Side Quests: What Makes a Great Book Ending?

Unpacking insights from authors Antoine Wilson and Laila Lalami—plus 8 book recs with strong endings.

Welcome to Side Quests, a monthly newsletter series in which I go down reflective rabbit holes related to my recent reads or reading life more broadly. No spoilers unless explicitly noted.

I recently went to an event for the release of new book The Dream Hotel by author Laila Lalami. I’m new to her work but this one sounds like everything I enjoy—literary but speculative—plus she was in conversation with Antoine Wilson, the author of one of my favorite books, Mouth to Mouth.

In sharing some spoiler-free setup about The Dream Hotel, Wilson mentioned that the book’s ending was very strong. This caught my attention because if I love anything, it’s a strong ending. A great ending can absolutely make the difference between a book I enjoy and one that becomes a new five-star favorite—it’s often what makes a book stand out in my memory long after reading it.

This prompted me to ask during the Q&A how Wilson and Lalami, as authors, come up with this kind of great ending. Wilson joked that it simply has to simultaneously feel completely surprising and inevitable—as if that’s an easy feat to accomplish. And yet, the best authors do manage to pull it off.

So what makes a “good” ending? Wilson’s joke was completely on point: the best endings offer a balance of surprise and inevitability.

Surprise

As a reader, you likely don’t want to see a book’s ending coming. There are a few ways to accomplish this: a last minute event takes place that you didn’t expect; or perhaps some final information is revealed that either slightly shifts or completely changes your view on a character or the plot overall. This could happen as part of the regular narrative; or, there could be an additional element of surprise introduced via the structure of the ending: maybe there’s a last section that’s a letter or document, or maybe there’s a sudden switch in character perspective. These surprises can range from high-stakes to something more quiet and interior—but either way, they present something unexpected.

Inevitability

Surprise is important—but there must also be an element of inevitability. A last minute curveball or reveal coming out of left field is not effective—there has to be a sense that this ending was always in the cards. It has to feel organic to the story as a whole and true to the characters as they’ve been revealed throughout; otherwise you end up with something that feels cheap and unearned. It’s this alchemical balance that some authors manage to pull off, like a magic trick, that elevate an ending from fine to great.

A few distinctions worth making here: I think you can have a satisfying ending that isn’t necessarily STRONG. Some books in genres like romance may lack the element of surprise, but they deliver in full on the inevitability piece, for example. Some thrillers or mysteries are filled with surprise but will go one twist too far, taking the ending from compelling to literally unbelievable. Perhaps the most controversial ending is one that’s inconclusive, a tool that can be incredibly effective or incredibly frustrating depending on the execution. I’m most interested in books with endings that do more than just satisfy; I prefer that they pack a memorable punch. In particular, I love nothing more than a BOLD ending—it may be polarizing, but it’s a CHOICE made with intentionality that makes the book unforgettable and great fodder for discussion.

What are your thoughts on endings? Let me know in the comments; and in the meantime, here are a few of my favorite books with strong, fantastic endings:

The Laughter by Sonora Jha (Literary Fiction). A white male professor develops a dangerous obsession with a Pakistani colleague.

• The construction of this book is excellent all around, from knowing at the start that a teenaged boy ends up badly injured in the hospital and delivering a slow boil and build towards the inevitable finale.

Mouth to Mouth by Antoine Wilson (Literary Fiction). In a first-class lounge at an airport, our narrator listens as another man shares his life story, which changed course years before after resuscitating a drowning man.

• The ending here really serves as a full-circle moment for our main themes, plot, and character development throughout—exactly the kind of breath-holding-to-the-last-moment ending that I adore.

A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza (Literary Fiction). As an Indian-American Muslim family gathers for their eldest daughter’s wedding, the youngest of the siblings reunites with them all for the first time in three years.

• The ending of this one is powerful in a more character-driven, emotionally revelatory way (plus POV and structure plays a role).

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie (Mystery, Classic). In a small English village, a widow dies from an overdose—and not 24 hours later, her husband-to-be is also found dead.

• Avoid spoilers like the plague for this classic Christie—just dive in and let the story unfold. Without getting into the details, this book was so formative and foundational for many mystery and suspense books published today.

Leaving by Roxana Robinson (Literary Fiction). Sarah and Warren’s love story ended suddenly in college—and now, decades later, a chance meeting brings them back together.

• The ending of this one felt so perfect to me, right in line with the various themes and operatic allusions throughout.

The Push by Ashley Audrain (Psychological Suspense). Blythe is determined to be the great mom she never had—but upon birth of daughter Violet, soon becomes convinced not all is normal with the baby.

• A bone-chilling ending, in the best possible way.

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell (Psychological Thriller). On her 25th birthday, Libby Jones learns who she really is and that she’s inherited an abandoned mansion in London. She’s been waiting for this day—but so have others.

• This thriller has a mic drop of an ending that gave me chills and still lives in my brain rent free.

Passing by Nella Larsen (Literary Classic). Two light-skinned Black women reconnect after choosing different life paths—one passing for white, one staying with her Black community.

• Another gasp-worthy ending, always extra fun when encountered within a literary classic.

I would love to hear if you have other recommendations for books with great endings—let me know in the comments! If you enjoyed this piece please subscribe and stick around for more fun guides and essays.