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Have you ever read a book where the ending ruined it for you?

Have you ever read a book where the ending ruined it for you ?

Katrina #questionnaire

101
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226 Answers

Kelly

Too many ?

2
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Ivy

Yes. My Name is Memory

3
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Melissa

@Ivy I’m still waiting for a second book to come out lol

1
Ivy

@Melissa I’ve already lost hope that the author will be able to redeem herself in the 2nd book lol

1
Jade

I was gonna start this book this week. ?

0
Michele

Yes ??‍♀️

1
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Lysa

A few come to mind

1
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Heide-Mari

Yes. Nine Perfect Strangers

5
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Carol

@Heide-Mari that was a terrible ending

0
Dannette

Yes, most recently Look Again, by Lisa Scottoline. Just not what I was expecting and seemed to come out of left field. Very disappointing.

1
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Charisse

Most Jodi Piccoult books

3
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Lori

The Revenant had a horrible ending.

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Denyse

In the Woods by Tana French

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Dave

Huckleberry Finn.

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Jenny

No spoilers please

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Carol

More like I closed the book and shouted ‘why can’t authors finish the book with a complete ending? It’s almost like-‘OK-I’m finished writing

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Simon

Stephen Kings’ Dark Tower series

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Jaydyn

For sure??‍♀️

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Laura

Yes, Forever Amber! I wanted to throw it to the moon. Lol I loved it up until that point.

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Kim

The Divergent series

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Danielle

I agree!

1
Jerri

@Kim I pretend the last book doesn’t exist!

3
Samantha

@Kim I still mad at the ending and it’s been like 2 years ? But apparently the movie ending is different so I’m pretending it was just a mistake from the author ?

2
Leah

@Kim totally agreed.. Why oh why would they end it like that

1
Kim

@Samantha I still haven’t watched the films because of the way the books ended, maybe I’ll give them a go!

2
Baiba

Agree!

0
Erin

Yes it ruined the whole series-The Dark Tower series
I was sooo devastated and couldn’t believe Stephen King would ever do that

2
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Malory

Me Before You

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Kelly

Gone Girl – that book gave me angry eyes!

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Jerri

@Kelly Jinx

0
Kelly

Now I owe you a coke!

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Jerri

@Kelly lol

0
Julie

@Kelly yes!!! I was just mad after finishing Gone Girl!

0
Eleanor

I really liked Gone Girl but have to agree the ending is shocking in its badness ?

1
Angela

Kelly Watson it felt a bit like real life! Where bad things happen to good people who are just going about their life and those that lack a respect for law and order get away with blue murder!

I was not happy with that ending!

1
Vic

Oh my God yes!

0
Jerri

The first book that came to my mind was Gone Girl or as I like to call it Then Nothing Happened. Lol

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Lori

Yep

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Donna

Absolutely ?

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Sallena

Eleanor and Park

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Nik

Don’t kill me, but Harry Potter.

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KatrinaQuestion author

Really why ?

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Nik

The first book was building up to an awesome wizard battle. Harry was being attacked by whats-his-face (name shall not be said), and Dumbledor was aware and was supposedly on his way. I was on the edge of my seat to see what they would do.

And then… nothing. His mother loved him, so the evil wizard couldn’t touch him? That was it. I was so let down, I felt like I had wasted my time on the book.
It was like watching a top baker slice me some of their decadent cake with shaved chocolate and buttercream, only to recieve the plate and see it was made of Play Doh.
I was very sad.

0
April

I agree. I wish JKR hadn’t put in that epilogue. Also I was disappointed by Snape’s reason for turning good. I thought it was because he grew a conscience, had a deep, profound change of heart, and experienced the dawning realization of right vs. wrong. Turns out he was just infatuated with Lily. Ugh.

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Nik

I didn’t bother finishing the series. I didn’t really like the story, so the big battle I was expecting was kind of a redemption for it that didn’t come.
I don’t disparage everyone’s love for it, but it really wasn’t for me.

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Shelley

Nik Anderson Harry was 11 with no experience in magic so no he wasn’t going to battle an experienced adult wizard. Read the whole series there are plenty of battles later on.

