Top 10 Endings: "Wee!', "Whoa!" and "What?!"

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Each week we will post a new Top Ten list that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

This Week's Topic: Top 10 Book Endings

So if we are going to talk about good books (which is always my goal here, as you know...) I think it can be said that there are three common reactions to the end of a story. They are: "Wee!", "Whoa!" and "What?!"... (The general reaction I have to a book I don't like is "Why?" ... Why did you disappoint me? Why didn't I like you? And why can't I get a refund? But let's not go there, hm?) With this in mind, this week's Top 10 Tuesday is going to be divided into three sections. I am going to be going for vagueness as much as possible, but if something needs a spoiler, it will be marked as usual.

Wee! (This refers to a book that ended perfectly, possibly even exceptionally.)

1. The Sky Is Everywhere
by Jandy Nelson

One of the most surefire ways for a book to receive my award, The Kat's Meow, is for me to feel like I didn't want the book to end even though realistically I know (and feel) it ended perfectly. That is the kind of ending that The Sky Is Everywhere had. It was sweet where it needed to be, real where it should be and tied up everything that could be tied while leaving what could not be tied in a state that was true to what the book was about (referring to Bailey's death here.) Everything about the ending felt perfect to me.

2. Shut Out
by Kody Keplinger

Another way to get The Kat's Meow is to make me want to crawl inside the book and become a character. That's how I felt here. Not only was the book hilarious, empowering and a total page turner, but the ending covered everything the reader would want to have covered here. By the time it's all said and done it's nice to see that (Spoiler: Lissa has achieved her goal, hasn't gotten back together with her jerky ex, and is on her way to go on a date with an awesome guy.)

3. Chain Reaction
by Simone Elkeles

Normally when I talk about the Perfect Chemistry trilogy I talk about the first book. But if we are talking about endings this week, I think that talking about the last book is more telling. Chain Reaction had a lot riding on it as far as endings go and it nailed everything. (And I do mean everything -- even Mi'ama Fuentes gets her own little happy ending -- I found that really adorable.) The other thing, as far as Chain Reaction's ending in and of itself that I liked, was that Nikki had such a direct role in the resolution of the book's climax.

Whoa! (This refers to a book that ended on a cliffhanger so powerful that it demands that you find out what happens next.)

4. Awakened
by P.C. & Kristen Cast

The House of Night series is notorious for cliffhangers. They generally aren't the "Oh no! Look out!" variety, though. Rather, what tends to be the case is that the heroes end up somewhere and they know that a major issue is looming over them. Awakened stood out for me because both Zoey and Stevie Rae are with guys who have some pretty serious issues going on. Will Kalona's connection with Stark destroy what they have? And how will Rephaim deal with his longing to take to the sky? Can he be a true follower of Nyx and stay with Stevie Rae, or will something go wrong?

5. Wither
by Lauren DeStefano

Oh, man! Rhine, what have you got yourself into? And Linden... You poor dear, I feel so sorry for you. What do we actually know about you, Gabriel? That better get fixed up in the sequel because right now I want Rhine and Linden together. And will Rhine ever find her brother? This is all without considering the madness that is Vaughn and what diabolical measures he'll be willing to go to in order to get what he wants. My head is spinning from thinking of all this. But I think you get the picture: I'm dying to read Fever when it releases.

6. Bumped
by Megan McCafferty

Can Melody and Zen be together? How will her family react to that? What is going to happen to Harmony? Will she end up with Jondoe? And what is Ram's past all about? I get the feeling that there is something about him that's really important that we don't know and I am dying to find out what that is. What will happen to the baby? So many questions... I can't wait for the sequel!

What?! (This refers to a book that has something so shocking or moving that happens at or near the end that you are still reeling / recovering from / pondering it days later)

7. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
by J.K. Rowling

I somehow doubt I'm the only one who shed tears by the end of this book. In fact, I know I'm not the only person at my house who did. (My grandma cried at the end of the movie, too. Hello, awkward!) If you have read this, I'm sure you know why. If you haven't read this, you really need to. The Harry Potter books, as a whole, are absolutely fantastic. (If you love the movies you should still read them -- the books have many details you are missing...)

8. Invincible Summer
by Hannah Moskowitz

When's the last time that you read a book where the end made you scream "No!"? It's not the kind of reading I would want to do all the time, but occasionally I think it's good for a book to do something that shocks or rocks a reader to their core. The ending of Invincible Summer did that to me. I took a chance getting this book -- definitely a bit outside my comfort zone -- but I am glad that I did.

9. Will Grayson, Will Grayson
by John Green and David Levithan

I think I can sum my reaction to the end of Will Grayson, Will Grayson with one "simple" question: Who Ends Up With Tiny Cooper? Seriously. The ending leaves this up to interpretation, in my opinion, and that totally drove me nuts! I loved the book, but this aspect of its ending really threw me for a loop.

10. Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy #3)
by Richelle Mead

Holy crap! Poor Dmitri. Poor Rose. Poor Lissa. Poor Adrian. You seeing a pattern here? Shadow Kiss was a totally fabulous book all around, but the ending is mindblowingly sad on so many levels. Someday I will get around to reading Blood Promise, I swear. (I have it, but for some reason it's being difficult...) I must know what happens to these characters, though. Because that ending? Wow. Wow. Wow. I can't think of another word to convey it but (yet again...) wow.

So, what books had endings that knocked your socks off? I'm ready to hear about the good, the bad and the ugly so make sure to share your thoughts in the comments. Thanks for dropping by my blog!