Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the awesome ladies at The Broke and the Bookish. Apparently, they are overly fond of list-making and love to share their bookish lists with the rest of us book nerds. =) I'm game.
This week's list features our Top Ten Best/Worst Series Enders.
I'm going to let you guys in on a little secret: I hate it when one of my favorite series ends. (Okay, that's probably not really a secret.) Some of my favorite endings are those open-ended ones where the reader is left to make the final judgment: on who the main character ends up with, where they end up, etc. But those are also some of my least favorite endings.
Another secret: I tend to leave the last book in a series unread for ages, unless I'm sure -- and I mean 99% positive -- I'm going to love it. So, I didn't have a lot to draw on with this list, because there are several (read: 20 or more) series sitting unfinished on my shelves, though all books have been released. And there are several more finishing up in the next six months or so that I think would be added to this list, but seeing as how I don't have the ability to travel into the future (yet), I had to pull from what I had:
Best...
Clockwork Princess - I love that Tessa got not one but two happily ever afters! Not realistic at all but still one of my favorites.
Forever - I love that even though we don't know whether everything works out, we're left with hope. And we get Cole and Isabel's story now! :D
Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows, Shine, With All My Soul & The Bitter Kingdom - All. The. Feels. I love that we know exactly what happens at the end of these stories and they went exactly as I'd hoped.
The Sweet Far Thing, Mockingjay, Unbreakable & Girl of Nightmares - People die. People I didn't even know I cared about die. Tragic endings all around, but those are some of my favorites. Also, props to the last two on this list for recognizing that some stories can be told in as little as two books.
Worst:
Some of these are on this worst list, not because they were terrible, but just because they either shouldn't have been the end (Dead Silence) or the series should have ended with the third book like it was supposed to (The Iron Knight) or because she chose wrong (Boundless and possibly Requiem & Spell Bound). Mostly, I was just disappointed in one fashion or another, and I hate being disappointed when it comes to the final book. The others...I don't know how I made it through the whole series, let alone that disaster and/or snooze-fest of a final book. What was I thinking?
#10 on the worst list: One of my biggest bookish pet peeves is when an author says that such and such book will be the last one in the series, and then right around the time that final book is releasing, they decide to write more of that world, whether it be the same characters or a spin-off. That's just so gimmicky to me. At first, I'm usually elated at the prospect, but that morphs into annoyance fairly quickly. Do it or don't do it, but don't say that you're not going to and then do it. Sorry for ranting...but there were several more I would have added to the worst list just for the sheer fact that they weren't supposed to exist...but I haven't read them yet, so I can't honestly add them. *sigh*
Another secret: I tend to leave the last book in a series unread for ages, unless I'm sure -- and I mean 99% positive -- I'm going to love it. So, I didn't have a lot to draw on with this list, because there are several (read: 20 or more) series sitting unfinished on my shelves, though all books have been released. And there are several more finishing up in the next six months or so that I think would be added to this list, but seeing as how I don't have the ability to travel into the future (yet), I had to pull from what I had:
Best...
Clockwork Princess - I love that Tessa got not one but two happily ever afters! Not realistic at all but still one of my favorites.
Forever - I love that even though we don't know whether everything works out, we're left with hope. And we get Cole and Isabel's story now! :D
Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows, Shine, With All My Soul & The Bitter Kingdom - All. The. Feels. I love that we know exactly what happens at the end of these stories and they went exactly as I'd hoped.
The Sweet Far Thing, Mockingjay, Unbreakable & Girl of Nightmares - People die. People I didn't even know I cared about die. Tragic endings all around, but those are some of my favorites. Also, props to the last two on this list for recognizing that some stories can be told in as little as two books.
Worst:
Some of these are on this worst list, not because they were terrible, but just because they either shouldn't have been the end (Dead Silence) or the series should have ended with the third book like it was supposed to (The Iron Knight) or because she chose wrong (Boundless and possibly Requiem & Spell Bound). Mostly, I was just disappointed in one fashion or another, and I hate being disappointed when it comes to the final book. The others...I don't know how I made it through the whole series, let alone that disaster and/or snooze-fest of a final book. What was I thinking?
#10 on the worst list: One of my biggest bookish pet peeves is when an author says that such and such book will be the last one in the series, and then right around the time that final book is releasing, they decide to write more of that world, whether it be the same characters or a spin-off. That's just so gimmicky to me. At first, I'm usually elated at the prospect, but that morphs into annoyance fairly quickly. Do it or don't do it, but don't say that you're not going to and then do it. Sorry for ranting...but there were several more I would have added to the worst list just for the sheer fact that they weren't supposed to exist...but I haven't read them yet, so I can't honestly add them. *sigh*
What are some of your favorite/least favorite series endings? Any you're looking forward to in the next few months?
