It’s been quite a while since I’ve been truly and
wholeheartedly invested in a book series of any kind, let alone a YA one. There
are books I’ve really enjoyed that were part of a series but I seldom felt the
need to continue with the other parts of the trilogy/quadrilogy/series/saga
(can we seriously start limiting what we allow to be called a saga? Twilight
was not a saga. Hush Hush was not a saga. To quote Cleolinda Jones, give me
Vikings or go home!) To give an example, I really enjoyed Beth Revis’s “Across
the Universe” but had no burning urge to read the second book upon its release.
This is partially due to my own preference for stand-alone
novels. I like my stories to be self-contained. If it must continue into
another novel then I’d rather that the story is able to stand on its own on
some level. No cheap cliff-hangers, for example. You have to earn that
privilege, authors!
The waiting periods between books are also part of the
reason I have no drive to stick with a series. On average, although times
differ wildly, one can wait up to a year to see what happens next in the
universe they love. Sometimes I just don’t care as much by the time release
date rolls in. Then again, indie and self-publishing has sped up the process dramatically
lately and I still don’t really care. This probably has more to do with my
complete lack of interest in most of the mainstream series on offer from indie
writers.
One element of series in YA that I’ve really become sick of
is their seemingly endless length. Stand-alone reads turn into trilogies, and
then there are multiple add-ons, prequels, midquels, spin-offs and further unnecessary additions that just leave me exhausted. Several notable examples
come to mind. “Hush Hush” started out as a stand-alone novel that became a
duology when Becca Fitzpatrick’s agent organised the deal, then it became a
trilogy, then a quadrilogy. Not a saga, never a saga. Cassandra Clare’s
original trilogy for “The Mortal Instruments” is now a 6 part series with
several short stories, a prequel trilogy and about three spin-off trilogies,
the last time I counted, taking the definition of “flogging a dead horse” to a
whole new level. I’ve previously discussed the add-on novellas and short
stories phenomenon which has risen in popularity with the increased number of
e-reader users. Sometimes the story just doesn’t end.
So why is this? The simplest answer is usually the right
one, and in this instance I think it’s business related. It’s a safer
investment for a publisher to hedge their bets with something that’s already
proven itself to be successful than to take risks. You can build hype and a fan-base
with an ongoing saga that doesn’t quite work with a stand-alone. Of course,
there are exceptions. John Green comes to mind but he comes with the sort of
die-hard fanbase and mainstream critical reception that most authors can only
dream of. A series gives an author the opportunity to truly expand their
universe and the characters within, but like my stated issues with the phenomenon
of add-on novellas, I wonder if continuing to stretch out a series long after
the author’s original intentions is a good idea from a storytelling point of
view.
How much is it possible to stretch a basic story idea? “Hush
Hush” was already light on plot before it became a quadrilogy, and it’s pretty
obvious to the keen eyed reader that the author is working with very little
plot and the same level of world building. You can only spread a basic idea so
thin before it snaps if you don’t have the basic foundations of characterisation
and world building in place. It’s one thing if you’re working with middle Earth
or Westeros but “Hush Hush” was hardly on that level.
Romance is usually best suited to a secondary role in a
story, or at least one supported by an interesting cast, well developed world
or side plots to keep the reader intrigued. When the romance is your central
focus over the course of four or five books, several more than originally
intended, you really have no choice but to hastily assemble side-plots and the
like to sustain the series. As a result, the progression of the story feels far
less natural and as a reader, I just don’t care.
I completely understand the concept of an author becoming
very attached to their work and not wanting to let go of that world. It’s one
of the reasons the add-on novellas has become as popular as it has, outside of
business related ones, of course. However, objectively speaking, do the author’s
desires always equal the reality of the story? I can name more than a few
authors whose inability to let go of their world ended up ruining what were
previously strong series (I’m looking at you, Laurell K. Hamilton). Sometimes,
it’s good just to have an ending. Resolution can often be far more satisfying
than a never-ending journey. It may not be as financially satisfying for
publishers, but as a reader, I know what I would prefer.