This Week’s Topic: Secondary Character Deaths
I recently read a book, which I LOVED, but noticed it was getting very mixed reviews. People either loved it or hated it. I read many of the negative reviews, and the same thing kept coming up. They were furious, that the author killed one of the secondary characters.
The emotional response to this death resulted in many 1 and 2 star ratings. Readers had no problem dismissing the plethora of pages they enjoyed, because they did not feel this character should have died.
As far as I am concerned, the character's untimely death was not necessary. I believe the author could have delivered the "wake-up call", that push for the characters to take the BIG step, with merely a near-death experience. Why eliminate the character forever? It seemed like unnecessary stress and heartache for us readers. But, alas, the author felt it was his time to go. This was not enough to erase the rest of the book for me.
Don't get me wrong, I am not a fan of any fictional deaths. However, if someone has to die, I would much rather it be a secondary character than a main character. And though I ugly cried over this death, I just could not dismiss how wonderful the rest of the book was before and after this event.
Now it's your turn!
Does the death of a secondary character ruin a book for you?
What are your thoughts on
secondary character deaths?
secondary character deaths?
Let us know in the comments!
It can sometimes, if I feel that it was done just for shock value and it adds nothing to the story. I don't object to character deaths if there is a purpose as it can add to the emotional connection to the book. I guess it depends how it is done!
ReplyDeleteI am not a fan of a senseless death, but there are times a death did take the story down a half star or so for me, but the character was usually a bigger part of the whole than I felt this one was, and the rest of this book was so, so good, it just couldn't dampen my thoughts about the book.
DeleteIf a book can make me feel sad about a character, I give it 5 stars. I usually don’t have emotions, so it takes a talented author to make me feel something. If the death seems completely unnecessary, I probably won’t love the book. I get irritated about things like that.
ReplyDeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
I'm such a crier, all my books would be 5-stars. To me, it's a different case from killing off a main character just to get an emotional response. I guess I was just surprised by how many people it riled up.
DeleteHmm, it depends for me. If the only thing I liked about the book- plot, world, and all- was the character that died I would give it a low rank. But otherwise, it's good the author got you attached to a character (not good that they died, but you get my point).
ReplyDeleteThis is a side character. I didn't feel especially close to him. He didn't get a ton of page time, but he was an ok guy. I am not sure if it was a case of people being super attached to him, but rather, not liking that his death was the call to action for the two main characters.
DeleteI believe that I know which book you are referring to and I didn't have a problem with the character's death. It was sad but also unexpected. Books tend to get bonus points when they actually surprise me and this one did. I really don't tend to get too upset over many character deaths but maybe that's because I am heartless :)
ReplyDeleteYes. You read this book to. I was just so shocked by the way so many readers reacted. It was a surprise, because it didn't need to happen, and I cried. Oh, Carole, I cried so much, but I wasn't mad about it. I get that they didn't feel the character had to die, but wow! There were some nice rants about it out there on Goodreads.
DeleteInteresting topic! I love when an author has built up a secondary character so well that I feel for the character's loss. I do want a good reason for the death: for example, a character's actions leads to consequences or the death spurs the growth of another character or moves the plot forward. That said, I won't dismiss the rest of the book because of the character's death alone.
ReplyDeleteAn author can't please everyone. If the author believes it's time for the character to leave, I won't fight it or rate a book lower because of it. Now, it's another story if that character was the only reason I was enjoying the book in the first place. There are a lot of factors that go into my enjoyment of the book.
I remember being frustrated when a certain character died in Crooked Kingdom, because I am all about people being in love and finally getting their HEA, and it was lost, just like that, but I didn't go from loving the book to hating it. I was sad and frustrated and didn't see the purpose, but I do find it easier to let go of a secondary character. And, exactly what you said there at the end - was that really the only thing they liked about the book? Not according to the rest of their review.
