8 Books with Endings I Didn't See Coming

I love a book that makes me think I know exactly where it is going, only to pull the rug out from under me. In life I hate surprises, but in books, I crave them!

Not every ending has to be a huge thriller-style twist. Sometimes it is a reveal that completely changes how you look at the story. Sometimes it makes you question everything you read before and immediately start texting everyone you know because you need to talk about it.

These are eight books with endings I genuinely didn't see coming. I am keeping this completely spoiler free, because you need to experience these for yourself.

Pen Pal by J.T. Geissinger

I went into this thinking I was reading a dark romance with a little paranormal element to it. I love a good ghost story. While that is what you get, it's also so much more.

Pen Pal's atmosphere is unsettling right from the beginning, but the ending is what really makes it memorable. It is twisty, emotional, and the kind of reveal that makes you question everything. I know this book is not for everyone, but it absolutely earns a place on this list because I did not see that ending coming and I haven't spoken to anyone who has.

The Measure by Nikki Erlick

The Measure slowly builds this emotional connection with you, and then punches you in the gut.

The premise is fascinating: everyone receives a box containing a string that reveals the length of their life. The book is less about the mystery of the boxes and more about what people do with the knowledge they have been given. While the entire book I was thinking of what I would do if I was in the situation. The ending really had me exploring how we decide what makes a life meaningful.

The Grace Year by Kim Liggett

This book feels like a fever dream. Think Handmaids Tale meets Lord of the Flies.

The Grace Year is intense, unsettling, and full of events that make it hard to put down. I went into it expecting a dystopian survival story, and while it is definitely that, the ending was twisty in the best way. While I did get a feeling about part of this ending, as a whole it was completely unexpected and I need more people to read this so I can talk about it.

That’s Not My Name by Megan Lally

Megan Lally is from Oregon, which is one of the main reasons I picked this one up. It's definitely not why I will be a forever fan.

That’s Not My Name pulls you in quickly with a traumatized boyfriend looking for his missing girlfriend, a girl with no memory, and the eerie feeling that something is very wrong. I kept thinking I had it figured out, then changing my mind, then changing my mind again. The ending was fast, tense, and a slap in the face to wake you up from the trance you had been in for the last 300 pages. Megan Lally is the queen of twists for me.

The Chain by Adrian McKinty

The Chain is terrifying. Your child is taken, and the only way to get them back is to take someone else’s child.

This book is stressful, but what surprised me most was where the story eventually went. I expected a tense thriller, and I got one, but the ending added a layer I was not prepared for. It is one of those books that keeps raising the stakes until you think they can't go any higher, but oh...they can!

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

The ending of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, changes the entire emotional connection you have with the book.

Evelyn Hugo is glamorous, complicated, ambitious, and impossible to ignore. I expected old Hollywood drama, romance, secrets, and scandal, and I got all of that. But the ending is another that makes you question everything that came before it. It made me view the characters in a new way, and because of the ending it is on my list of all time favorites.

The No-Show by Beth O’Leary

The No-Show feels like it is going to be a charming, slightly messy romance about three women who have all been stood up by the same man. I mean, thats the premise right?

This is one of those books where the structure really matters. The more you read, the more you realize there is a bigger picture forming, and by the end, everything clicks into place in a way I did not expect. It is emotional, clever, and much more layered than it first appears. If you need a twist that leaves you feeling all the feels, this is the one for you.

The Idea of You by Robinne Lee

The ending of The Idea of You isn't on this list because it shocked me in a good way, but in a "I got emotionally attached to these characters for that?" kind of way..

The Idea of You is about an older woman who begins a relationship with her daughters favorite boy band member. The ending is one of those conclusions that people have very strong feelings about. Whether you love it, hate it, or need several business days to recover from it, it is unforgettable. I am so thankful that when doing the adaptation, they changed the ending. This is one of the times where the adaptation is better than the book. (Sorry Robinne!)

Final Thoughts

The best unexpected endings are not just surprising for the sake of being surprising. They make you feel something. They make you rethink the story. They make you want to hand the book to someone else immediately, just so they can experience it too.

These eight books all did that for me in different ways. Some shocked me. Some hurt my feelings. Some made me sit there questioning everything I had just read. And honestly, that is exactly why I love them.

Have you read any of these? Which book ending completely caught you off guard?