10 Signs Of A Book Hangover

All bookworms know the feeling. 

You've just finished a book after rapidly turning the last few pages, your eyes scanning the words faster than your brain can process them, your heart beating a little faster until all of a sudden...it's over. The book you have waited months, maybe even years for, has just ended and all you're left with is the weight of it in your hands as well as the imaginary weight of it on your chest.

Introducing...The Book Hangover! Also known as the stage after reading a good book in which it is impossible to think of anything else, let alone start another book or series. Side effects include: feelings of despair, denial, sadness, and complete confusion. But how do you know for sure that what you're experiencing is the famous Book Hangover? After thinking on it for a while, I came up with 10 signs to know for sure that a book or series completely owns you, heart and soul. If any of these steps sound familiar, I hate to break the news but you're in deep with your Book Hangover...

1. The Confusion

Wait, that was the last page? THE LAST PAGE EVER? THE LAST PAGE OUT OF THE SERIES WHICH I LOVE SO MUCH? How could it possibly be the end? We need to know everything, we need to know who has children and who marries who and who lives to be 100 and who has a midlife crisis and if they all stay happy every day for the rest of their lives! I need MORE! Surely that wasn't the last page...I have to check again maybe I missed something...maybe there's an epilogue which goes 50 years into the future that I totally skipped over by accident...surely...

2. The Denial

That was not the end. The author is going to bring out another 5 books in the series, I'm sure of it. In fact, that must've been the secret project she was talking about on twitter which she's so excited to share with us all. I've been so blind! Of course there's another 10 book series in an alternate universe with every character I know and love! That wasn't the end! I'm so clever HA you can never end this series, there will be books being released until I'm 70. I can't believe I didn't see this before. You can't fool me.

3. The Sadness

I can't believe that happened to my favourite characters. How can I even move on with my life knowing that they had such terrible things happen to them? How can I ever re-read the series knowing that they suffer so much in the last book? I honestly don't know how to stop crying right now, this is worse than my fish dying this is worse than that time someone insinuated I have awful taste in books, this is the worst thing that's ever happened to me. I can't move on. I can't get over it. I never will, never. I'm going to name my kids after my favourite character in their memory. Maybe by then the tears will have stopped? I don't think so, though. If such bad things can happen to such good characters, what's the point of even reading?

4. The Despair

SERIOUSLY I CAN'T STOP CRYING I'M ABOUT 99% SURE THIS IS NOT A NORMAL REACTION TO A BOOK. IS IT NORMAL TO THINK ABOUT IT AT RANDOM TIMES AND JUST CRY? IS THIS LIKE THE 5 STAGES OF GRIEF? HOW CAN I EXPLAIN TO MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY THE LOSS I'VE SUFFERED? OH GOD THE TEARS WON'T STOP

5. The Memories (Usually meaning more tears)

Remember that time they first smiled at each other? Oh my god, their first kiss was flawless and I just knew right then that they were my favourite fictional couple. All that they went through, they went through together. Remember when they said that thing? Hahaha oh man, I knew I picked the right favourite character. Remember when the antagonist was actually the good guy? I remember when they were all so happy and little and nothing hurt and everything was just sarcasm and the occasional fight. I want to go back. I need to go back.

6. The Anger Directed Towards The Author

I hate this author, I'm literally NEVER reading ANYTHING they write ever again and that's a fact. How could they end it like this? How could they do this to their own characters? Don't they have A SOUL? DON'T THEY KNOW HOW MUCH THIS HURTS? They must hate us all, and their characters too. Oh, now I feel a little bad, they must've worked so hard on it...and the book in general was brilliant...but I just can't forgive some of the things that happened. I just can't. I will never stop being angry about it. I can never forgive them.

7. The Anger Directed Towards Yourself (Usually lasts about 5 seconds)

Why did I buy this stupid book in the first place? What possessed me to put myself through more and more pain? Why do I even read books at all? Why did I...oh forget it

8. A Burst of Happiness Over Happy Moments

Even though I'm upset, oh my god that moment between my favourite characters was just genius. I never could've thought of that. And the PLOT TWIST? AMAZING. And when they were all together, laughing, I thought my heart might burst from happiness. The banter was so wonderful, and the CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED oh I love these characters, I love this series.

9. Thinking Of Alternate Endings

I'm not saying I'm right, but I'm totally right. I thought of a way so that everyone could survive, the characters could stick together, AND it would still be an awesome ending. Why didn't the author think of this? I even thought of a way in which NO ONE has to be sad throughout the book! And if only I could tweak that little bit of the ending, I wouldn't be crying for days on end over it. Seriously, what was the author thinking? This ending is SO MUCH BETTER!

10. The Eventual Acceptance

Okay, I've cried over it, I've put angry rants on my blog, I've re-read parts which made me want to rip the book to shreds, and (five times) I've talked myself out of sending a long, angry, detailed letter to the author. After a few days to think it over, I'm pretty sure the books had to end this way. I mean, it did the rest of the books justice, and without the pain you can't have the happy parts, right? I can sort of see why the author did what they did and I'm getting over the initial shock a little bit. When it comes to it, I've been with this series for a while and it stayed true to everything it stands for. I'm going to miss it so much but my ugly crying face is gone for the time being. Goodbye characters and your world and your running jokes...I'll come back to you whenever I feel nostalgic, thank you for everything.

Does any of this sound familiar? If so, which books have made you feel like this?