Let's Talk: The Best & Worst Series Endings

Let's Talk is a weekly feature here at i swim for oceans. I think it's important that we all have our say, and there's something to be said for raising our voices. Simply put, here on the little old blog, I like to host some of my very own discussion posts because, well, I like to converse with you all.

And so, Let's Talk will feature questions or prompts, which I will answer, too. Love it or hate it, weigh in or don't, it's my hope that Let's Talk will at least get you thinking...and maybe even get you discussing with the rest of us!

What do you consider to be the best (and worst) series endings?

I don't know about the rest of you, but a series is defined almost entirely by its ending for me these days. Perhaps it's because I'm hyper-critical of these worlds we're asked to become invested in, or perhaps it's because they require a commitment. Whatever it is though, if a series ends well, I love it. If it ends poorly though...I tend to think lesser of the whole series, unfortunately. I managed to whittle it down to just one of each, and that's saying something. It was HARD! But seriously, I do have one clear favourite and one book that just crushed my faith in the series.

In terms of Harry Potter, the reason the series worked so well for me is because we finally got to see a sense of resolution. Throughout the series, we become invested in Harry's plight, as well as his selflessness, his relationships with his peers and mentors and the character arcs which serve to make the story all the more powerful. In the end, there's a finality of it, that sums it up nicely, but leaves no real loose ends for us to gape over. I felt as though I wanted more because I was invested in the story (and that's the mark of a great series), but I understood the end. And I loved it.

The Shade of the Moon, however, fits the opposite end of the spectrum for me, unfortunately. I really loved the first book in the series, Life as We Knew it. It was powerful, strong and it really resonated with me. However, the series started to go downhill from there (in my humble opinion, of course). I loved the series enough to progress and keep giving it a chance to redeem itself, but this final installment strayed so far from what I once loved that it was nearly the final nail in the coffin for me. I couldn't deal with the lack of hope, the lack of true character and the lack of plausibility. So, in the end, the way this book ended for me just felt as though it betrayed the beginning.

What about you? What are your favourite (and least favourite) series endings?