5 books to read if you love twist endings
Hands up if you love a good twist ending. There’s something so delicious about being engrossed in a book for days/weeks/months (depending upon how quickly you devour your books), and then speeding through the final act with a slack jaw. If, like me, you love being blown away by a book’s denouement, then you should add these to your reading list.
1. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
If you haven’t heard of this Aussie author before now, you can thank me after you’ve read her most famous offering – Big Little Lies. After being adapted into a masterful television series in 2016, this book was on everyone’s lips, and with good reason. Set in an affluent coastal town in Sydney’s northern beaches area, it follows the lives of several mothers, whose children all start kindergarten at the local public school. Early on, we know that a crime has been committed, and that someone is dead. But that’s not the only secret that will keep you turning the pages.
2. Looking for Alaska by John Green
This debut novel from acclaimed young adult author John Green will pull the rug out from under you in its final act. As with many a popular teen novel, this one is set at a boarding school, but, based on Green’s own high school experiences, these students aren’t perfectly-behaved, well-adjusted kids. When the protagonist, Miles (“Pudge”) Halter meets and falls in love with Alaska Young, he finds his life changed forever. You might say the same after you’ve finished this award-winning masterpiece.
3. Life of Pi by Yann Martel
When Piscine “Pi” Matel’s father decides to move his family from India to Canada, they sell their zoo’s animals and board a freight ship. When the ship encounters a storm, it sinks, with Pi’s family and most of the animals trapped on board. Pi manages to board a life boat with several animals, and, well, you can read it for yourself.
4. Atonement by Ian McEwen
This haunting novel set in pre- and post-war England tells the story of a young girl who accuses a man of committing a heinous crime. To say more risks spoiling the novel, but trust me when I say you won’t see this ending coming.
5. Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
With a cult following that swelled with the release of the film adaptation, this book will lead you down a rabbit hole into a violent, subversive world. If you haven’t seen the film, then you might not have had this book’s twist spoiled for you yet, and that’s great news. Just follow the first rule of Fight Club and don’t tell anyone else what happens.
What’s your favourite book with a great twist ending? (No spoilers, though!)