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Nik

I knew Harry wasn’t, but Dumbledor was on his way. It looked like he and the villain were going to battle.
I did not expect the 11 year old who didn’t know he was a wizard until that year to take him on, lol. I knew better than *that* 🙂

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Shelley

@Nik having Dumbledore come in and save the day would be a cop out. The way the book ended showed Voldemort had a weakness and gave you a hint of why he couldn’t kill Harry and set up the arc for the series.

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Kelli

The Vanishing Season. Im still so torn about that book. I threw (not proud to admit) it when I finished it because it just shocked me so much.

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Surbhi

Yes! Most recently Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Claire!!

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Baiba

@Surbhi I loooved the ending soo much!! ?

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Surbhi

@Baiba I know many people did and It’s really innovative on the Author’s part but I am little mad for some reasons which are spoilers?

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Baiba

@Surbhi I can understand that, I just looooved the person in the epilogue so much and was so happy to see them both..
Also I cried sooo much during the epilogue and actually all the second part of the book, I think it deserves some kind of price just because of the tears I shed for those characters. ?

1
Surbhi

@Baiba I know what you are saying and honestly, even I cried a lot during that book but the ending just didn’t fit right with me otherwise, this series is so dear to me and the characters are so iconic?

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Kai

SO MANY OMG YES ????

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Karlena

Gone Girl

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Aden

Mockingjay…….

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Kerry

The couple next door

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Nikolina

Same

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Jade

Ohh this was the worse…

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Niffer

Yes. Close Enough To Touch by Colleen Oakley. It was a 3-4 star book for me right up to the end, and then it just bombed. The story alternated between two main characters, and for whatever reason right at the end the author decided to just drop the story line about the one character and his daughter. It was so disappointing.

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Sommer

Fallen series annoyed me so much

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Hadassah

The inheritance (Eragon) series! It just made no sense!

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Kim

The Dark Tower Series ending by Stephen King.

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Emily

@Kim I applaud you for making it past the first book. I read half of the second and stopped.

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Rihky

That book written by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher. Haven’t touched any of their books since. I see their faces and am instantly annoyed. Went back and rated the books I read a lower rating because I was THAT bothered ?? might go back now and just one star them

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Taylor

oh yes. I couldn’t tell you what, but there have been times when the ending comes along and I’ve been like welp…that sucked. Sometimes it changes it from a 4 or 5 star to a 2!

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Jennifer

Yes! An Anonymous girl

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Amina

Don’t say a word by A L Bird.

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Himanshu

Gone girl…such thiccc book n such abominable ending

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Fiona

Behind Her Eyes

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Carolyn

Song of the Humpback Whale by Jodi Picoult – even though you know how it’s going to end from the very beginning. ?
Also, the Divergent trilogy. I was hopeful this would be remidied in the movie, but alas, they didn’t make a movie of the end of the last book.

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Karri

@Carolyn yep, divergent

1
Morgan

Yep

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Laura

Clockwork princess i was so happy with the way it ended and then the epilogue destroyed me i don’t think i will ever forgive Cassandra Clare for that one lol

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Anja

My Sisters‘s Keeper by Jodi Picoult.

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Zama

Tess of the D’urbevilles left me so depressed. Gone girl, Mockingjay, Jodi Picoult’s Picture Perfect.

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Sheila

Agreed re: Picture Perfect. I had forgotten about that one.

0
Kathrine

I fear that the dragonwatch series (sequel to Bandon Mull (such a good fantasy series) is ruining the original series). I hope it gets better 🙂 And a danish book called exile by Jacob Ejersbo. So disappointed

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Felicia

Bird Box

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Karri

IT

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Adam

@Karri what about Under the Dome? ??

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Karri

I havent read that one. I just started reading Stephen king with IT. Then I read the shining. I liked the shining!

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Sherry

The Shining was, hands down, his best book for me.

2
Angela

@Adam I almost threw the book across the room at that ending. I don’t know what I expected but it wasn’t that.

1
Emily

I absolutely love The Stand but when I want to be scared I’ll reread The Tommyknockers or the short story 1408.

1
Sam

Lots

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Meredith

Most recently an ARC of The Scent Keeper! 