DeleteI would think that the more upset I am about a minor character's death, the better job the author did, really. There's a DOG that dies in one of my very favorite sci fi trilogies, and I'm still heart-broken about it, but it was so GOOD. And don't even get me going on The Serpent King. I angry tweeted when I hit a character death and the author actually replied, telling me to hang in there with the book, and yeah, he was right. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, all dog deaths are terrible and should never happen. I find it much easier to part with people. I may be rocking in a corner now, because you have me reliving my pain about TSK. Though, that character was an MC for me. This one I am talking about didn't even really have that much page time. It seemed like the reviewers didn't like the death serving as a plot device, but it wasn't the biggest part of the story by any means. I was dumbfounded by the ire.
DeleteIf a book can make me feel sad/happy/mad/glad or any other emotion for that matter - hats off to that author. That they have evoked a response out of me. That should be the intention to make me feel for the character and the world the author has created. It would most certainly be rated high in my opinion. Some might just do it for shock value and therefor well what can you do really? I would hope there was a good reason for the author to want to kill off any of their characters that made their book meaningful to someone. That could come back and haunt an author in the end.
ReplyDeleteMary
My ratings are definitely based on feels. I am in no shape or form any sort of author. So, when I read, it's all about the experience. I don't pick apart the writing or anything technical, I think about what sort of emotions the author was able to stir up in me. This death wasn't about shock value as much as it was the wake up call for the MCs to stop being stubborn and finally act on their feelings. Was a death required? Not really, but it still didn't make me want to throw the book across the room.
DeleteIt really makes me upset when any death doesn't make sense. Like the characters normal actions would have made it so they'd successfully avoid the trap that caused their death. That just is so contrived and you know its just to yank the reader around. ❤️
ReplyDeleteThe way the character died was plausible, but the purpose with respect to the plot was a bit thin. I think maybe people felt deceived, because it seemed like everything was going to be ok and BOOM! Dead! It was a shock in that it was unexpected, but I still wasn't zero-stars-up-in-arms mad.
DeleteI think I know what book you're talking about, because I was just reading a bunch of reviews for a recently released book where this happens. The death of a secondary character probably wouldn't ruin the story for me, but it would bug me if it felt like an unnecessary death, one used as a plot device. Like you, if there's a death I'd much rather it be of a secondary character and not the hero or heroine. That is a deal breaker for me. I read for entertainment, not so I can be depressed by a fictional death that rips my heart out. We have enough death in real life, thank you. Great post, Sam! :)
ReplyDeleteI say I would be mad about the MC dying, but I just finished a book, where that very thing occurred, yet, I awarded 4.5 stars. I did ugly cry though, and DMed Shannon at It Starts at Midnight to talk me through it, since I knew she read the book I was crying over. I guess I was more taken aback by the backlash, because a lot of the readers had a positive response to just about everything else in the book. This one thing obliterated all of that? It just wouldn't happen with me.
DeleteI think I know what book you might be referencing; If so, I'm STILL pissed about it. I don't mind secondary character deaths if they are NECESSARY. Killing a character for shock value is just cheap. And you never kill a main character. Nope, nope, nope. Like, in Harry Potter, I understood the deaths that had to happen. They were secondary characters, but each death made sense in the story and wasn't done just to elicit a reaction from the reader.
ReplyDeleteThough I think the plot could have advanced without said character dying, just because I deemed it unnecessary, doesn't mean the author saw it as unnecessary. I understood her intent in this case, whereas I can think of other where I couldn't see the "why" (I am looking at you, Veronica Roth and Leigh Bardugo).
DeleteI think a secondary character death has to be justified. I mean, I get death is often senseless, so it's not that there has to be a profound reason, but I mean it can't just be thrown in there and not properly explored within the story. I've read a couple of books where a character dies for a push for one of the MCs but the aftermath and shockwaves of the death are easily brushed aside. If someone dies I want the grief and everything that goes with it. Also, if someone has to die for an MC to have character development it kind of makes me like that MC a little less because a lot of people have these 'wake up calls' and soon go back to their old ways. It feels like a quick fix.
ReplyDeleteUgh, basically I have mixed feelings in the whole thing. I think I need to judge it on a book by book basis.
