Discussion Day (2): Let's talk about sequels!

 :: Second of my Discussion Day posts. Where every month, I will have a different book related topic. Go to my ARCHIVE page for past DD posts.This month we are talking about: SEQUELS. Next month: YOUR BOOKSHELF GENRES. ::

WHAT SEQUELS SHOULD BE and SHOULDN'T BE LIKE (ACCORDING TO ME):

~ THIS IS ONLY MY RAMBLINGS, PEOPLE. NOT SERIOUS AT ALL :P ~

1. Move it, bitch! 

They should move the story forward. Sadly, a lot of sequels I've read only slows the story down. Nothing happens. Nothing gets solved. Blah blah blah.

2. Gimme the next book. NOW.

They should make me want to read the third book. I'm looking at you, Onyx. Or if it's only a tw0-book thing, it should make me feel VERY satisfied about the ending. Whether it's a HEA or not. (Though I do hope it is).

3. Wait, that happened before!

They shouldn't be the same as the first.  This is self-explanatory. You wouldn't want to read a sequel that makes you think 'isn't this what happened in the first book?' Forgive me but that was exactly what happened while reading Die For Me's sequel, Until I Die. If you tell me to say which scene is from which book, I could hardly say. Everything was just the same. Except for the ending.

4. Oh, I remember why I loved this! 

Sequels should make me remember why I fell in love with the start of the series. There are some books where getting to read them was like hanging out with friends. Very familiar and never boring. Like for example, with Obsidian, Katy and Daemon bicker and fight like crazy. They still do that in Onyx. Like with the pen poking. And the kissing. Basically, Onyx <--- a perfect example of a perfect sequel.

5. This is a book. Not a fucking bridge.

They shouldn't only as the bridge between the first and the third book. The sequels that I loved and enjoyed are those that have their own story. Their own plot. They're not just there because they are. I've read a lot of sequels when you finish them and think: WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED? Nothing actually happened in this book. It didn't move the plot along, the characters didn't improve/develop. Also, why make it into 3 books, when you can fit it into 2? Doesn't make any sense.

6. For God's sake, Why did I read the first book?

They shouldn't make me regret reading the first book. Unfortunately this has happened to me multiple times now. When characters make super dumb choices or when the author takes the story to somewhere I'm not a fan of (which they totally could, since it's their story and all but). It makes me want to cry.

7. OKAY! I get it! Yawn.

Don't give us a loooonnnggg explanation of what happened in the first. I get that it's sometimes useful (especially whens most sequels releases a year after) when you forgot bits of the story, but please don't give us paragraphs after paragraphs of what happened. This is only slowing the pace and story down.

8. I loved you before, now I just want to slap you.
This. This just breaks my heart. To fall in love with characters at the start of the series, but in the middle, you just can't bloody stand them. I'm talking about disastrous character developments. But I'm mostly talking about Calla from Nightshade and Saba from Blood Red Road. I adored these two amazing protagonists at the start. Then in the sequel, they both do something SO stupid (ARRRGHH!) that just makes me want to slap them both. By the end of Bloodrose (Calla), and end of Rebel Heart (Saba), they're nothing but cheap, brainless shit.

9. Where's my answers?!?
You all know this. You get to the end of the first book, then realizing that you have a lot of questions unanswered. And you were hoping that it will be covered in the sequel. THEN. You read the sequel and BAM! No answers, just more questions. Please. Don't do this. God, just NOOO.

 SEQUELS THAT I DID LOVE:
~ Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Lux #2) *favourite book ever so far!
~ Pure by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Covenant #2) * I just love JLA!
~ Clockwork Prince by Cassie Clare (ID #2)
~ The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead (Bloodlines #2)
~ Hallowed by Cynthia Hand (Unearthly #2)
~ Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (Hunger Games #2)
~ Frostbite by Richelle Mead (VA #2)
~ Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles (Perfect Chemistry #2)

SEQUELS THAT MADE ME WANT TO RIP MY HAIR OUT

~ Rebel Heart by Moira Young (Blood Red Road #2) *regret reading this series
~ Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer (Nightshade #2) *need I say more?
~ Fever by Lauren DeStefano (Chemical Garden #2) *OMFG. Kill me now.
~ Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick (Hush Hush #2) *while I love this series, this was just grr
~ Insurgent by Veronica Roth (Divergent #2) * fell out of love with Four umm Tobias.
~ New Moon by Stephenie Meyer (Twilight #2) *let's face it. You can cut of New Moon and it still wouldn't change anything of the series.Fucking pointless.

~ Until I Die by Amy Plum (Die For Me #2) * I was bored to death

~ My Soul To Save by Rachel Vincent (Soul Screamers #2) * a case of I loved you before, now I want to slap all of you

There's SO much more that I kinda want to include (in both lists) but that would take me FOREVER. So yeah...

Anyway guys, I think that's it. But I would really like to know, what do YOU consider as a good sequel? And what makes a disappointing one? Do you agree with me on the list, and what other sequels did you love/hated?

Jana