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Rebecca

The Grapes of Wrath (such a weird ending), and Little Fires Everywhere (it felt like the author didn’t know how to finish it….)

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Sheila

Revival by Stephen King. I finished it late at night, and had to reread it the next morning to see if I had actually read that or if it had been a seriously messed up dream. When I saw that was really the ending, I threw it across the room to the pile of stuff to be donated to the Goodwill. Normally I keep books I’ve bought but I had zero interest in owning that one because of the ending.

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Magdalena

Anything that Sebastian Fitzek has written.
Don’t get me wrong – I think his endings are brilliant but they turn the whole plot around and mess with your mind! ? nothing is as it seemed

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Lexi

The Deep – Nick Cutter

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Sandra

Way too many books end abruptly

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Nikolina

The Woman in the Window..I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t that. Also, The Couple Next Door. I read about half of it and then went online to read the summary..I was glad I never finished it.

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Sarah

The Wicked King

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Sarah

The divergent series

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Mary

@Sarah yes this! Ruined the whole series ?

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Anita

couldn’t agree more!

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David

Lots! The one that really sticks in my mind was called Troika. It was part of a really good series where a woman had to hunt down the demons she had accidentally released. Often, the demons were hidden, and part of the challenge was working out who/what the demon was. In Troika the demon murdered people with weapons in a snowy nordic-style setting. In this setting there was a hall, with ancestral weapons on the wall, which were heavily lampshaded. It was clear to me that the demon *was* the weapons, and I was really waiting for the moment where the big reveal happened, because it would have been cool … only it didn’t. The weapons were not the demon. The demon was a boring guy riding a sleigh, and the weapons — really — meant nothing. It wasn’t a bad ending, I suppose, but it was so inferior to the ending that I thought I had seen coming that I never did finish the series.

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Robyn

The last star or allegiant

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Paula

Yes. But I’ll keep quiet about what books! ?

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Alyssa

Yeah, like a romance that ends with one of them wiping the others memory. Can’t stand that! No spoilers but there is a recent book as well as tv series that does this lol. Drives me nuts! That’s so selfish and an invasion of personal rights. Memories shouldn’t be involuntarily taken away. Makes me so mad haha

1
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Tytiana

All the time. I hate when stories don’t have a good ending or a very anticlimactic ending.

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Melanie

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle; I was so pissed off with the ending, I chucked the book across the room!

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Maria

The Da Vinci Code. The end was absurdly presented and poorly written. I did love Angels & Demons.

3
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Monica

@Maria same!

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Monica

The Revenant – it just…. ended ??‍♀️

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Lauren

In the Woods by Tana French

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Courtney

Under the Dome by King

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Katie

Mockingjay. It didn’t have a fulfilling ending for me. Like…they didn’t have a confession of love for each other, they were just sad depressed companions for the rest of their lives. Lame ending imo.

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Marcela

@Katie I also missed the love confession, but considering their whole village was dead, it couldn’t NOT be depressing haha I loved the final thoughts, though. We are so bent on power, history would probably repeat itself.

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Patty

Cold Mountain…. grrrr

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Krista

@Patty me too!! That was such a great book, but the ending crushed it all.

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Allison

The Best Kind of People by Zoe Whittall. It made me so angry!

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Krista

Every damn John green book I have read

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Krista

The final book in the Earths Children series by Jean Auel, I can’t think of the title at the moment. The ending was not fulfilling at all, I reread the series often because I never feel “finished” with the characters..

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Sara

Circe by Madeline Miller

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Neha

Rage Of Angels by Sidney Sheldon. Extremely depressing and completely undeserving end to the story of such a strong and sassy woman

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Stacy

The Little Friend by Donna Tartt

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Meagan

Mine was a series: Queen of the Tearling

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Christy

Stephen King has a really hard time writing endings.

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Derek

@Christy yup! The whole boom is good until the last 2-3 chapters… but does that deter me from his work… nope… currently working on The Outsider!

0
Sheila

I picture him having a fish bowl of weird things to have happen out of the blue. He finishes the primary action of a story and then draws a weird ending to tack on and enjoys making them fit together in his clearly weird, twisted ways.

1
Christy

@Derek Would love to know what you think when you finish. I read it last year.

