Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme that was originally created and hosted by Rukky @ Eternity Books starting in August 2019, and was then cohosted by Dani @ Literary Lion from May 2020 to March 2022. Since April 2022, the meme moved to another host, Aria @ Book Nook Bits. Let’s Talk Bookish is a meme where participants discuss certain topics, share their opinions, and share their love by visiting each other’s posts.

This week’s topic is Which books should get sequels? and is suggested by Ikwords @ Words on key.

Prompts: What books need sequels? Can a great book be ruined by having unnecessary sequels? How do you feel about standalones with “open endings” that feel like a cliffhanger but have no more to the story?

What books need sequels?

I’m not much of a sequel lover. For fantasy it’s of course necessary, because stand alones have a tendency to stay too shallow. Fantasy worlds are often rich and complicated and you just don’t have enough space in one book. Also, thrillers could need sequels. For example the Helen Grace series by M. J. Arlidge work really welll. You can read them as a stand alone as well since there are new cases, but Helen Grace is still the main character and still grows.

Can a great book be ruined by having unnecessary sequels?

Absolutely. Therefore, I really don’t like duologies. The first book often is great, but the second book happens to be dragging most of the time and feels like it’s way too long. It often could have fit in one book with just a few more extra chapters. I also dislike when books that were never meant to get sequels at first, get sequels because people are demanding for them. And trust me, it shows. It often looses its “magic touch” and therefore the entire story gets ruined. Two examples are Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin and The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. They were both meant to be a duology at first but got extended by popular demand. In the case of Serpent & Dove, it went all downhill after the first book and in case of The Inheritance Games it was okay although this series was not my cup of tea at all.

How do you feel about standalones with “open endings” that feel like a cliffhanger but have no more to the story?

I have a massive dislike towards open endings, I don’t want to have to fill in the blanks. I’m more satisfied with a story that is really rounded up. Often they don’t need a sequel, especially not when it’s a contemporary book.

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What do you think about sequels? Should every book get them? Or if not, what kind of book doesn’t need a sequel? Do you think they can ruin an actual good book?