Let's Discuss The Series End

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I used to look forward to series ends. 

I loved the feeling of getting to know characters over the course of several books, becoming emotionally invested in their struggles and triumphs and then letting them go at the end of their journey and in a place that is better off than when I met them. Usually the world is a little safer place and they've found friends, family and a love that will carry into the future. 

Now anticipating series conclusions just give me an anxiety attack. 

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I'm going to stop a minute before I continue and tell you something about myself.

1) I am an unequivocal fan of the HEA. Or rather the realists version of the HEA, which sometimes just means the characters finally get a little peace. To me this also includes the girl getting her guy. I'm pretty unapologetic about that for a series. After several books of watching a couple struggle, get torn apart, fight for survival etc, I want them to be happy. I don't care if that's unliterary or uncool of me. However, I don't like magical solitons that fix problems without taking into account the reality of the world in which the MC is living or the situations s/he's encountered. I'm also not a fan of generously handing out immortality, unless it makes sense for the characters, or one in the couple is already immortal (this is a larger discussion for another day).

Examples: Two controversial series ends that I liked: I actually consider the very end of Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins to fit into the Good End category (most often, I don't mind epilogues), I also liked the end of Forever by Maggie Stiefvater, even though it's a lot more open ended. In both, I felt like I left the characters in a safe place, with enough hope to let them go. I thought the end of Boundless by Cynthia Hand fell into the Magical Solution category, and I was not a fan of that epilogue (sorry! - I also have lots and lots to say about this book, but will refrain here).

2) A series is nothing without its end.  I know not everyone will feel this way  - maybe I'm the only one - but how a series ends clouds the entire experience for me. If a book ends in a way that is disappointing or depressing, I have a hard time seeing the entire series in a positive light. In other words, how I send characters off into the future means a great deal to me. Especially after feeling emotionally attached to them throughout several books where they inevitably suffered.

Example: I wasn't a big fan of the end of Libba Bray's Gemma Doyle series, and that has affected my feelings about the whole experience. To be fair, this series petered out for me a bit as it continued. On the other hand, I love the end of Jeri Smith-Ready's Shade series, which has made me see the whole trilogy in a much more positive light, even though book two is a love triangle disliker's nightmare (think love-pentagram). The books mentioned in the next section also fit this example.

This year the excitement and faith I've always had in the end of series has been shaken with some disappointing conclusions. (I'm all about numbering things today:)

1) I still don't understand what happened. I've read a few endings this year where my vision for the series all of a sudden seemed to sharply veer away from the author's, so much so that I've questioned my original love for the series. These are books that have left me feeling sadder than when I started the series, as well as upset at myself for getting so emotionally attached to a story that left me feeling depressed. Main characters died, the wrong guy got the girl, the series had no real conclusion or it seemed like the characters entered a mind warp and weren't who I remembered they were in the beginning. I will fully admit that several of these had to do with the dreaded love triangle, which is why I have upped my efforts to avoid them. 

Examples: Books that fit into this category are Boundless by Cynthia Hand (because of the way the triangle was handled) and Allegiant by Veronica Roth. Not just because of the ultimate conclusion, which did hurt. But for the slow pacing, lack of direction and info dumping. I completely avoided reading Requiem by Lauren Oliver, but I'm confident that I wouldn't have liked it either.  

2) It's not you, it's me. Or, maybe it is you after all. For a few series I read this year, I finally got to the third book and just didn't care anymore. This inevitably has to do with series that I've read spread out over a few years. I'm not a big rereader so some of this is my fault. After investing in so many series at the same time, some naturally have gone by the wayside, but it's sad to pick up a final book in a series that I had previously loved and feel a lackluster connection to the characters and conclusion. I'm not sure how to fix this except to wait to read series until several books are out, but that's not always realistic.  Even so, I do feel like if I was that invested in the beginning of the series, I should like it in the end. If I'm not anymore, than maybe it's not me, it's you? 

Examples: Infinityglass* by Myra McEntire and Goddess by Josephine Angelini. I'm not sure whether I'd like them better as a whole if I'd read them in full this year, or if my reaction would be the same? These ends were both positive, I just didn't care as much as I'd hoped once I got there. 

*I liked Infinityglass, but the series as a whole lost its momentum in the last book.

3) Good Endings. I don't want to make it sound like I disliked every series conclusion I read this year. I have read some ends that I've loved. It's just that my previous mental surety that I'm guaranteed to love them always has been completely shaken. 

Examples: A few of my favorite series ends this year were Eternally Yours by Cate Tiernan and The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson (I read both series close together too, btw.) I also just finished Champion by Marie Lu, and I'm going to throw it into this category, even though I was hesitant about it right when I finished it. 

Looking ahead, I just finished two early 2014 series ends that I liked a lot. Infinite by Jodi Meadows and Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi. 

Where is the lesson here? 

I don't know if there's anything that I can do to combat Bad Ending in the year 2014, unless I try to remain emotionally detached from books, which is virtually impossible for me. I have a lot of favorite series coming to an end next year, and I'm nervous. But I'm going to read them anyway, obviously. Waiting for others' reactions generally psychs me out, so I'm just going to read them right as they release. As for new series coming out, I'm trying my best to avoid anything that might even hint at a triangle, because that's where most of my disappointment about endings has been located. I'm also trying to be more selective about starting first books until sequels are out, because I usually feel better connected when I can read thru a series at once. Even so, it's not always realistic for me wait. I think it's more fun to read series when a rush of friends is reading it at the same time, because my favorite is discussing books I love. Basically, I'm going to start anticipating the worst and hoping for the best. 

 Some of the series ending this year that I'm excited/nervous about reading. 
What series ends are you anticipating?

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Tell me about your own experience with the series end. 

Does it give you anxiety or make you excited? 

How do you face a conclusion?