In my personal life i don’t really have anyone that is into books like me so i can’t rant about this author and her books so I decided to post here, along with that i haven’t really seen a post talking about Natasha Preston, i’ve picked up 4 of her books and have currently read 2 of them. The positives i have with the books is that they have had me on the edge of my seat and made me want to keep turning the page, never putting the book down. They’re simple to understand, basically YA, they are pretty spooky so it’s a good read in fall when Halloween is approaching.
However, the negatives want me to never pick up another one of her books again. It seems like every book she has always ends in a cliffhanger ending/is open to interpretation. I hate books like that, in a series it’s okay because i know im going to get the ending, but stand alone it doesn’t satisfy me at all. The recent book i read is called The Haunting, it’s really good, made me love all the main characters, want the downfall of a mean girl but be upset when she is killed because you actually don’t want that! The plot twist is super good, I didn’t expect it coming from a mile away. But then the lackluster ending where Zayn attacks the killer, Nash pulls out a gun, screams “No!” then “Bang.” Book ends and that’s it, no seeing the real killer in jail and the father released, Penny and Nash being real friends again and helping each other through all this trauma, the town finally free of this murder stain on it, etc. It’s so lackluster and feels not satisfying to me at all, I’m just not happy with how her books end. Others may definitely enjoy it but i just can’t read the books anymore.
by thehorrordoll
20 Comments
Omg I literally just finished this book 5 mins ago and googled cliffhanger endings. I’m so pissed with the way it ended!!
Idky I keep buying her books. Her endings will always disappoint. Just finished this book two minutes ago and had to run to the internet for back up because there’s no possible way I’m the only one absolutely disappointed. Because I’m me- I’ll probably still read the unread two books in my closet. I’ll probably still buy others when I see them for sale. And I’ll probably always be disappointed and wonder why I do this to myself. Everything up until the end was a great read. Hell I read it in a day. But that end. Ugh.
Im so angry about the ending. I just finished the book and I’m struggling to process it. I’m not buying her books again and she answers everyone on good reads and is like “nope no plans for a sequel” for like half of her thriller books. I get leaving it like that is so everyone can have their own interpretation but I seek fucking justice for the ones who were killed and who were wrongly accused.
I love how we all just finished The Haunting and immediately ran here to vent about that horrible ending. Like you can’t leave us questioning like that! I loved the plot hated the ending.
I was sat thinking “yeah the cops will come, the main fed woman will save everyone before Grace has a chance to kill them (apart from Omar but he was a murderer so heyho). It will definitely end with them all in Adi’s hospital room because she obv didn’t really die. They’ll be talking on how Nash and Pen are going to get back together and how Jackson will be released from prison”
And while this predictable ending would have annoyed me terribly, it’s nothing compared to how I feel being left with absolutely no closure. Like wtf.
Ruined my week 😂
Literally just put the book down. Actually I threw it across the room. Then immediately started looking for answers and saw your post.
The unfortunate part is that this was my first Preston book. I also have The Island. [Christmas gifts from my mother in law.] And now I’m worried I’m going to be wasting my time on her books if the endings are so abrupt. Like I’m hyped on adrenaline at 1am now with a billion questions.
Which sucks cuz her writing was so incredibly immersive and vivid and real. I feel like being stabbed by Preston herself would be less painful than having that cliffhanger.
I don’t understand Natasha Preston she is such a great author and yet I hate her so much why have I wasted so much money on her books I hate her I love her writing style and I need closure!
So glad this exists. I also just put the book down and immediately ran for the internet. This doesn’t feel so much like a true cliffhanger ending as much as it does Preston ended a chapter and just didn’t feel like finishing the book, so she called it good there. Which sucks, because the rest of the book was good! I feel like an actually ending cliffhanger would be that Penny ends up questioning Nash after everything and whether or not he’ll turn into his sister. He’s watched his family implode because of her, how could you expect him to stay sane? Idk, it just felt drawn out and rushed at the same time, and then it didn’t end so much as abruptly stopped.
