I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how the impending end of a beloved series scares the absolute crap out of me. So many are coming up, and let’s face facts: we’ve all been burned by the end of a series before. I have even talked about the bad ends of a series before. But in this case, I want to talk both the good and the bad, and I have to wonder, if you hesitate to read a finale you’re worried about.
Now, we don’t all have the same series endings that made us temporarily contemplate quitting reading, but there were some that made me flat out rage. You know, the usual suspects: Allegiant, the Sookie Stackhouse debacle… 
But then there are the ones that give you a warm gooey feeling and make everything click into place and make the series complete and perfect and then you hug your books. Mockingjay, UnDivided, Ignite Me, I’m looking at you here!
But you simply never know what you’re going to get. Plus, either way you look at it, the series you love ends. Hopefully on a good note, but you’ll still miss the world, the characters, whatever. 
Don’t even try to pretend you haven’t felt this for at least a few books.
So that’s why I am kind of scared for a whole bunch of series I love to end. And so many are, soon. These are, and so are a bunch more without titles and covers and junk.
Literally, these all have to be epic.
Look, I know it’s “just” a book, and there will be others series that I will come to love. But even series that I finished years ago haunt me now. Like, will I ever get a proper ending to some of them? What about the ones that doomed the series to mediocrity? Or those that flat out made me wish that I had never even started? Fingers crossed that these are all winners!
And now, a poll! Let’s vote on which of these mostly well known series enders we liked and didn’t! I tried to make an option that would allow you to skip ones you haven’t read, but if you saw my rage over these damn things on Twitter, you understand. Sorry!
I agree! Sometimes I just hate the way series end. Like, what? I don’t know what I will do if The Raven King isn’t absolutely perfect. It NEEDS to be. And Winter too. And the Revolution of Ivy. Sigh. I feel like it’s especially awful if they aren’t good because we’ve been waiting for them for quite a while…
That’s exactly it! You wait for SOOO long, and in some cases, have invested like, half a decade in the series. And then when it’s a disappointment… it’s too hard. This is probably my biggest booknerd struggle! My fingers shall be crossed for both of us 🙂
The endings of series are so important! If they are not perfect it can mess up the way I look at the entire series… The Raven King and The Winner’s Kiss need to be amazing… I love those series so much…
So, so true! I feel the same way- it can absolutely ruin a series. They DO need to be amazing!! Man, that has to be a lot of pressure on the author too. I mean, imagine thousands of pleading, groveling fans begging for a perfect book? That’s kind of scary to think about! So let’s say this: just give us an ending of SOME kind, that doesn’t completely stomp on our hearts, and we’ll be good 😀
I feel like it is totally a mixed bag with series endings. Hated Allegiant. Love Requiem. Hated Sookie Stackhouse. Loved Mockingjay. Sometimes I just don’t want the series to end. I can’t wait for Winter though! It better be awesome because I love that series.
Loved Mockingjay too (shocking, I know 😉 ). Sookie is probably THE most infuriating of the bunch. (No worries, Allegiant is a close second!) I loved Requiem until it non-ended haha. I have a feeling that Winter will be at least a decent ending. I don’t know why, I just do, so hopefully I am not wrong!
The final books in series have made me so nervous ever since I read Requiem by Lauren Oliver. Before then I used to get a lot more excited about final books, but ever since finishing that book I’ve become rubbish at finishing series and I really hate that just one book has done that. 🙁 I need to get better at continuing with the series I love! Having said that I’m really, really, really looking forward to Winter – I need it in my life now, even though I’m going to be very sad that the series is coming to an end.
On a completely different note, the cover of Half Lost is gorgeous!
Ugh, right!? Delirium was probably the first series that I got SUPER invested in that wasn’t finished (I somehow stumbled upon The Hunger Games RIGHT after Mockingjay had been released hahah) and I was so excited, I pre ordered Requiem, and then… ugh. I feel like Winter will (hopefully!) be a good final book. Now I am worried that I jinxed it hahah.
And yes, I agree, Half Lost is PERFECT!!
Shannon, I haven’t read half of these. I feel you on the series’ endings that have read. I am holding off on Allegient, because I think it will be upsetting. I had no idea that The Revolution of Ivy was going to be the last book. I loved The Book of Ivy. Also, is Winter the last, last book in the Lunar Chronicles? I might have to hold off reading that as well then.
I loved The Book of Ivy too! Which is why this HAS to be as fabulous. And I know what you mean about Allegiant. Read some fan fiction and call it a day 😉 Honestly, the book wasn’t just bad in the end, it was just BAD. I was bored for most of it, and it didn’t make much sense!
Yep, Winter is the last book! It’ll be out soon, so you won’t have to wait too much longer! 😀
Getting to the end of a series is such a bitter sweet feeling. I almost never feel 100% satisfied. I always want more, even if it was a happy ending. Ugh, Sookie Stackhouse. I know we have talked about this before. My reaction to that ending will forever be no no no NO! I’m extremely excited for Winter, but also absolutely terrified. We haven’t really had any major deaths in the series, so I have this awful prediction that we will get one.
