Opening Endings....Suck
You know when you finish a book and the ending wasn't so much an ending? The author leaves the ending open to the reader's interpretation. I want to know how you feel about this.
How do I feel? I freaking hate it. Like despise it. If I wanted to draw my own conclusions, I would write the book myself. I want to know how it ends. I want to know exactly what happens to the characters. I want to know who ends up with who. I need resolution, damn it!
And now I'm going to rant about Requiem by Lauren Oliver. WTF. I read the end of that book and almost chucked it out the window. Of the airplane I was on while reading it. Why? Why? Why? Why would she end such an amazing series like that? That book seriously needed at least 50 more pages to tie things up. Just no. I'm getting mad just thinking about it.
I understand that it's hard to end a series. There is so much that these authors have to think about as they are writing their third and final book. But please, please, please actually end the book!
I wanted to post this discussion topic because there are a couple series enders coming up: Allegiant by Veronica Roth and Champion by Marie Lu. I am so excited to read these two books, but I'm also terrified. Sheer terror. I just keep thinking, please don't be like Requiem. Please tie things up. Please be like The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson (which was an amazing series ender!).
So do you guys like open endings? Hate them? Are you nervous about Allegiant and Champion like I am? Leave me a comment below!
I'm like you, I absolutely hate open endings. I just want to know what happens. I don't need to the grave information, but come on, the main parts of the story need to be tied up in some form or fashion. Even if the world drama is not resolved (that may be not realistic), the situations involving the main characters should be resolved. A lot of times that can be taken care of in an epilogue. The Infernal Devices is a great example of that (although some people didn't like it) and the Unearthly series too. So yes, hate open endings, it's like watching a tv show that ends on a cliffhanger at the end of the season and then doesn't get renewed. You spend all of this time with the characters and then you'll never know if they get their HEA. Frustrating! ~Pam
ReplyDeleteI totally agree about the world drama not being solved. It's just not feasible in a lot of books and that's okay, but at least tell me what happened to the mc who I've just spent the last couple hours or even years getting to know and love. Infernal Devices wrapped up really well. I wasn't a huge fan of what happened in the epilogue though. Seemed a bit too easy for me, but I definitely didn't have any unanswered questions which is good! I haven't read the Unearthly series yet.
DeleteOmg I hate when TV shows do that! I'm like, what??? Just one more episode to wrap it all up please!! I used to watch Heroes and that ended on a cliffhanger that never got resolved. Boo.
I HATE when that happens. I especially hate Requiem for that. Such an amazing series for it to end without knowing what happened? That's just ridiculous. I hope Allegiant ends well because that is my all time favorite series and I cannot deal with the pain that that would cause me... I think that's just a way to "please" readers, because everyone likes to think of their own ending. Still, it's a cruel way to end a book.
ReplyDelete-Marianne @ Boricuan Bookworms
I am super excited and also super nervous for Allegiant. Please let it end well! I think that authors THINK that they are pleasing their readers that way, but in actuality it is just pissing us off! I don't even care if it doesn't end the way I wanted it to. That's better than no ending in my opinion.
DeleteYesssssss open-ended series endings drive me nuts! This isn't technically a book but the end of the BBC show Merlin drove me crazy because it was...half-closed? I mean, part of it was lovely and bittersweet but there were also a lot of loose ends.
ReplyDeleteAs far as books go, I'm really hoping Champion and Allegiant don't do that to me - I have really enjoyed these series, but if I don't like the third book, I usually remember the whole series a little less fondly.
- Kritika @ Snowflakes & Spider silk
Yes! And I absolutely hate when that happens. It sucks because you loved the series so much and then the ending just ruins the whole thing for you and have trouble remembering what you loved about it in the first place. So sad.
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