Score

Interesting how most of these have upsetting endings. I guess it makes sense that people would have strong reactions against a death or other upsetting things, but I mean, how can Bridge to Terabithia be #2 for worst endings? It's horribly sad, yes, but very well-written and moving. It's also kind of the whole point of the book, heh.

Janna wrote: "Interesting how most of these have upsetting endings. I guess it makes sense that people would have strong reactions against a death or other upsetting things, but I mean, how can Bridge to Terabit..."

Well i think these are just up here for having the worst ending not because it was a bad book.

I know, I didn't say that. I just meant that I think a lot of these endings aren't bad at all; they simply had a beloved character die at the end or something like that, which makes people unhappy.

ok so unhappy endings.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame??? Old Yeller???? I agree, Janna; most of these are upsetting, not "worst endings ever..."

The giver had the absolute worst ending a book could ever have. It was so unclear and ruined the whole story.

What the heck??
Just because an ending is sad doesn't mean that it's bad. Romeo and Juliet? Bridge to Terabithia? Where the Red Fern Grows? Those books are supposed to end that way! The ending is the entire point of the book. Any other ending wouldn't make sense.

I swear, these lists are starting to make me lose faith in goodreads.

For the most part, i agree with Emily. Bridge to Terabithia was one of my favorite books ever. And Romeo and Juliet would not have been a good book if if had ended differently. There are some books on this list though where the authors made big mistakes towards the endings.

I like unhappy endings for books; sometimes they are the right fit. I think a lot of Hollywood movies are spoiled by having a happy ending.
The ending of The Lovely Bones really did ruin the rest of the book for me.

I have to say this list is absolutely rediculous! I don't understand why some of these books are even on here. Some novels are sad yes but worst endings? I mean BOTH the Hunger Games Books, the Giver, 7th Harry Potter, and Romeo and Juliet come on? A few endings a character does die or the author leaves you hanging but that doesn't mean its a bad ending. People actually voted for Romeo and Juliet and everyone knows how its going to end no big suprise there. I'm beginning to think people voting on this list are just haters or their misconfusing this list with sad endings. For instsnce I haven't even read the book They Never Came Home, but I'm pretty sure its not going to end with people going home. What a furiating misunderstanding! >=(

You missed the worst ending in the world...The Kiterunner. A kid who can stab people and help the "hero" get away from the bad guys just goes depressive and won't talk after a year just because the hero left him behind? Please... just bad.

Maybe the heading should have been I got to end of the book and I wanted my money back or I got to the end of the book and threw it against the wall because I was soo angry at the awful ending :)

This World We Live In

Hannah wrote: "The giver had the absolute worst ending a book could ever have. It was so unclear and ruined the whole story."

It was supposed to be open to interpretation. That was the whole point.

Breaking Dawn did sort of have a bad ending because all that preparation and no war. But Bridge to Terabithia? The Hunger Games? I love that book. Just because people die doesn't make a book bad. Some of these books do deserve to be here though.

I've read a fair few of the books on the list and lots of them I didn't think the ending was bad. Maybe some were a little depressing but that was just part of the story.

Some of these are so silly. Just because the ending is sad, does NOT make it bad.

COME ON, Romeo and Juliet? IF it didn't have the horribly sad ending it wouldn't be the play we all know. It was so much more about blood feuds than love though, but the ending HAD to be there. I COMPLETELY disagree that that was a bad ending at all. It broke your heart but made the two families realize how STUPID they were being. They drove their two youngest to kill themselves. They had to feel bad, and they rightfully should feel bad. It was meant to have such an ending.

There should be a separate list for sad endings and actually horribly written endings. Horribly written endings: A Mango-Shaped Space, Out of my Mind, and many others I can think of. Sad isn't necessarily bad. If it fits with the story it's okay too.

Janna wrote: "I know, I didn't say that. I just meant that I think a lot of these endings aren't bad at all; they simply had a beloved character die at the end or something like that, which makes people unhappy."

I agree with you there. I voted for The Fire of Ares because the ending was too happy and it lost some of its realism, which let down a really good book.