Endings That Don't Make A Lot of Sense (To Me)

I get paid to read a lot of new novels for review. I also read even more novels for pleasure. Sometimes the endings don't make sense to me. I'm an old school reader, I suppose. That's why I like resolutions to end the narrative arc. Of course, I can't cite specific examples in titles without playing the spoiler.

Novels that trail off at the end don't work for me. There are a few exceptions. Sometimes I get the feeling the author didn't know, or care, how to end the novel. Or perhaps the author ran out of steam. Readers feel cheated after investing so much time in a book. Maybe they'll never read another book by the same author. No author I know wants that result.

Cliffhanger endings leave me cold. I know of a famous one just this past year from a best-selling author. Now I can see loose ends being left that will probably get tied up in the sequel. Surprise endings work for me, but there has to be a sense of fair play to setting them up. Happily ever after (HEA) endings like those used in most romances are okay. Though I may roll my eyes a bit.

By Ed Lynskey
Twitter: @edlynskey
Author of Ask the Dice