Investigated – The End of a Series

So, the Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter will come to an end next week. The thought that I might never read another story about Cammie, Zach, and the gang has sadden me so much I found the need to discuss the end of series in general.

The series finale has always been something I have mixed feelings about. On one hand, I’m sad that the story of the characters will come to a close. On the other, I need that sense of closure. When it comes to series, I feel like it’s better to end while you’re ahead. Otherwise the series gets dragged out and a bit boring and predictable. The end of a series is supposed to provide some sort of closure for both the readers and for the characters in that series.

Some people may think the end of a series is like the ending of a book. I agree and disagree. In the ending of a book, you are finding closure about characters. Technically, in a series you are doing the same thing. However one thing is different. You’re connection with the characters. People tend to be more invested in characters in a book because there’s more time for you to bond with them. That makes the ending of a series that much more important. I’ve always thought endings could make or break a book, and that can’t be more true when it comes to the final book of a series. The final book of a series is usually the last book of that series you will read (unless you read series out of order) and that’s the book that is usually on your mind. The book that makes an impact on your view of the series. The end of a series is scary because it’s usually what you remember the series by.

The last book of a series is like saying “This is goodbye.” Only there are a lot of different ways you can say it. You can say it rushed. You can say it slowly. You can say it in a gentle way. You can yell it. You can say it angrily. You can say it nicely. Those are only some of the different ways you can say “this is goodbye”. I usually like happily ever afters so you can guess which ways I like best.