Christopher Guo: "Dear Vina Jie-Min Prasad: No More Open Endings"

Dear Vina Jie-Min Prasad: No More Open Endings

By Christopher Guo

            My favorite series has always been the Percy Jackson series, whether it be Percy Jackson & the Olympians or Heroes of Olympus. However, what left me sad in the first series and what was well done in the second series was the case of a open and closed ending. In The Last Olympian, the ending was when Percy and Annabeth ran up a hill. That kind of ending for me, is less appealing as it makes you think of what they will do in the future. For me, a more closed ending is better as it tells you what happens.

For me, the final book in the Heroes of Olympus series had an ending that was really well done. In Blood of Olympus, after the war was won, it gave some closing on all the main characters. Percy and Annabeth would study in Camp Jupiter, Leo reunited with Calypso, etc… For me, I feel like this ending was pretty well done since it gave the readers a mix between a closed and open ending. It gives the readers a easier predictable path such as knowing how Percy and Annabeth would study in Camp Jupiter for college and even gave hints at raising a family there. What other things can happen, are for that partially open ending, where the reader can imagine the time between the given future events. To make an ending satisfying, I think that people prefer an ending where they know what will happen and easily predictable future outcome. I talked with fellow peers and they mostly all agreed that they were prefer and ending that was not open, even if the ending is negative rather than positive. But I think in the end, giving a book, whether its a series or a standalone, a proper closing ending is the most satisfying as readers won’t be anxious.