I think all deaths need to be justified in books. I am not reading war tomes, so people need to die for some reason, and is not a reason just because I don't agree with it? The author used it to push the plot along. So, though I thought it was not necessary, it did serve a purpose and was used to keep the story going. The book, which prompted this post, does use the character death, and there is grieving and his death was never brushed off or forgotten by the two MCs. I was surprised by the death, but I didn't feel it was gratuitous.
DeleteI think it's definitely the author's decision to make, and they shouldn't be hated for it - with the exception if there's approx. one diverse characters and that's the one who dies, smh. But otherwise, it's fine. I don't know if you've read Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo, but a main character dies in it, and while I was devastated, I also accepted it. I think, it's better than when authors' want to shock you with deaths, so they kill unimportant characters (Cassandra Clare did this, in my opinion), or when they play the "oh my god they died!!! wait, no, they're alive" card, which happened in Obsidio. Great discussion!
ReplyDeleteI cried, a lot, because of the death in Crooked Kingdom, though, I didn't really consider him a main character. My pain was more because I felt like him and his partner were finally getting an opportunity to live their HEA, and it was stolen from them (by Leigh Bardugo). I still gave the book a good rating, even if I did NOT feel like that death was necessary. The rest of the book was excellent, and I could not discount that. I, for one, like the they-didn't-really-die thing, because I never want anyone to die! I was even sad when a grandmother, who was quite old, died in a book. I'm a sap, and cry profusely for all these fictional people.
DeleteI don't think the death per se would ruin the book for me unless it REALLY felt out of thin air/ not really justified or set up right. But generally it's the authors vision so I give them the benefit of the doubt? Now if there's other factors that also give me pause then that's different of course, but on its own I don't think it would necessarily ruin the whole book for me.
ReplyDeleteI guess I was just so surprised by how much this one part ruined the experience for them, because I have yet to have that reaction to a book. I am guilty of knocking a rating down a half or full star, but I never levied penalties that way I was seeing for this book. Like you said, this is the author's vision, who am I to tell them how they should tell their story.
DeleteSo no, not really? I mean- I know we talked about the whole "cathartic cry" thing, which is how I usually feel. Like- if it feels like it fits in the story and is handled well, I'm game. I might not LIKE it (certain Mockingjay deaths that shall never be forgiven come to mind hah) but I also feel like it makes for an authentic reading experience more often than not. Especially depending on the type of book, you know? Like in the vain of MJ, would everyone really have come out of the tunnels in tact? Nope. Granted, you probably run into this much less in contemporary, but in real life death happens, sadly. So it isn't at all farfetched for a book.
ReplyDeleteI could see maybe bumping my rating down a *little* if it suuuuuper irritated me? But if that was the only part of the book I had a problem with, I definitely would not (and in good conscience, COULD not) dock it more than a star, tops.
I never read the book, but to this day, my daughter will bring up Mockingjay in a conversation regarding gratuitous book deaths. Veronica Roth also pulled one of those, and in my opinion, the death in Crooked Kingdom was unwarranted (I was not happy about that one). I do get that in the case of all three of those books, we couldn't expect everyone to live, but then again, why not? Or, why a named character, and not just some expendable?
DeleteYes! I have docked a book 1/2 - 1 star for such things, but these reviews were scathing, and they specifically pointed to this character's death, which made me think, there are people out there with some strong opinions regarding secondary character deaths. I read this book, a few months ago, that I was loving! And, the author did, sort of what Jen Malone did to us, and I dropped it a whole star (5 to 4). It wasn't that the death was unrealistic, she was the Middle East serving with the Army, but it cruel timing.
I'm okay with it? It really depends on the circumstances, but usually I'm not as invested in the secondary characters.
ReplyDeleteIn this case, the death had a purpose, but it seemed like people weren't buying into it, and there were ripples. Other secondary characters, as well as the MCs, were affected by the death. I would say I was sad, but I was OK with the author's choice, because it was there to push the plot along, and not just to make me cry.
