Monday, October 27, 2014

Discussion Question: Disappointing Series Enders (Spoiler Free Discussion)

More and more I am finding myself disappointed with the last book of a series.  Why do so many authors mess this up?  I know it's subjective and some people may love the way a series ends and others hate it, but I feel like more and more there is some consensus about certain books.

I recently read a series ender that I finished and my reaction was this:
This is not a good reaction.  This reaction should never happen.  And you know why I had this reaction?  Because one of the main characters dies, but YOU DON'T KNOW WHICH CHARACTER IT IS.  I am not kidding.  

And then there are other disappointing series enders where one of the main characters dies (at least you know which character it is), or there are many unanswered questions (I hate loose ends when it's the last book), or it just sort of fizzles out, or the author sets up such a great mystery/world and then when you find out the truth/answer, it's just sort of blah.  

There are a couple of series enders that I will be reading in the next few weeks, In the After Light by Alexandra Bracken and The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle HodkinI hope I'm not adding these books to this list.  

Have you been disappointed in the last book of a series?  If you can comment without spoiling, please do!  


Posted by:  Pam

5 comments:

  1. I keep hearing about this series where one of the main characters dies and you don't know which one. Nope! No! NO THANK YOU! I don't even want to read that. I haven't had what series it is spoiled for me yet, but I don't want to read it. I'm scared it's the Grisha trilogy, because I know the third one came out recently. I really want to read it but that kind of ending will kill the series for me. And I want to love that series so badly! Oh... I'm scared. How could an author end a series that way?!? HOW!?!?

    I hated Allegiant, but not just the ending. The whole book. Everything about it. Haha. I was quite disappointed by the end of the His Dark Materials series too.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I've definitely been disappointed in series enders before but more often than not its for series that are already going downhill for me (Shatter Me, Divergent, etc). I think I am one that can be satisfied by a number of different endings - it doesn't have to be MY ending and I don't often go into a last book with an idea of how things should go (I honestly don't think that much about it). But of course this happens and depending on how big of a curveball an author throws my way determines whether its something I can overlook or if it just ruins everything. But lately I feel like I've found myself more pleasantly surprised by series enders. I'm sad that its the opposite for you :(

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have been disappointed with series enders before, definitely. I think it's because we invest so much time and feeling into these characters and we have an ending in mind that WE want - be it a happily ever after or something else. And when that doesn't happen, it's really disappointing.

    I mostly find that my favourite characters are left unhappy or dead or almost completely left out. So inevitably, I am almost always disappointed in series enders, unfortunately. :(

    ReplyDelete
  4. I am terrified of series enders, but as a newish blogger I haven't had to deal with many that haven't already been published. But thank goodness books like Into the Still Blue didn't disappoint - I would have been devastated.
    Super anxious for Mara! I keep going to the stores to check for it but no luck. D:

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm so terrified of series enders! I just. . . I don't if the end will make me happy, sad or angry?! I'm so anxious about Mara Dyer. I can't wait to read it but I don't want to read it.

    ReplyDelete