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Christy

@Sheila Nailed it!

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Sheila

Christy Ellison Davis Well, it could be a dart board, or a Wheel of Fortune kind of thing. But I went with the fish bowl because I imagine he comes up with a LOT of these, and they’re easier to add to a bowl.

0
Derek

@Christy I’ll finish it today. I’ll report back with my thoughts this evening. So far I really like it!

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Eleanor

I could honestly bitch about Stephen King forever. It’s always the same damned ending!!

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Derek

I just finished it… I have to say this is one of my more well liked books by SK! I thought it was very well written! I also liked the cross series tie in!

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Amy

yes

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Tonii

yep

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Joanna

DIVERGENT

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Joanna

Worst plot twist ever

1
Jo-Anna

@Joanna I love this series but that ending was so unexpected for me..

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Jo-Anne

@Joanna I loved everything about Divergent.

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Stephanie

I threw the last book across the room!! Such a waste!! Funny how they did the movies differently

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Joanna

Me too Stephanie. Jo-Anna… I loved it up until the ending. I still really enjoy the first two books. But I thought Four deserved way better

1
Joanna

Me too Stephanie. Jo-Anna… I loved it up until the ending. I still really enjoy the first two books. But I thought Four deserved way better

0
Beth

@Stephanie yup I did too.. I was so mad

2
Amanda

UGHHHHHH I was sooo mad at this plot twist… It stayed true to character but I ❤ hallmark endings… ??

1
Squared's

I loved Divergent! I don’t understand why people hated the ending.

0
Yuki

The Time Traveler’s Wife

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Erica

Pretty much every YA dystopian ever. The first two are usually great and then the third book kills it all.

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Erica

It’s a major reason I don’t read much YA anymore.

0
Veronica

Yes

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Isabel

Although I loved the book, and definitely will re-read it because it was the writing and the characters what I liked the most, the ending however p*ssed me off ?, it’s ‘American Gods’

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Amanda

@Isabel agree.

1
Antonio

Eyes of the Dragon, Stephen King. If there was a sequel I could get passed it but I felt it was a bit of a let down. One of his firsts though too, so maybe that’s it.

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Sara

Yes to many times

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Squared's

No… usually if I like it I like it. but Ive read many where the ending made the book worthwhile.

0
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Ashley

Omg yes. Angels and Demons by Dan Brown. It was SO GOOD until the last 1/4 of the book. I threw it across the room when I was done. I can’t believe how someone can write such a great story and then crap all over their own work. Smh.

1
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Joanna

@Ashley I just started his Origins book ? I’m hoping it’s better

0
Randy

The last book of the Sookie Stackhouse series. It seemed like by then the author just wanted it over with.

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Jennifer

Randy Smith bahaha i just said that too. She completely ruined her series

0
Randy

I was so mad with her but she has authors rights. It has made me leery about starting any of her other series.

1
Jennifer

I just thought the ending made the whole series pointless. Who she ended up with she could have been with from the beginning in stead she has sookie go on some big adventure and then bam.. right where she started. If the series had only been a couple of books it wouldn’t have been so bad. But after all of the books you’d expect her ending to be more

0
Jennifer

The last sookie’s stackhouse book. Loved the series tilll the end, ruined the whole series cant even reread it now

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Maja

YES. ??

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Nancy

Definitely.

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Jessie

Yes, Allegiant ruined the whole Divergent series for me. Can’t reread it or watch the movies.

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Beth

@Jessie yes!!! So mad

0
Kimberly

@Jessie I agree!!!

0
Amanda

@Jessie did they finish these movies? I feel like I saw the first 2 and didn’t even see the last one advertised in theaters.?

0
Courtney

@Amanda the made the first half of the last book, didn’t make a second half. They considered a tv show but the main actors didn’t want to do a tv show

0
Amanda

?‍♀?‍♀?‍♀?‍♀?‍♀?‍♀ well I guess we all know how it ends! Lol…. Yes now I remember only half of Allegiant

0
Anthea

@Jessie TOTALLY! Was sooo gutted with this series.

0
Jessie

I had no interest in any part of it after reading the last book. Not at all sad that they didn’t finish the movies or do a tv show.

