the story is developed. The denouement is a bit rushed and I would have liked a more thorough conclusion.

Fast and easy reading. The author has penned a thoughtful and thought provoking first novel with great style. I look forward to subsequent novels. It would be interesting for her to continue the saga and self actualization of Laura!

This was a good book. I finished it pretty quickly and it kept me engaged until the last page. It was worth the read.

"The Ends of Things" is the ultimate summer vacation read! Set against the backdrop of an exotic location and filled with gripping twists, this book kept me on the edge of my beach chair from start to finish. The author's vivid descriptions transported me to far-off places, making it the perfect escape. With its blend of suspense and adventure, "The Ends of Things" is a must-pack for anyone looking to escape into a thrilling summer getaway. Highly recommended!

I enjoyed this debut novel. It had a bit of a slow start and felt reminiscent of other books I've read, however, as it continued, I was surprised by the directions the author took, and really enjoyed the ride. It's a great story about friendship, obsession, and making amends, with unlikely events and an unpredictable ending. I look forward to reading more from Sandra Chwialkowska. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
#TheEndOfThings
#NetGalley

I'm always excited when I find a book that steps outside the box and this is exactly what I experienced here. There was nothing familiar about the plot and I certainly couldn't pigeonhole the genre. I enjoyed the setting of the story in an exotic location I knew nothing about. And I enjoyed the way the author detailed human behaviour and reactions to events around them. I'm fascinated when regular characters are thrown into situations out of the ordinary. I like that the story wasn't predictable but I would have liked something more clever or twisty at the end.

I received this arc from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I had no trouble picturing this story as it unfolded. The author does a good job of describing setting while crafting compelling rising action. Unfortunately, I found the pay-off lacking. 3 Stars.

Small things drive me nuts. Through the whole book, the Bahamas are referred to as part of the Caribbean. No. The Bahamas are soundly located in the Atlantic, not a Caribbean island. Second, a law firm would never fire someone as the main character was fired in this story. Very unlikely and silly. The book dragged a bit and wasn't holding my attention. Was a DNF for me.

I loved this book! The author’s rich descriptions using intriguing words (like performative and quotidian), along with the exploration of relationships, both past and present, made for a delicious book! It is right up there with the best I’ve read! I enjoyed the glimpses into Laura, Chloe, Dave, and Diana’s lives. Outstanding read!