Hello everyone,
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas, if you celebrate!
The ending of a book is such a key moment. It is the last thing we read, so in those final few sentences or the way in which the plot is resolved, there is a lot at stake and it goes a long way to forming our overall thoughts. A bad ending, and a lot of good work can be undone.
First of all the ending has to make sense, but most of the time it also has to be interesting and dramatic. Some of the more memorable endings involve twists or massive bombshells, even right up to the last line. This is especially the case in series.
So with that in mind, let us look back on the most memorable endings for the books I read in 2023.
Heart Of The Sun Warrior by Sue Lynn Tan
The second half of this duology was quite the emotional roller coaster, and as things settled down at the end with Xingyin and her family reunited, we are taken many years into the future. After all, the question of the love triangle still had to be resolved.
What happened was perhaps surprising in a way, but so utterly mesmerising and written to subtle perfection. I remember being very happy with this ending, which was a good feeling after being taken on such an adventure with those characters.
The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell
The interesting thing about this one is that Lisa Jewell places a cliffhanger about halfway through this book, and keeps us waiting until the end to find out what actually happens. It is a clever technique, this. and while the story was still gripping in the meantime the promise of what was going to happen at the end kept me reading.
There was more than one mystery at play here too, so this ending was mostly about the anticipation instead of what actually happened.
King Of Scars by Leigh Bardugo
Well of course, this one had to be on the list! The ending here is one of the most dramatic and memorable I have ever read in my life, with a jaw-dropping transformation and a chilling last line that will not only have you gasping, but screaming out loud.
So much happened towards the end here anyway, but the final act was the icing the cake of what is an tour de force of a book.
Spells For Forgetting by Adrienne Young
This book lulls you into a false sense of security. Just when it seems like the danger has passed and we are years in the future after the main events of the story, it ends on a deliciously ominous note.
The setting is so atmospheric and vivid that it is definitely like an additional character, and the way it calls back its residents even after leaving, is pretty spooky. The ending uses that concept to great effect.
The Hand On The Wall by Maureen Johnson
After three books following simultaneous mysteries surrounding deaths at Ellingham Academy, the ending had to be good. Thankfully, it absolutely was – I loved the way it played out.
The identity of the killer was a complete surprise to me, which was a really good thing, and I loved that Stevie did things properly and unmasked them by gathering all the people together in the style of Hercule Poirot. That in itself, was fitting for the series.
But more than anything else, the ending to this book truly emphasised the brilliance of Maureen Johnson’s plotting over the course of three novels, with every small detail slotting into place.
Let’s Chat
Have you read any of these books? Which books did you read in 2023 that had memorable or brilliant endings? Let me know in the comments!
Stephen Reads Books 