DeleteDepends on the secondary character! I hate when they kill characters needlessly but sometimes it's needed for sparking something off.
ReplyDeleteI am always ok if the death plays into the plot, which it did in this book, and I understand the same thing could have been accomplished with a near-death experience, but the ire of the readers shocked me. I personally have dropped a rating, slightly, for such a crime, but never attacked the book in the way I have seen this, and other books, attacked for this offense.
DeleteI guess it would depend on the motives for me. If it is just to push the story along, no. If it truly has an impact on the characters' lives, I think I would be okay with it.
ReplyDeleteIt could be both impactful and push the story along. In the case of this book, the characters were all deeply impacted by the death. He was a secondary character, but one who played a big role in the hero's life.
DeleteInteresting topic. It's definitely not a dealbreaker for me and I definitely wouldn't rate a book lower because of it. If anything, I'd probably rate the book higher because the author did such a good job of making me fall in love with what should have been a minor character.
ReplyDeleteA few people feel that way. The reviewers, who were incensed, seemed more upset about the why of it, rather than the fact that he was killed. I have never had that kind of reaction, and it seems like most of you don't feel that way either.
DeleteI don't know because I'm not sure that it's happened that I can remember. I don't * think* so though. Unless it wasn't written well.
ReplyDeleteIf its not necessary or just thrown in then yeah - I would rate the book lower but probably not over anger of the specific character dying.
Karen @ For What It's Worth
I personally was ok with it. Even if I thought it wasn't necessary, it did have a purpose. I'm not sure if it was a combination of things, but I am thinking of reviews, which specifically cited this death as the reason for their distaste for the book. Seemed extreme to me, but we are all entitled to our opinions.
DeleteCrystal summed it up perfectly for me: "I love when an author has built up a secondary character so well that I feel for the character's loss. I do want a good reason for the death [...]That said, I won't dismiss the rest of the book because of the character's death alone."
ReplyDeleteI mean, some deaths are for shock value, and that's just poor storytelling IMO. But to knock down stars from a rating just because a secondary characters died sounds more like revenge than anything - as if those readers wanted to teach the author in question a lesson. People do die IRL. A book should resemble reality in some way. Even if you read for escapism...
I am guilty of revenge ratings, but not to such extreme extents. Like, I read this book, which I adored, and at like 98%, we find out the main character was killed. I felt deceived, because the author made me believe this character had a future, and I was excited about it, and now I'm crying. I still gave it 4 stars.
DeleteQuote: "I read this book, which I adored, and at like 98%, we find out the main character was killed."
DeleteOuch! Now that's brutal. I totally get your reaction.
So brutal. Like ugly cry brutal
DeleteThe death of a secondary character may ruin the book for me personally but it doesn't mean I'd give it a low star rating. I'd rant about how unnecessary I felt it was in my review, sure, but it wouldn't be enough to erase all the good.
ReplyDelete.
The one in question didn't push me to rant, but there have been others that have. Still, I gave a good rating, because I enjoyed the rest of the book and applause fo the author for making me feel so much.
DeleteIf an author kills off a main character I will lose my ever-loving mind. They have broken an unwritten rule and I will not forgive the transgression. But secondary characters... yeah, I can usually handle it. Of course it depends on which character, how connected I am to them, did the death feel organic or was it just a plot device, etc. And if I enjoyed the rest of the book, the loss of a secondary character is not going to ruin the whole book for me and make me rate it low.
ReplyDeleteI agree, the lesser of two evils is a secondary character. Like if someone has to die....
DeleteI'm good with death in my books, especially if it makes me feel something. :-) I'd be more frustrated if a character died and I couldn't bring myself to care. If I'm invested, a death can sometimes enhance a book for me. But I guess I'm weird like that.
ReplyDeleteNicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction
So, you would levy no penalty. I feel the same way as you. I think my ratings reflect my emotions. Even when I have hated what an author did to a character in a book, I couldn't downgrade the book, because of the emotional impact it made on me.
Delete