That is a good point, I guess I DO always want more! But there are times that I am at least… happy that if it has to end it ended well? And GR, Sookie. I feel rage just mentioning her 😉
Oh my, that IS a good point about Winter. I was having the opposite thoughts almost- that since it’s been on the tamer end, it will continue to be so? Guess we’ll find out soon enough. Now I am scared!
I’m so excited for The Raven King, but going to be so sad after I read it. Like I was with the Harry Potter books. Other books were horrible endings, like the Matched series, Divergent, and Hunger Games. So I”m hoping that The Raven King will be good.
Ah, I actually really loved Mockingjay. But I know that a lot of people definitely do not. I also *think* I liked the end of Matched? But it wasn’t very memorable to me, which means I probably neither loved nor hated it. Seriously, why don’t I remember that book!? Totally agree, The Raven King NEEDS to be good. Too many fans will sob if it isn’t 😉
This is one of the reasons why I don’t read a lot of series. I’m far too emotional in far too many ways when it comes to books. LOL I don’t read a lot of series (By series, I mean a REAL series, all books with the same characters, NOT a companion series. I love those. lol!) for a few reasons: First, the wait between sequels kills me. Second, I feel so much pressure to read ALL OF THE BOOKS. It’s not just one, in some cases it can be nine! And lastly, the ending. Once it’s over, it’s over… and this makes me so sad. Like you mentioned, sometimes the ending sucks, which really gets to me. Other times they are perfect, which also really gets to me. LOL I’m sooooo not a series girl. Standalone/Companion novels ALL THE WAY!! 😀
It is SO true! It’s hard. You love the characters so much, and you get so invested. And yes- I feel the pressure too. I almost have stopped even STARTING a series with more than a handful of books, because I cannot deal with HUGE series, only to end up disappointed (here’s looking at you, Sookie and your damn 13 books of fail.)
The unfortunate thing is, I AM a series girl. Because I clearly am a masochist 😉
I just need to read more series in general. The only series I’m currently reading from your list of upcoming enders is Marissa Meyer, and I really do hope that I love Winter. I don’t worry TOO much about series enders, but then again, I don’t read a ton of them…
I can see why it would be nerve-wracking though. A friend of mine was really angry about Allegient (never read it, but I know what happens) while I really liked Mockingjay’s end and a ton of people HATED it. It’s hard to say. haha
-Lauren
I agree, I LOVED Mockingjay, but I know people who didn’t of course. And Allegiant I hated a lot. I am usually a series fan, because I do love to get invested in characters and a world and a writing style, and all that jazz. But, I also get so sad when it is over! My fingers will be crossed that you love Winter 😀
Sookie Stackhouse *twitches* I’m still not over that! I mean, really? That’s how you’re going to end a series that I’ve spent countless hours on? Really?! REALLY?!
*clears throat* Anyways, as you can see, I have strong feelings about that.
Also, Requiem and Allegiant weren’t the best enders either.
I DID, however, LOVE Ignite Me! TEAM WARNER FOREVER <33333
RIGHT!? I will never be over that. Hours AND dollars, my friend. I bought every one of those books. All the dumb companions. And my daughter may have had a Sookie onesie (spoiler: she did). And then… GAH, a big old pile of crap that I paid way too much money for.
Requiem. Someday, Lauren Oliver is going to make Requiem right, isn’t she? Please? Allegiant… we’ll just pretend that it didn’t happen.
IGNITE MEEEE! That was the freaking BEST! I loved that one. SO MUCH. Tahereh Mafi has restored my faith in finales 🙂
SERIES FINALES SCARE ME SO MUCH. Like…what is going to happen to the characters? Is everyone going to survive? *runs around nervously* I am so, so excited / anxious for Their Fractured Lights, Winter and The Winner’s Kiss – hopefully they all live up to the amazingness of the first few books in the series. *crosses fingers* Thanks for sharing Shannon and, as always, fabulous post! ♥
RIGHT!? I need my babies to all be okay! Ugh, I am so scared. And there are so many more that dont have covers yet that I am even MORE scared for. Like The Beauty of Darkness? I know you didn’t like Kiss of Deception, but I loved it and am SO SCARED for the end. Seriously, it’s anxiety-provoking just thinking about it!
Talk to me about that PlayBuzz tool! How cool is that thing! I didn’t use it because I have finished hardly any series. I’m in the midst of a kajillion. I’ve read Mockingjay, which rocked (although I did have one issue with it). But yes, it is so hard to read the last book because expectations are just so HIGH and you just cannot be happy if it goes in a direction you can’t stand.
Right!? I love that thing- BUT you should be able to NOT choose an answer and still be able to go to the next. That is the problem I was having, but literally zero other free polls would let me insert pictures and/or have more than 10 questions. RUDE!
I LOVE Mockingjay! I am also now very curious about your issue 🙂
I think it was last year that I noticed a lot of series were ending…very few of them disappointed me.
If any…I can’t remember, it was too long ago.
But OH MY GOSH I AM SO SCARED FOR THE RAVEN KING!! I mean, I’m sure it’s going to be epic, but GANSEY!!!
