Every bookish blog I visit has their own form of discussion feature while I’m sitting here alone, thinking, hmm, what can I do to make my blog more exciting and unique? So I decided, why not start my own feature where I can talk about random bookish topics? And so, Let’s Speculate was created.
The topic I chose for this week is What Do You Want To See In A Book Ending? There, of course, should be two sections for this: books in a series and books that are a standalone.
1. A sort-of happily ever after with a few strings left unresolved.
By “a few strings left unresolved,” I don’t mean plot holes, I mean like a sort-of mini-cliffhanger that wouldn’t kill us readers.
2. There are no plot holes left in the book.
I just finished reading a book today and boy, did it leave a major plot hole left unresolved. It’s also a standalone book, which leaves me thinking uhh, is this a mistake?
3. The ending shocks you to the core.
I’ve read so many standalone books, but none of them really shocks me to the core. I want to gasp, panic, and mentally smack the author for doing whatever she/he did to the book to shock me.
1. Not a cliffhanger.
I dislike cliffhangers. However, if the author writes a “sort-of” cliffhanger (an ending that makes you beg for more without using cliffhangers like Altered by Jennifer Rush) that’s fine.
2. The ending leaves me stunned or with something to think about.
Good books stay with you for awhile after you finish. Very good books still with you for a long time.
3. The ending makes you want to read the next book asap.
The whole point of a book series is for there to be many readers to read all the books in a series. If the first book didn’t catch my attention, I won’t read/check out the second book, causing the author to lose profit.
And that’s basically it. What do you want to see in book endings?
I have a love-hate relationship with cliffhangers. I love that they make me want to read the next book asap. However, I hate it when there is a cliffhanger and the next book doesn’t come out for a year. They are effective though, so I understand why so many authors use them.
If you want a series that the books don’t end with cliffhangers, but you are still compelled to read the next book then read the Mythos Academy series. Its a great series and just like I said the books don’t end with cliffhangers, but there is still a few things that are left unresolved that you need to see resolved.
One thing that I really want to see in the ending of both a standalone books and series books is character development. You know what I mean, when something happens in the end that really forces a character to step up. I really love those moments.
Ohh, yeah, I totally forgot about character development. :D
Yeah, I don’t mind cliffhangers that much, but cliffhangers are just so gimmicky, especially if the author uses it in EVERY book they wrote. x__x
Have I mentioned that I love your Let’s Speculate posts? Because I SO DO. Anyway, I actually love a good cliffhanger, because it shows me just exactly how caught up I get in stories and how much I love a certain book. (Like the Mara Dyer cliffhangers? AMAZING.) I think plot twists are a great thing and they tend to make me love books even more. However, when it comes to standalones, I want happily ever after. If I don’t get anything else, I want to be satisfied with what’s out there, and in most cases, this is a HAPPY ENDING.
Cliffhangers are the worst, I hate them with a passion. I’d love to read series, because I love looong stories, but I don’t understand why almost every YA book in a series has to end with the main character in grave danger. I know she/he won’t die, and the whole thing just pisses me off. Authors, be creative!
That’s why I love the Gone series by Michael Grant, where every book has a good, non-cliffy ending.
Great post! ♡
Yes, I definitely see your position on cliffhangers. However, the one year wait just KILLS me so I rather not have any cliffhangers at all. I think good books are the books that make you want to read the next book, but without resorting to using cliffhangers.
And yeah, I want HBAs too, but when it is too picture perfect, it just seems unrealistic to me.
Yes Cayce, I totally agree with you on the grave danger thing! Those scenes just fails to surprise me because I know the book is a long series so of course the main character isn’t going to die! However, if it is focused on the side characters, I get nervous and jumpy because you can’t know for sure.
Great point Cayce! (:
Agree completely about the cliffhanger points. I read a book recently where it literally ended in the middle of a conversation, and it kind of made me go :/
As for your first point, have you read Tamera Ireland Stone’s Time Between Us? I just read an ARC of the second book, and I loved that the ending WAS like that. It’s happy, but you don’t get all of the answers.
WHAT. THE BOOK ENDED IN THE MIDDLE OF A CONVERSATION?
I don’t know about you, but I would have threw the book across the room in frustration. :x
I still have to read Time Between Us, which I have somewhere on my desk right now. I’m hoping to get to it soon! However, I’m glad to hear that you really enjoyed reading the second book in the series! :D
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