by Michelle Gagnon
I've been reading a lot of great YA lit lately, and one thing I've noticed is that there are a ton of cliffhangers. Usually most of the story wraps up, but something happens--usually on the final page--that leaves the reader hanging (and, hopefully, thirsting for the next installment).
But it is necessary? Is there something unsatisfying about finishing a book that leaves loose threads dangling, especially since you're usually forced to wait a year to find out what happened? Or is that part of what gets a reader hooked on a series and coming back for more?
It reminds me of the traditional soap opera tenet of ending every episode with a da-duh-da! moment, where just as the couple is embracing, someone walks in with a gun.
True Blood specializes in these; the ending of pretty much every episode is a cliffhanger, and the next week kicks off by repeating the same scene. Sometimes it turns out that to be a bait and switch; Sookie opens the fridge and screams- fade to black. The next week, we discover that she just found out the mayonnaise expired.
But then, consider The HUNGER GAMES. At the end of the book, the game was over, and the implication was that the characters were well on their way to living happily ever after. Loved that ending, and it certainly didn't stop me from buying the second and third books when they came out.
I guess I'm wondering what the advantages of a cliffhanger ending are, as opposed to tying everything up nicely. Is the fear that readers won't come back, even if they loved the first book? Does a cliffhanger put you off a book, or keep you coming back for more?
7 comments:
Love this post, Michelle. I'm finishing book #1 in a new series & of course I know how it will end. There will be a suspenseful ending that will build and I hope most of the initial storyline will come to a satisfying ending, but I hope readers will want to know more. I'm still working on how much of a cliffhanger there will be.
In my adult series, it's been a good learning experience. In my Sweet Justice series, each book ends with good closure, but the characters continue & grow through each book. That's because these books aren't building toward any particular ending. My YA book series will be different.
Love this post! I don't like to be left hanging at the end of a book. That may be a big reason most of my book ideas are for standalone stories, rather than series!
I'm w/Jenny. Not a fan of cliffhanger endings. In most cases, it will make me stop reading the series completely. Even Hunger Games seemed a little cliffhangerish to me. o_O That said, if the author manages to really snag me in w/characterization to the point I LOVE the characters, I'll tune in next time around, because I won't be able to stand not knowing. ;0
I go back and forth; my next YA release ends with a minor cliffhanger, although most of the story threads are tied up. But I have had mixed feelings about it, so it's good to hear what people think.
I'm writing stand-alones that have the same high school in common. For thrillers set in high school, it's hard for one main character to have all this stuff happen to her -- unless you're Nancy Drew! Still, there is some familiarity for the reader without having to make the time commitment to read all the books My way of dealing with the conundrum.
Great question. I'd say a cliffhanger is fine as long as its sole purpose isn't to sell more of the next book. I find it particularly annoying when what's really there is one 1000 page book that's been split into three equal hunks.
Interesting way to handle it, Carol. And CS, I feel the same way.
Post a Comment