Tragic Endings

There are a lot of things that will make or break a book, and the ending is one of those things.  Sometimes the author writes an ending that is absolutely perfect, in the sense that it is the perfect ending.  You know, happily ever after, exactly what you wanted and all that.  And then there are those tragic endings. 

Really, there are two types of tragic endings.  The first is the type of tragic ending that occurs when you have a perfectly good book, maybe even an awesome book, and the author goes and rushes through the ending or writes a conclusion that makes absolutely no sense.  Or, how about one that is just plain stupid?  I've come across all of those and it really is tragic. (For example, see my posts here and here.)  I mean, if the whole book was no good, it really wouldn't matter if the ending was no good too, right?  But to take something the reader is really enjoying and mess it up in the end is just, well, messed up.  Tragic.  

The second type of tragic ending is the type that actually ends in tragedy.  That gut-wrenching, heart-breaking tragedy that makes you say No! What?  It is absolutely NOT the ending you wanted, because you have become invested in the character and wanted everything to turn out happily ever after even though you could tell that it wasn't very likely and it would take a darn good author to write such an ending that was actually believable.

I don't like tragic endings.  But I don't like stupid endings either, and I've come to realize that sometimes the tragedy is necessary for a book to make the impression the author wants to make.  To inspire a different set of feelings, ones that move the reader to feel empathy and compassion, and maybe even anger.  To make us think twice and maybe motivate us to make a difference.

Now, I wouldn't want to read a tragic novel everyday (or even every month, because they tend to be so, so sad!) But once in a while is good.  Important even.  In the past few months, I have read two novels with tragic endings that really made an impression on me.  They were both fantastic books, despite the fact that they didn't turn out the way I wanted them to.


The first book is Half Lost by Sally Green.

"You've been away a long time, were you lost?
"I was wounded, not lost."

Nathan Byrn is running again. The Alliance of Free Witches has been all but destroyed. Scattered and demoralized, constantly pursued by the Council’s Hunters, only a bold new strategy can save the rebels from total defeat. They need the missing half of Gabriel’s amulet—an ancient artifact with the power to render its bearer invincible in battle.But the amulet’s guardian—the reclusive and awesomely powerful witch Ledger – has her own agenda. To win her trust, Nathan must travel to America and persuade her to give him the amulet. Combined with the gifts he has inherited from Marcus, the amulet might just be enough to turn the tide for the Alliance and end the bloody civil war between Black and White witches once and for all…

This is the conclusion to the story that began in Half Bad, which I reviewed here.   If you've read my earlier post, you will know that the hero of the story, Nathan, is a character that you quickly become invested in.  The second book in the trilogy continues the themes set forth in the first one, and as you read the final book, you are hoping that Nathan will finally get a break.  That everything will turn out all right, because gosh darn it, he deserves that!  But alas, there is no happily ever after.

Now, before you get mad and say You didn't warn me that there would be a spoiler, I have to say that (aside from the fact that the title of the post kinda warns the reader) the ending was actually quite surprising.  It was absolutely NOT what I was expecting at all. (I could never in a million years have dreamed up what Sally Green came up with, so of course it was completely unexpected.)

I've looked over quite a number of other reviews for this book, and I don't think I came across a single one that liked the ending.  When I first finished the last page (and dried my tears because, yes, it is so, so, sad!), I was also like, I hate that ending! Why did she end it like that?!  Because to be honest, the ending was a bit strange, and I didn't really get it at first.  But as I thought about it over the next hour or so, I realized that the ending was, in fact, perfect. It actually made a lot of sense, especially if you thought back to the conversations Nathan had with Ledger.  It really made a whole lot more sense than a happily ever after ending, given everything that had happened up until that point.  And it left the story on a bittersweet note, with a sense of hope that, in time, everything could be all right after all, and as long as there is hope, all is not lost.

Rating:  4.5 Stars
Reading Level: 4.6
Age Appropriate: Upper Grades
Page Count/Word Count:  340/81,665
Genre:  Action/Adventure, Coming of Age, Fantasy, Paranormal/Supernatural
Keywords:  witches, friendship, self-discovery, *

The second book I read is The Storyteller by Antonia Michaelis.

A good girl.

A bad boy.

A fairy tale that's true.

A truth that is no fairy tale.

It begins the day Anna finds the child's doll on the floor of the student lounge.  When it's claimed by Abel, the school drug dealer, Anna becomes determined to learn more about this mysterious boy with the military haircut and deep blue eyes.  She follows him after school and discovers a secret: Abel is caring for his six-year-old sister Micha, alone.  Anna listens in as he tells her a fairy tale, the story of a little orphan queen pursued by hunters across the oceans for the treasure she carries: her pure diamond heart . . . . But when people Abel has woven into his tale turn up dead, it's Anna whose heart is in danger.  Is she in love with a killer?

The novel is part murder mystery, part romance, and part coming of age (ish - Anna has a lot of angst, but I'm not sure it is ever resolved in the end like a typical coming of age story).  As for the mystery, the author gives just the right amount of hints as the story unfolds to keep the reader guessing, while sometimes thinking that they know exactly who the culprit is, but then changing their mind and thinking it is someone else, but then going back to their original suspicions, and so on and so forth.  All without being the least bit frustrating.  

Now, this book was originally written in German, so it has a sort of strange rhythm to it (I've noticed the same thing in other books translated from German - especially the parts that are dialogue - the writing sounds kind of stiff and overly formal), but after a while it isn't really noticeable, so don't let it put you off from finishing it. Because it is definitely well worth the read.

This is how the book begins:

BLOOD.

There is blood everywhere.  On his hands, on her hands, on his shirt, on his face, on the tiles, on the small round carpet.  The carpet used to be blue; it will never be blue again.

The blood is red. He is kneeling in it.  He hadn't realized it was so bright . . . big burst droplets, the color of poppies.  They are beautiful, as beautiful as a spring day in a sunny meadow ... but the tiles are cold and white as snow, and it is winter.

The entire first chapter continues in the same way.  It is awesome (in the sense that it is like - wow), and awesome (in the sense of being awe-inspiring and yet a bit fearful), and it immediately had me hooked.  The author uses this stunningly descriptive language of such a horrible scene and mixes it with stream of conscious thoughts to create an achingly vivid picture of the pain and anguish that this 'he' is experiencing.  So you know by the end of this three-page chapter that this is going to be a highly emotional story.  And not emotional in a good way.

This is another heartbreaking novel that made a huge impression on me.  It is a haunting story, not in the sense of ghosts, but in the sense that it lingers in your mind.  For days and days after I finished reading it, I couldn't stop thinking about it.  Let me warn you - do not read this book if you are already feeling a bit down.  And don't read it if you are faint of heart (is that saying left over from the Victorian era, or what?).  It tackles serious issues in a serious way, and I would have to say that it is hands down the most agonizing and poignant novel I have ever read.

This book is gritty, and horrible, and terribly tragic.  But that is what makes it such an intensely powerful, thought-provoking story.  And we should all read one of those every once in a while, so we can remember to count our blessings and not forget to try and make a difference for those who can't.


Rating:  4.5 Stars
Reading Level: 4.7
Age Appropriate: Upper Grades (only!!)
Page Count/Word Count:  402/ l15,503
Genre:  General/Realistic Fiction, Mystery, Romance
Keywords:  brothers & sisters, friendship, murder, abuse