And I was ridiculously happy with the final Mara Dyer book…that thing got delayed WAY too much not to be epic, which it was. It was the perfect ending, I reckon.
I was also really impressed with the final Skulduggery Pleasant book. I didn’t start reading the series until they were all out (so I didn’t have to wait, which was a really smart move on my part), but the build up was so intense…thankfully, Derek Landy did not disappoint in the slightest.
Well that is good!! It’s very good to not be disappointed, I am glad that they worked out for you! I am nervous about The Raven King too, even though I have only read the first book hahah. I am glad to hear that Mara Dyer is good, one day I shall start that series!
Oh my God, I am terrified of series’ enders, ALL OF THEM. Mainly because, like you said, you’re saying goodbye to characters and their story and world AND IT IS NOT OKAY. I have had good ones, but they’re still bittersweet even when they end right. Like The Forever Song and Last Sacrifice. I AM STILL NOT OVER THE DEATHLY HALLOWS THOUGH. I still haven’t read some enders because of it (Ensnared), but oh my god so so scared for Queen, The Winners Kiss and Half Lost.
THINGS WILL BE FINE. THEY WILL BE. OKAY? THEY WILL. ARIN AND KESTREL WILL BE TOGETHER AND WILL BE FINE. ANNALISE WILL DIE AND OUR SHIP WILL SAIL FOR GOOD. I’M NOT WORRIED AT ALL. NOPE. I WILL NOT HAVE ANOTHER LET DOWN.
Yes. THEY ARE SCARY. Annalise had better die, half for our ship, and half because I just hate that bitch. (I think THAT should have been the name of the last book, btw.) Arin and Kestrel will be together. Yes. Because of course. OF COURSE. Maybe if one of these is bad enough, we’ll just snap, and we can sit in a corner, rocking back and forth, making up our own endings to every story ever.
I hate it when my favorite series comes to an end – IT’S SO HEARTBREAKING. I’m currently on the last book of the Alex Rider series and I started reading it and was halfway through before I knew it so now I’m taking a small break from it just so I can mentally prepare myself because it CAN’T BE OVER.
Also, to answer your question hehe, most series I’ve finished have ended positively – YAY!
It IS heartbreaking, even if it is good! I am really glad that most series have ended well for you! I think my stats are more 50/50, scarily!!
I walk away from a lot of series so generally by the time I get to the final book in a series, it’s a series that I really truly love. Because of that, I often have a lot of loyalty built up and some degree of faith in the author. I tend to trust authors even as I wonder who will make it out of my favorite series books alive. That said, I do sometimes have to wait to prepare myself. I (finally) read Untold by Sarah Rees Brennan in March after reading and loving Unspoken when I got it as an ARC. Even though I had the final book Unmade in hand, it’s taken me this long to get to it because I was DEEPLY worried about all of the characters and (despite my implicit trust of SRB) I knew I needed to be READY before I tackled it.
Aww I know! It is HARD. I mean, I don’t expect the author to give me a HEA all the time, but I DO trust that the story will be complete and good and basically whatever the other ones were that made me love it so much! In fact, that could really sum up EVERY series end I didn’t like- it didn’t do those things! Did you love Untold? I do hope so!
I think that makes perfect sense.
I’m still processing Untold. I liked it and I’m happy to own a signed set of the series (which I plan on keeping) but I feel like maybe it was 4 stars where the other books were 5. Or maybe it should have been a duology instead of a trilogy. Have to ponder more.
I’m one of those who get sad when a series I love ends. More books will come, but it’s like saying goodbye to an old friend and never to see then again! All you have are the memories! Yeah, I’ve been disappointed sometimes, but in others I’ve been blown away.
I get SO sad. It is hard, the characters have become like friends (or enemies in some cases hah) and it IS hard! I agree- I have had tons of both, the good and the bad. Hopefully there will be lots more good to come for us both 😀
Most series I have finished have been pretty great. I always get that knot in the pit of my stomach when a series finale comes out. I want the finale to do the series justice, but I am also sad to see it end at all. I will be so sad when Winter ends. I have a feeling it will be pretty amazing because, you know, it’s Marissa Meyer. But I love those characters so much and I don’t know if I am ready to say goodbye.
I feel like Winter will be good too. Fingers crossed, at least 🙂 And that is GOOD! I am glad they’ve mostly ended well for you! I’m like, 50/50 😛
HOW COULD YOU EVER FEEL WARM AND FUZZY AFTER WHAT SHE DID TO FINNICK ODAIR
Anyways yes I am TERRIFIED for The Raven King, but we both know why. And I’ll probably cry once The Lunar Chronicles are over because I got attached to those characters so quickly and I’M NOT READY TO LEAVE THEM. (but do you know who I’m REALLY not ready to leave? RICHARD GANSEY III)
THAT part didn’t make me warm and fuzzy! See, the thing I liked about Mockingjay was that it was realistic, given the circumstances, while still being hopeful.
Seriously, I am NOT ready for all these series to end. It is just not okay. I feel like at this point, ALL the series that were just starting when I started blogging are now ending. It’s wildly depressing!
You KNOW I have this problem!! I did finally read Undivided, though, and I LOVED it!!