The Sweet Far Thing had the saddest endings. Why did he have to turn into a stupid tree? I sobbed so much.
ReplyDeleteI wholeheartedly agree with Harry Potter, Girl of Nightmares and Mockingjay! I haven't read Requiem yet but I am scared to because of all the bad reviews for the ending lol.
ReplyDeleteJeann @ Happy Indulgence
'Mockingjay' is my favorite of the Hunger Games series. Another of my favorite series enders is 'Haunted Honeymoon,' the fourth book in Marta Acosta's Casa Dracula series. I didn't want the series to end, but I'm glad it ended so perfectly.
ReplyDeleteAs a writer, I completely understand the urge to add another book or a spin-off to the series. I don't think it's gimmicky. I think we can't always control what ideas pop into our heads, wanting to be written.
Love Soul Screamers and Forever!
ReplyDeleteYeesh. Pandemonium seems to be in everyone's worst list today! I don't blame you at all. Lol.
ReplyDeleteGreat list, Jen!
I really liked Boundless, but then I was on the team that she chose! I can understand why people didn't like it though. Great list!
ReplyDeleteI love open-ended series too - although most people don't seem to be in the same boat :) - it's fun imagining what came next. And boo to 'this is the end' not being the end!
ReplyDeleteYep, yep...I'm not surprised. We have very similar tastes Jen :-) I liked Mockingjay too. I've loved seeing it on almost every list (either as worst or best). I forgot to add If I Should Die...that ending, psft. I couldn't even get through Rapture--I had to DNF.
ReplyDeleteMy Friends Are Fiction's TTT
I really loved Clockwork Princess, but I still don't know how to feel abou the epilogue (more about that in my post). I agree about With All My Soul! I also liked Girl of Nightmares, but not as much as the first one.
ReplyDeleteBreaking Dawn was a real let-down. I liked Iron Knight though, but thought the third book was stronger overall. I own Rapture but haven't read it yet. I thought Spellbound was okay but I'm not a huge fan of the whole series.
And I've seen Requiem on about 99% of all the lists I looked at today o.O Not sure if I'll ever even start that series...
Oh and how could I forget Breaking Dawn on my list?! It was so bad. I was sooo disappointed. I wanted to throw the book across the room the moment she got pregnant. And that POV switch? Ugh. Writing Jacob is easier than channeling pregnant Bella, I guess.
My TTT
Totally agree about this is end...oops no it's not! It usually never adds anything substantive to the story.
ReplyDeleteMockingjay would be on my worst list though. I think I disliked everything about that book. lol
Hi Jen! I haven't been around much but I definitely need to change that because I miss stopping by! If I had made a list, Clockwork Princess definitely would have made my best and Requiem the worst. Is it bad I wasn't sure I could pull off this topic because I haven't finished a lot of series? lol
ReplyDeleteOMG someone else who didn't dig The Iron Knight--at last, VINDICATION!!! :) It made my worst of list too--although I loved The Iron Queen, I wish it would have stopped there.
ReplyDeleteTotal agreement about CP2, The Bitter Kingdom, Forever, and HP! And I REALLY need to read Unbreakable because I loved Unraveling! Great list, Jen:)
I'd pick so many of the same ones as you, it makes me think the ones I haven't read on your Best list I should pick up. Mocking Jay was fantastic, I love The Bitter Kingdom, and Harry Potter of course. And Spellbound, such a disappointment.
ReplyDeleteI didn't like Lauren Kate's series to begin with so I'm not surprised that the last book is infamous.
ReplyDeleteNew follower
My Best & Worst
Yay for Harry Potter! I think I felt every emotion while reading that book. So Good. We have several other overlaps. I guess I really need to read The Bitter Kingdom!
ReplyDeleteI'm excited to see Shine and Forever on your list as well! I also loved CP, The Bitter Kingdom, HP7 and Mockingjay. I actually haven't read Unbreakable or Girl of Nightmares yet, though I started both series. I have The Sweet Far Thing on my worst list tho. I needed more happy after getting through that series :(. Also, Boundless. UGH. I can't even think about that book without wanting to cry.
ReplyDeleteI don't mind if an author adds more books to a series (I realize that a lot of it has to do with a publisher deciding to sign on for more or not, so often an author can think a series is ending and then the publisher can randomly decide to continue). What I don't like is when an author continues a series but doesn't have a clear direction, or it is clear that they haven't really figured out where they are going after their planned plots end.
ReplyDeleteI really loved the ending of the Hunger games trilogy. A lot of my friends didn't because of all the people who die, but although I was sad about that too, it made the story feel so much more real and emotional.
ReplyDelete