Have you ever read a book only to get to the end and find yourself horribly disappointed? It’s safe to say we have all felt that way at one time or another. For me, it was the final book of the Hunger Games series, MockingJay. However, the following books are all well-known for the disappointing endings that leave readers unsatisfied. Watch out for major spoilers below…
Hunger Games: MockingJay
I think it’s only fair to start with my “inspiration” for this blog. The final book of this series has a different feel than the first two. It ends up feeling rushed and an overall disappointment. This includes the death of Prim and Katniss settling down to a boring life with Peeta, who she does not love. Katniss was written to be both feminine as well as tough and the ending just does not fit. It leaves the reader feeling like the author just gave up.
My Sister’s Keeper
This novel asks the question “Should one child be sacrificed to save another?” A sick girl is in need of her younger, healthy sister’s kidney to live. The younger sister must go to court to stop from being forced to give up her kidney to her sister. In the end, it is revealed that the sick sister had asked her to fight to keep her kidney so she would not have to suffer anymore. The book ends with the younger, healthy sister ultimately dying in a car accident and the older sister getting her kidney anyways. This lack of conclusion is a complete let down.
Gone Girl
Gone girl is a page-turning thriller. It keeps the reader in suspense and somehow manages to get the reader to sympathize with the two main (completely unlikeable) characters. While the ending is surprising, it’s difficult to believe that a man who was essentially tortured by his wife’s demented mind would in fact choose to stay with her.
In the Woods
This novel begins with two mysteries. Years ago 3 children are playing in the woods, two disappear while the third is found trembling and in shock, with no memory. This boy grows to be the detective sent to investigate the later, possibly related murder of a 12 year old girl in the same woods. The book ends with only an answer for the later mystery with the first remaining unsolved. So much of this book hinged on the original story and the history of the detective that it feels unfinished.
Little Women
Fans around the world were left disappointed by the ending of this classic tale. Jo’s refusal of Laurie’s proposal and subsequent choice to marry Professor Bhaer frustrated many readers. Jo and Laurie’s shared passions led one to believe they were meant for one another and the practical decision to marry the professor and run the boys school felt like a disappointment for the characters you had grown to love and a misdeed to Jo’s independence.