I’ve been giving some though to book endings since late last night, right after I finished Cassandra Clare’s CITY OF BONES.  I blogged about it on my personal LJ, but still wanted to explore the topic of endings further. The closing chapters of a novel are just as (if not more) important than the open chapters, and in my opinion are much more difficult to write.

The beginning of a book is filled with the fresh unknown. And while it needs to engage me straight away, I also am more open to whatever unravels from page one. Who am I to judge what’s about to happen in a book in which I have not yet given a solid chance to hook me?

Reaching the closing chapters of a novel is a totally different experience. By then, I’ve come to know the characters, and I hopefully care very much about them. I’m well settled in the world inside the pages of the book, and if the book has done its job, the LAST thing I want to do is actually leave this world. For just that reason, The End is inevitably going to be heartbreaking.

The challenge of writing an ending to a book is being able to get the reader to think, “Wow, that was great!” even as they are untangling themselves from the characters and world you’ve created.

I don’t think happy endings are the only way to achieve this. Sickly sweet and perfect endings can be just as disappointing. An ending can be sad, or mixed, or downright depressing, and still be the right, satisfying ending. It has to make sense and ring true for the book, and for the characters in it.

A great example is Cindy Pon’s debut novel, SILVER PHEONIX. Without giving away any spoilers, the ending has received some mixed reviews. Some show it love, some don't. I show it love, even though yes, it was not the happily ever after ending I usually enjoy. But it was, in my view, the right ending for the book and it made sense for the characters at hand. Besides, there's a sequel coming! :-)

The same could be said for Carrie Ryan’s THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH. The ending might be bleak, with a few light rays of hope to lead into next year's sequel, but would a happy ending really fit with the rest of the novel? I don't think so.