Name a Book That Needs a Different Ending

Wow, when we asked which book needs a different ending on Facebook, we didn't realize what we unlocked. There are more than a few of you suffering from unresolved-ending-itus. And more who just didn't like the endings to some beloved books—not that we're judging your reactions. We may be laughing at the volume of books thrown across rooms, and agreeing with you, but we're not judging.

And because we're all about reading books (not throwing them), let's look at why you want different endings for books. Despite the large number of books you want to be rewritten, there are some distinct themes.

No Happy Ending

We understand: life is hard. Books are a known perfect escape. Even J.K. Rowling admits to reading to cope when times are bad. However, perhaps do as she does and choose something with a known happy or inspirational ending.

People Die

Sorry for the blunt heading, but it's true. And characters we love die too. We lost count of how many books "need" different endings because much-loved characters die. Yes, Game of Thrones was on the list, even though the series technically hasn't ended yet.

No Conclusion

You have our sympathies here. It needn't be a great ending, just something that doesn't end as abruptly as a high school essay at the end of the page count. Or as one person commented for Fahrenheit 451, "I swear he must have run out of money for the typewriter."

A Horrible Ending

OK, so it had a conclusion. No one died (well, significant death anyway). It wasn't sad. We just didn't like it. The list here was huge: Harry Potter, Eragon, The Handmaid's Tale, the list continues.

Books Most in Need of a New Ending

These are the titles nominated most frequently. We've tried avoiding spoilers but read ahead at your own risk.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

It's hard to be spoiler-free with Gone Girl. The ending is rather dramatic, all three of them. It meets all the above criteria but one (still trying to keep this spoiler-free).

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

The ending of The Handmaid's Tale does feel like a cop-out. So many unanswered questions. It's also confusing. Men deciding what repressed women must have been thinking? Those wanting a different ending should check out Hulu's television adaptation. Season two goes beyond the book.

The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling and The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins

We grouped these because the endings are both disliked for the same reason. We'll call it 19 Years Later. Some haven't liked what the characters did after the main stories ended. Most are around love choice, but epilogues sometimes make things a little too clean and easy. Hunger Games fans will have to turn to fan fiction to write their preferred ending. Harry Potter fans can read Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Actually, if you don't like the epilogue, perhaps don't.

Others nominated for needing new endings are:

• The Inheritance Cycle series by Christopher Paolini
• His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
• Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Read more by Bianca Smith