So glad I found this thread. Literally just finished this book a few mins ago and went wtf. Ran straight to google and now I’m here. Now that I know all her books end like this I definitely won’t waste time reading any others which is a shame because I fully enjoyed it up until the ending.
Seriously the worst ending to any book I have ever read! So disappointing. I loved the storyline and was looking forward to how it was going to end… still looking 🙄
The Haunting. The first and last book I’ll ever read by Natasha Preston. First off, you know dang well you want people to think with the word “Haunting” that there might be some ghosts involved. Spoiler alert, nothing is haunted. But this ending ? Really. You suck. That was not brilliant. Cliffhangers are one thing, but you literally built everyone up to give no ending. At least we know who did the killing and you are totalling ripping off Scream. You took a brilliant story, did your own twist and made it your own. Copy cat and lame !
PS….. One of the most horrible movies ever made, Howard the Duck got a better ending than the book The Haunting. That should tell you ALL you need to know.
The first two I read were The Cellar and Awake. I loved both and their endings. I read The Fear and loved that one the ending def shocked me but it was a def a cliffhanger and I wasn’t happy with it lol. I finished The Lake and liked the story but HATED the ending it was so fast and a huge cliffhanger which I can’t stand lol. I prefer her books that have happy/somewhat happy endings that are more tied up. That’s how I felt about Awake and The Cellar but the last two I read def disappointed me. I just wanna know which ones have endings that tie up lose ends like the Cellar and Awake and only read those lol
My grandparents gifted me five of Natasha Preston’s books for Christmas. I was very unsure if I would like them since most published wattpad books have never been something I liked, but her writing is genuinely good! Endings are complete shit, especially for “The Haunting” 😭
The Haunting was very much like the scream franchise but despite that, the storyline wasn’t horrible (imo), although it was definitely predictable.
I legit couldn’t believe the ending and thought that a page was missing or something. I guess it’s open for interpretation and we can assume it’s a happy ending for our main cast, but it’s just annoying that it left off on something so unresolved. Genuinely put me in a reading funk for a couple of days.
I am currently reading “The Island” it’s not bad but it’s not as good as “The Cellar” which is currently my favorite of Preston’s books thus far.
I just finished reading the haunting and I am sooooo mad. Cliffhangers are not ending. If all of her books end like this I will need read another one.
I just finished the haunting today and I was like who got shot, who did the shooting, who’s a live, who died. I immediately had to search to see if there was a book 2.
I’ve just finished The Island, after also reading The Haunting, The Twin and The Fear and honestly wtf. Each time I get sucked in by the great easy to read writing, and wanting to know what’s next, but the endings don’t leave me remotely satisfied ever. The occasional cliffhanger or bad ending is fine, the fact that all of the ones I’ve read so far have cliffhangers though… it’s ridiculous and I’m done 🙁
Just finished the haunting two minutes ago- this is the fourth book I’ve read from her. Massive fan of her writing style but her ending leave me in a slump. I’ve read the fear, the island, the lake, and now the haunting. I just wish the ending didn’t seem so forced and we atleast got some closure from her personally. Even if it wasn’t in the book, I would have loved to know if the girl in the island lived, if the girl from the lake was truly arrested, who got shot in the haunting, and if she made it out alive in the fear. Really makes me dread her books.
Just finished this about 15 minutes ago. Ngl, I had a hard time not chucking the book across the room. I am PISSED.
WHY?!
I bought this one and The Island. But I can’t bring myself to read it after finishing The Haunting.
I dunno why but this feels like a huge betrayal.
Jesus.
Yeah, she got people talking about her. But I’m not sure it’s a good thing.
I made a reddit account JUST to comment because of the ending in The Haunting. Throughout the book, I thought for sure I found a new author to indulge. Personally, I don’t enjoy cliffhangers. I understand when there is a sequel, that’s great, more to read. Leaving this open to interpretation, not my jam. Lesson learned, I get it. A while back, I was looking at her other books to enjoy. I’m glad I read most of these comments about her other books, so I know to steer clear. It’s just not for me. Thank you all!