Good Books With Disappointing Endings

Hello everyone,

Happy April! Here in the UK we are in the divine beginnings of daylight saving time, and may it last. In contrast, today’s post is a bit more ‘glass half empty’, as I look back at some of the books I have enjoyed that contained sadly disappointing endings that affected my overall feelings towards them.

It is always unfortunate when you are reading a book and it is all going well until the last moment. The ending of a book is so critical as they go such a long way to creating your lasting impression of it. If the ending is not to your satisfaction, then it can leave a slightly bitter taste.

So here we are! All the books on this list have been good – or in some cases great – until those final few pages/chapters.

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The End Of Her by Shari Lapena

Easily the worst offender on this list, the ending to this domestic thriller ruined everything and sent my star rating absolutely tumbling to an eventual 2.5. It had been fairly gripping up until that point, but then something entirely nonsensical and out of keeping with the story happened.

I sensed what was going to happen before I did, and I was hoping the author would not go down that path. Sadly I was proved right and everything fell apart before my eyes.

The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

This atmospheric and rather sad story still ranks as a great read, but it felt unfinished as the ending was so abrupt. So much of it is focused on the growing relationship between the two main characters, and so for them to part ways so hurriedly and with so much finality at the end was a little disappointing. It really was not a happy ending, but maybe the author was aiming for such a sombre tone.

Demon by Matt Wesolowski

It may be harsh to include this one on the list, but this most recent instalment of Matt Wesolowski’s Six Stories series fails to provide any real answers at the end. It explores a complex cold case as compellingly as ever, but when you get to the end and are looking for the answers to your questions, you are left more or less empty-handed.

The Familiars by Stacey Halls

I loved everything about this book until the final chapter or two. Stacey Halls is the most delightful of storytellers and I was swept away by this tale of witch trials in a captivating setting. The only reason though why my final rating was 3.5 stars is the ending, where so much of what happens is glossed over, told rather than shown, and a little far-fetched.

Magpie Lane by Lucy Atkins

The disappointing thing about the ending here is that it was just so predictable. After over 300 pages of intrigue and being totally hooked by the mystery and the characters, it just had the most obvious ending possible. If it was better, this was a clear 5-star read in waiting.

Nothing More To Tell by Karen M. McManus

You can always rely on Karen M. McManus to provide a dramatic ending full of shocks and twists. Most of the time these work perfectly and lift the book by an extra notch, but on this occasion she over eggs the pudding and inserts a whole bunch of twists that felt disconcerting and are generally hard to come to terms with.

Your Turn To Die by Sue Wallman

This gave me a similar reaction to The End Of Her, in that someone in the story acts completely out of character towards the end and it made very little, if any, sense. I was disappointed by this as it was an engaging read, but there was just not a good enough reason presented during the story for it to end the way it did.

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Let’s Chat

Have you read any of these books? Are there any books you can think of which you have enjoyed only to be left disappointed by the ending? Let me know in the comments!

Happy reading 🙂