I have noticed recently that a lot of books don’t have happy ending anymore. Even when they do there is often a bitter-sweet element to them. This got me wondering, what do I prefer? All in all I’d have to say happily ever after (at least for the main characters) I love the struggle and grief that takes place in stories of every kind but in the end I want my main characters to be happy. (And ideally in love). Is it wrong that I feel an ache when finishing a book if I’m leaving my characters unhappy? Personally I can only really make peace with a story if I know that they’re okay. What do you think?

Here are some examples of some of the most popular of each: **spoilers**

   
Harry Potter

So Harry, Ron and Hermione made it and they were pretty happy in the long term ☺️ but boy did I sob when I read the chapter where Harry went to give himself up – I really didn’t trust that she wouldn’t do it for a little while there!

  
Twilight

I actually think the movie gave a more satisfying ending than the book because I always wanted to know what would happen if they took on the volturi but in the end I was just hugely relieved that they all survived! If any one of them had died their soulmate would have been cursed to an eternity spent alone and I couldn’t deal with that!

  
The Hunger Games

The ending of The Hunger Games series did make me really sad when I read it but despite Katniss’ personal journey kinda ending up being for nothing, they did change the world for the better (possibly lol) and even if they didn’t I still enjoyed it (though she should have ended up with Gale in my opinion) 

  
Divergent

Oh wait yes you are Four. I hated the ending to this series. I hate Caleb, he should have died so hard. I personally didn’t even understand why she died, it wasn’t at all necessary. At least then I could have made peace with it. And did I mention that I hate Caleb?

I’d love to know what you prefer 😊 xoxo

22 thoughts on “Happily ever after or end of world disaster?”

  4. I think the intent is to leave you dissatisfied, not just to teach you that the world isn’t always willing to give you your happy ending but also because happy endings aren’t as likely to make you question and think. If you’re still struggling with why Katniss is with Peeta instead of Gale (or any other question) you’re still thinking about the book and what it has to say about your own experience. When you don’t have that closure, it grates at you and you can’t be a passive reader.

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  6. I have to agree with you, I don’t mind a good struggle in a book as long as I get a happily ever after in the end. Divergent, no I can’t even speak about it.

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  11. I totally agree with you about the Divergent and The hunger games series. How could they do that? Tris was meant to be with Four and she died just like that? Why oh why? I felt like author was inspired by a certain Stark family killer 😉
    And Hunger games has so many unnecessary deaths… and Gale… She was stupid. I’m guessing all she’s been through messed up her mind so much she didn’t knew what she was doing choosing the bread boy…

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  15. I know! I’m actually afraid while reading the ends of books now because I just want them all to be ok so bad lol I did throw the last divergent book across the room when I finished it which I don’t think I’ve ever done before! xoxo

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  16. Thanks! I totally agree about the ten years later bit being cringey and in the film when they had the terrible prosthetics on I think it actually made my teeth hurt lol and you’re right it was absolutely Caleb’s only chance to redeem himself and it made no sense for her to die for him after all the awful things he’s done! xoxo

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  17. I really hated the end to both Divergent and The Hunger Games. If I felt Tris’ death actually meant something, I wouldn’t mind. If I felt Katniss wasn’t just settling for someone else’s desires, I wouldn’t mind. I think the end just needs to fit with the character arc.

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  18. Ugh. I have seriously been threatening to throw books this evening because I came across another book where a character dies that I happened to love. I’m still not over Trish’s death (though I do have a favorite fanfic that keeps me happy.) It even made me hate Caleb less. Main characters, beloved characters, no one is safe anymore. *cries*

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  19. I completely agree with divergent! I hated that Tris sacrificed herself for Caleb, he should have stepped in auto make things right and took the gas himself! Still gets me riled up 😜 although I don’t like how Harry Potter ended, both book and film, that ten years later thing seemed a bit cringeworthy. I would have liked to end right after the battle of Hogwarts, and we could all learn on Pottermore what happened if we wanted 😀 great post! For once I’ve read all the books on a book tag, I feel proud 😄

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  20. Pingback: Happily ever after or end of world disaster? | Authoring Around

  22. Bittersweet, although that doesn’t mean the main characters can’t be content with what they’ve done or how their lives end up. Too happy is just too romance novelesque, and I think one of the points of YA, dystopian or not, is that it’s helping young adult readers realize there really isn’t a happily-ever-after.

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