Let's Talk: The Best & Worst Series Endings

Friday, August 23, 2013




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?



21 comments:

  1. Yes, definitely. I loved how Deathly Hallows ended. Everything made so much sense. And it was very touching.

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    1. It really was perfect, wasn't it?! I'm so glad you agree, Alison :)

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  2. Still have to think about this as we've had it upcoming on the TTT list since like before BEA and every time I think about it I realize I've barely FINISHED any series! Glad to hear you say that about the HP series since I'm FINALLY reading it. If it would have been your least favorite that wouldn't bode well for me or motivate me to keep going.

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    1. Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't know you guys had it on your list! But yes, Harry Potter really finishes well :)

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  3. HP is a great ending. The worse one I can think of now is one I recently finished. Eve Carey - Rise. THIS ENDING... I get mad every time I think about it. This is just.. you can't do this to your readers. You just can't.

    Mel@thedailyprophecy.

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  4. EEK! Harry Potter had a great ending. It was a happy one but it was resolved and there was some brightness in it.

    Great post, Melissa! <33

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  5. For a lot of people, the last HP book was a brilliant ending to the series, so I'm glad it was for you too.
    I've heard a lot of similar thoughts about the Susan Beth series. A lot of my GR friends mentioned how the series really went downhill.
    Another popular one is Andrea Cremer's Nightshade series. So many readers were annoyed and mad at the way the book ended.
    Thanks for sharing, Melissa! :)

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  6. I've never read The shade of the Moon, sounds interesting! <3

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  7. Bummer about Shade of the Moon Melissa! I know you went into it hoping it would redeem the series for you, so it's all the more disappointing that it continued in the same downward spiral that started after that first book. I agree on Harry Potter of course, she had a lot of loose threads to tie up and she did so beautifully!

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  8. My best and worst have to do with love triangles--go figure! I'm a big fan of romance:)

    I really loved the way Clockwork Princess/ The Infernal Devices series ended. I know it was a controversial ending--people loved it or hated it with not much wiggle room--but I thought it was PERFECT. I had a favorite guy, but I loved both boys in that series (I actually think they were both TOO GOOD for Tessa;) so it was a perfect ending, imo.

    I hated out the Unearthly series ended in Boundless. The guy I wanted got the girl--but the other guy got the one of the worst shafts I have ever read.

    I am REALLY nervous to see how the Shatter Me series will end. I'm totally Team Warner and have serious doubts that he'll get the girl and/or even make it out alive. Ugh. I hate it when a love interest is martyred--that's THE WORST (totally thinking of Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer now...)

    Fun topic, Melissa:)

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  9. I totally agree that the end of a series can completely define the rest of it. J.K. Rowling got the final few chapters of Deathly Hallows exactly right, in my opinion. I can only imagine how utterly distraught I would have been if my favourite series of all time failed at the final hurdle. It doesn't even bear thinking about! :)

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  10. I've never heard of the second book... I'll stay away from it! Following via email.


    Julianna Smith - My FFF

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  11. Agree with HP, for sure! Right now the most disappointed I've been in a series, though it isn't yet finished, is how The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson ended. I was really upset and I don't see how she'll be able to salvage the story for me personally in the next volume.

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  12. YES YES YES!! "I don't know about the rest of you, but a series is defined almost entirely by its ending for me these days." I have found that to be true more and more. The end of the journey can set the mood for the entire series. I learned that the hard way with the last book in the UNEARTHLY series. After praising and fangirling the first two books, I couldn't figure out what happened in the third??? It wasn't who "won" the love triangle, it was how it was handled, and how the MC's levelheadedness went away in the face of making you guess until the end. Now I am trying to put it out of my head completely.

    Favorite series ends off the top of my head: The Lumatere Chronicles, FIre and Thorns, Immortal Beloved series

    Heather and I are basically on par with our thoughts on Shatter Me, though we're on different teams. And I agree that Harry Potter ended PERFECTLY.

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  13. I haven't read any of the Harry Potter series. My thing with series is that I'm not good at getting invested in them. I read the first book and then move on. There are so many books I want to read, even though I get so invested in characters and worlds that leave me wanting more.

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  14. I love the ending of HP as well, not to mention the Curse Workers Trilogy, Girl of Fire and Thorns Trilogy, and Lumatere Chronicles also had great endings. I really disliked the ending of The Infernal Devices, though, so that ruined the whole series for me. :/ Great discussion, though, Melissa!(:

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  15. After watching the 6th Harry Potter movie, I became impatient for the ending and decided to just read the book. Even though I hadn't read the earlier books, the 7th book was awesome. I remember staying up late at night to read the ending and it was well worth it.

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  16. I haven't heard about the Shade of the moon so I cannot agree with you. But with HP, then that's an absolute YES! Everything was perfectly executed that it was so hard not to get addicted with it.

    Until now, I am still suffering from HP withdrawal and I was so angry after seeing the last page of the book. I just don't want it to end. *sighs*

    Thoughts and Pens Feature Follow

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  17. Hmm, I love the Harry Potter series, but one thing I will say is that I probably could have done without the glimpse into the future. I don't think it added anything, and there were no real surprises there. I'd rather have seen more in the present. Still, it's not a bad ending and I still adore the novels!

    Sarah

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  18. Oh gosh, I adore the Harry Potter series! The ending was wonderful, but I could have done without the epilogue. It was okay to see what had happened to them years later, but the book would still have been as strong without it (in my opinion).

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  19. HP is a great pick! One of the series conclusions I loved recently was The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson. I loved how that tied everything up although I am still hopeful for more books about different characters in that same world.

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