Stand Alone Books in a Series vs Cliff Hangers. How can I tell which is which?
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I get really frustrated when I have finished the last chapter of a book only to find I am left hanging on the cliff with no clear ending. Many times it has been with a book that I was not even aware was a series/serial book and many times it was clearly marked as a series but I had assumed it was a stand-alone book. Never assume!
This frustration has led me on a journey. The journey to find out how to tell if a series book is a stand-alone book or a to be continued book that just leaves you hanging. I have done some research only to find myself further frustrated. It is not an easy chore to find the answer.
Here is the definition of series vs serial books that I found on Indies Unlimited
According to Wikipedia, a series will typically share a common setting, story arc and characters, for example in crime fiction, adventure or science fiction (i.e. James Bond novels). Although the books have these things in common, they do not link to each other in a chronological way. Each book can stand alone and has its own story arc that comes full circle by the time the book is done. You might choose to read others in the series, but if you don’t, you won’t miss out on a larger, overarching story.
A serial, by contrast, is when a single large work is broken up into separate installments and must be read in order and in its entirety to grasp the larger story (like Lord of the Rings). Each book depends on the one(s) before, and reading out of order or reading only a single book will only confuse and frustrate the reader.
In this article, the author says it would be nice to have a definite description as to if the book is a series or a serial book. Sadly this is not being routinely done which can leave some readers, like me, frustrated.
Series books I have read in the past.
I remember reading this book series decades ago. If I recall correctly the main characters remain the same but the books were stand-alone. I remember little about this series of books except that I did enjoy them.
You can buy the entire series on Amazon or you can buy one book at a time. I wish I knew what happened to my set. I have no idea.
Another series I read was The Mitford Years. I remember reading this in order but I also recall that each story could stand alone to a degree. I think it did play on the events of his life so in that regard it needed to be in order. I remember it is a story about a pastor and his life in a small mountain town.
Series books that I want to read. If I find out they are not stand-alone I would not buy them because what if I did not like the book? I would feel I had to buy the next one to complete the story and I don't like feeling forced to do this. It would leave me frustrated.
Let's check out a few books on my Good Reads Want to Read list.
Bitter Falls by Rachel Caine. Bitter Falls is book #4 in the Stillhouse Lake Series.
"She’s investigating a cold case no one else could—by going places no else would dare."
This book sounds very interesting to me so how do I find out if it stands alone. Looking at GoodReads and Amazon there is no clear cut answer in the description. So now what?
Reading Reviews can at times tell you if the book is stand alone. Here is a quote from an Amazon Review
"The story focuses around Gwen Proctor, her children Lanny and Connor, and live-in boyfriend Sam, all back from Books 1-3. The story continues, but this thriller could easily be read as a standalone book. However, I'm glad I've read the series---in order."
Ask the author. On GoodReads, I messaged the author to find out the answer.
Three days later and I have not received a reply.
Quote from an Amazon Reviewer
Even if cliff hangers bother you, you should still READ THIS BOOK!!! It is that well written. I only hope the next book keeps up the pace and is as good as this one.
and another comment
Yes, it's a cliffhanger, but I'm looking forward to book 2 with anticipation I have not felt in a long time.
So with all this being said, I remained confused. One person says it stands alone and two people describe it as a cliffhanger. Does the book stand alone seems to be the unanswered question. I have asked this question of the author and several reviewers in an attempt to get a straight forward answer. Let's see what happens. (Days later and I have received no answers.) I have decided not to order this book because it sounds like it is a serial book. If I receive a definite answer to my question I may order later.
To Say Nothing of the Dog(Oxford Time Travel #2)
This book received great reviews on YouTube so I decided I would check it out. The first thing I noticed when I was researching the book was that it is #2 in a series called Oxford Time Travel. Now I need to find out does it stand-alone or is it a cliff hanger.
Again there is no clear cut answer in the book descriptions.
I looked up the series title. When I looked up Oxford Time Travel I found that one reviewer said the books are loosely connected.
"The Oxford Time Travel series is a series of science fiction stories and novels by American author Connie Willis. The series is a loosely connected books set at Oxford University. The stories revolve around history students at the world-renowned university traveling through time. Some of the characters appear in multiple stories."
"All of the Oxford Time Travel series can stand as independent novels except Blackout/All Clear, which is part 1 and part 2 of the same story."
After my research, I feel better about ordering this book. I feel confident it would stand alone and that the book would come to some type of conclusion.
Recently I have read two books both from a series. The first was "Archibald Finch and The Lost Witches-Book One". I thought the premise of the book was great and the illustrations beautiful I was not all that thrilled with the content. Then when I finally finished the book, albeit with much skimming, I was angered by being left on a cliff. Now I have the choice of ordering book two to find out what happens or just moving on. I have decided to move on. Sadly I have this lovely book with no end. I think I will give it away. If I do give it away I will let the recipient know that it is a serial book.
This was the first in a series and it did not stand alone and left you completely up in the air. How did I feel when I finished the book? I felt cheated. Cheated in that there was no conclusion and cheated of my money because I did not like the book enough to go out and buy the sequel. It is better to have a bad ending then no ending at all is my motto. I did give it 3 stars which meant it was ok but not for me.
I just scanned GoodReads to see if there are any descriptions as to it being a non-standalone book and could not find anything but my review in which I do tell everyone it is not a stand-alone book.
Another series book I read recently was "City of Ghosts" by Victoria Schwab, The Cassidy Blake Series. This book read like a series and not a serial book. I totally enjoyed it. I am sure in the next book many of the main characters remain the same and the theme will probably remain the same. What I liked in this book is that the story had a beginning, a middle, and a definite end. I was not left hanging and really enjoyed the book. I have ordered the second book and I look forward to having this series on my bookshelf for myself and my grandkids.
So what should I do if I come across a series book and am unable to determine if it stands alone? I think I would see if the library had a copy. If it ends up being a cliffhanger and I don't love the book I can just return the book if I end up loving the book and can't wait to read more it may lead me to purchase the series.
A few possible ways to decide if a book stands alone.
Read reviews on Amazon and Good Reads. YouTube may have some reviews also. Look up the title of the book series, maybe you can find an overview
Read Book descriptions
Ask the Author
Ask book reviewers
I would love to know your thoughts on this topic. Just put a reply in the comment box.
Happy Reading Everyone!
KathieyV:-)
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