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Michelle

Gone Girl

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Eleanor

Pretty much ever single Stephen King. He can’t finish a story to save himself, and it is always the same ending as well ?

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Justine

I have to agree with this. I love his stories but those endings always make me wonder what the hell happened.

1
Eleanor

I don’t read his books anymore, he annoys me so much. Last one I read was Under the Dome, I still complain about that ?

0
Samantha

Yessss!

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Alice

Yes…

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Nancy

Yes.

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Bokamoso

Yes.
If Beale Street could talk

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Rosane

The other hand.

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Caylynn

Ruin and Rising

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Meagan

Mine was a series: Queen of the Tearling

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Caitlin

@Meagan YES! Got to the end and I was like WTF?

1
Carlos

Yes ?

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Jennifer

One of Us is Lying ?

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Cassandra

Yes!! I loved it until the end!

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Elizabeth

Definitely Gone Girl. My annoyance over the ending is the main thing I remember about the book.

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Jade

This is on so many people’s list. I haven’t read it yet, but I do just to see how bad it is…?

1
Angela

@Elizabeth don’t get me started on that book. Well written, but immensely annoying characters! And the ending….. Omg!

1
Eniola

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Anna

I ruined an ending for myself once when I turned to the end to check how many pages there were in the book and accidentally saw a line that spoiled a character death. That one’s totally on me ?‍♀️

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Laurel

Mockingjaaaay

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Amy

Allegiant

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Dawn

Every Danielle Steel book I’ve ever read! They just end… Where’s the closure?!?

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Diane

@Dawn you can’t pay me to read her books

1
Ruby

Yep, The Tattooist Of Auschwitz

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Patricia

Sidney Sheldon the master of the game

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Marianna

Almost every Jodi Picoult book….esp “Handle With Care”

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Brandy

Yes! Threw the book. Lol

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Valerie

Yes!

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Betty

Yes!

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Chloe

The entire red queen series by Victoria aveyard

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Mary

That was kind of how I felt with the lying game

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Bee

Yes….Just recently- The Dreamers….\\

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Kellie

Most recently: Transcription by Kate Atkinson.

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Nicki

That has been the soundtrack of my life ever since I got on a reading kick since January. ?

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Susan

My Sisters Keeper… loved it without the last page

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Lori

@Susan I agree 100%!!! I won’t even read her other novels because this one infuriated me.

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Susan

@Lori Yes she is a challenging read but I have been as rewarded with some of her others.. one of my favorite book ever “Leaving Time “ was hers & the surprise ending was the best ever

1
Lori

I did pick up Salem Falls at a secondhand store. I’ll try more. Thanks!

1
Joe

I have read books where the publisher didn’t pick up on further story lines and the Author let it die right there!

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Krissy

Not ruined but the End of Temperance Dare had a funny finish that I didnt like. The rest of the book was fantastic

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Stacy

Swallowing Stones by Joyce McDonald – just stop before the last chapter and imagine the ending you’d want. I can 100% guarantee that your imagined ending would be better than the one that’s written.

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Taylor

Divergent.

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Lea

@Taylor Bingo!

1
Taylor

Most disappointing ending ever. Lol

0
Anita

Yup. It won my worst ending too

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Cassandra

One of Us is lying and if you knew her

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Lea

Unfortunately yes I have – was truly angered

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Lea

Really hated how the Divergent series ended

1
Anita

Yup, made no sense

1
Heni

The Host, and I’ve been traumatized

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Hayley

Ooh never finished it, maybe I should?

0
Heni

I don’t recommend it at all haha. Too many good books out there, we shouldn’t waste our time on not-so-good ones.

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Maggie

Yes

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Crystal

The sookie Stackhouse books

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Amy

I could name several I’ve read but in all cases they were “realistic endings” and I have to deal with that – 😉

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Hayley

Number 11, truly awful.

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Lisa

In my case, series. Clan of the Cave Bear series by Jean Auel. I waited YEARS for the last book and it was DIRE. I mean truly truly awful. I’ve never wanted to take back having read a book so much in my life! I’ll re-read the series again, I’m sure, but never the last book.

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Christine

I still hate the ending of “Gone with the Wind”

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