The Ends of Things DEALS
Have you ever taken a spontaneous vacation? Did you make a last-minute decision to book a road trip or buy a reduced-fare plane ticket to a new destination? Maybe you discovered a new favourite place, enjoyed a relaxing getaway, or became closer to your travel partner. I’ll bet the last thing you’d expect is to find yourself trying to track down a virtual stranger on an exotic resort, questioning every decision that you’ve made to reach this point of your existence.
It’s the decisions that we make and the people we let affect us that drive the plot of Sandra Chwialkowska’s novel The Ends of Things. Questions of identity, issues of trust and the lengths that we’ll go to in order to please others are at the heart of this debut mystery thriller that will have you questioning how far you’d be willing to pull back the curtain on your own life.
Thank you to Blackstone Publishing for a copy of The Ends of Things. Minor spoilers ahead!
The Ends of Things: An Unsettling Tropical Backdrop
Thirtysomething attorney Laura Phillips has finally been given the opportunity to live her travel dreams. Previously, she’d been too nervous to travel on her own. However, when her boyfriend of six weeks, Dave, suggests that they take a last-minute trip to the tropics, Laura feels that her time to enjoy life has finally come.
Dave whisks them away to the isolated island of Eleuthera, a stunning portion of the Bahamas that’s home to the pristine Pink Sands resort. The weather is perfect, the beach gorgeous, and the entire resort feels designed for a romantic holiday for two. So it surprises Laura to see a lone woman sitting on the beach, wandering the resort seemingly alone. She finds the woman curious but also intriguing, an outlier amongst all of the sun soaked lovers lazing in the sand.
The women befriend each other unexpectedly, and Laura finds herself increasingly drawn to Diana, a woman who appears not to suffer from any of the self-consciousness or feelings of inadequacy that Laura experiences regularly. She’s an enigma, and Laura becomes determined to spend time with this seemingly carefree stranger.
When Diana seems to disappear from the resort, Laura is determined to find her. Throughout her search she’ll be forced to confront her true feelings about her job, her shiny new relationship, and herself, and will begin to question her circumstances and all decisions that have led her to this moment.
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Psychological Drama With a Beachy Twist
Thrillers and mysteries can often feel a little cookie-cutter. A protagonist is privy to or stumbles across a mystery that must be uncovered, and often goes against the advice of law enforcement in order to get to the heart of the crime themselves with potentially disastrous consequences. These stories can become repetitive, and frequently feature unlikeable characters.
What sets The Ends of Things apart is its use of not only the setting, but of the inner monologue of the protagonist themselves. Laura’s insecurities may appear overblown at times, but they reflect true thoughts that many of us face on a recurring basis. Insecurity around work, relationships, and our own self-worth are common, and having a character vocalize them on the page creates a sense of relatability that’s greatly appreciated.
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Subscribe to our weekly newsletterThe Setting
The isolated backdrop of Eleuthera adds an additional layer of tension to The Ends of Things that keeps the reader intrigued. It may not have the small setting of a traditional locked room mystery, but an unfamiliar island can instill the same sense of dread on the page.
For a character like Laura, who is less than adventurous and uncomfortable with new surroundings, the setting presents a particularly challenging circumstance. This element of the story forces her to grapple with her own priorities and sense of self-preservation.
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The Characters
The dynamic throughout the novel of doing what’s expected versus what you truly want personifies itself in the form of two characters: Laura’s boyfriend Dave, and her newfound acquaintance Diana. Dave is polished and rule following, unconcerned and slightly callous regarding others’ distress. He expects Laura to conform to an unspoken societal norm, one which dictates that people always listen to the higher ups, no matter what the consequences.
Dave represents an easy path for Laura to follow. Contrary to this, her conversations with Diana about her past and expectations require her to confront feelings about previous relationships and their outcomes, as well as a challenge to make a different choice. Diana is independent and is not reliant on others, forging her own path.
The moments and conversations between these characters are often fascinating, tense, and unsettling, if a little rushed. The Ends of Things is a relatively quick read, however, I did find that a little past the halfway mark, the pacing seemed to stutter a bit. Without giving too much away, I’ll say that the resolution was a bit of a surprise, but not an unwelcome one. If anything, this is a story in which I wouldn’t have minded a bit of a longer third act.
Final Thoughts
When searching for a beach read at this chillier time of the year, The Ends of Things makes for a great companion to tote around with you. It’s a fast read with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing until the final reveal.
If you’re in the mood for a tense psychological drama in the way of White Lotus, this is the right choice to add to your reading list. Enjoy!
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The Review
The Ends of Things
It’s a fast read with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing until the final reveal.
PROS
- Characters
- Storyline
- Intrigue
CONS
- Pacing
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