the morning after....mockingjay
I've been in a total reading funk for the past couple of days, you guys. You see, I managed to score an advanced copy of
Darkest Mercy by Melissa Marr (all thanks to
Tara at Hobbitsies, who won a contest. And who is an angel, by the way. She knows how much I never shut up about the
Wicked Lovely series.) I put off reading it for a few weeks, because a) I sometimes loathe the endings of series. I don't think I need to mention
Twilight, because
Breaking Dawn was a total disappointment, in my opinion. b) I didn't want it to end.
It is so very, very rare that I have such a strong emotional attachment to book characters. It's usually a small fling where I'm interested in the characters while I'm reading the book, but my rebound rate is pretty quickly. I can typically close a book, gaze at it fondly and thank it for the good times, then it's onto the next. In fact, I can only recall two other times when I've actually felt more than a brief sadness that the series had ended:
1.
The Twilight Series...er "Saga."Whatever. I was totally blinded by this series and didn't think that anything else out there would ever, EVER live up to the fierceness of Bella and Edward's relationship. Seriously. It was borderline sick. I would go back and read my favorite parts and smile to myself. I'd read the breakup scene in
New Moon and tear up, then flip to the end and flail my arms and make high-pitched noises at the reunion scene. I'd shake my fist at Jacob in
Eclipse for coming between my favorite couple and pound my fist on Bella's name when she kissed Jacob. And I'd read the wedding scene in
Breaking Dawn and then close the book, pretending that the other 600 pages consisted of Bella and Edward "making up for lost time." The only thing I could do was re-read to take away the feeling that something was missing--kind of like chugging a beer the morning after an insane night of partying. It took me awhile to get over it, but thankfully I've moved on to bigger and better things. (I still smile coyly at the books on my shelf and sneak some quick reads in... you know, for old times sake.)
2.
The Hunger Games Series.I grew very attached to these characters based not on the love story, but because Katniss was such an incredible, capable, strong heroine. Totally the antithesis of Bella Swan. It was so refreshing to read a story where the MC could solve her OWN problems, without necessary male intervention. I mourned for every single one of Katniss' losses. More often than not, the turning of events in each book would leave me buzzing with adrenaline and slack-jawed. And, unlike
Breaking Dawn where everything was tied up into a stupid carnation pink bow with babies and werewolves and no violence, there was loss in
Mockingjay. There was sacrifice and pain. I stayed up until 3:00am to finish this book on a work night, shaking the bed with sobs and snot. This book destroyed me for a good period of time. I didn't want to read anything else. I needed an adequate mourning period. I couldn't fix this book hangover by re-reading. I just needed to let the pain run its course.
And now we have the
The Wicked Lovely Series that have ended. Kind of a combination of both reactions. I will eventually re-read these.. but I still think that I need time to let it all marinate and sink in. I'm still drunk off those characters and that world.
I MISS them. I did tweet a little with Melissa Marr about my feelings on the final book and that helped a bit (namedropping, sorry. But for real.. I felt like I was talking to an A-list celebrity!) It's been about a week and I've finally been able to divert my attention to another book, but it's still kind of hard when all I want to do is bribe someone to take a frying pan to my head and pray for temporary amnesia, so I can read the books like it's the first time.
Have YOU ever had a book hangover? Has there been a book/series that's had such a deep impact on you that you felt mildly depressed after the ending? And what do you do to help yourself get over it?
