Thread:CustardBursts/@comment-37611621-20190401023320/@comment-33804292-20190401134608

{Delete}} '''As we know that the “ Keeper of the Lost Cities” has made us run into a cliff hanger almost all the time, throughout the book ( and the series, if you read it ). A cliffhanger is basically an abrupt ending or a thrilling plot twist, that is made during an important scene in order to maintain suspense. Without these, the book won’t possess any excitement or drama, which makes the book gloomy and well if to say precisely, dull. Well, Shannon Messenger has done a great job in engaging the readers in her long journey without them falling behind. If the cliffhangers are written well, they are a great strategy to keep readers engaged, quickly turning to the start of a new chapter ( like what Shannon Messenger did, multiple times) Cliffhangers provoke the reader to read on, they are used very sparingly which makes them even more desired and craved. Well, let's see how Shannon Messenger has used cliffhangers to give a second thought to her readers when they decide “ just one more chapter”...  What if there were no Cliffhangers in the story? Would we enjoy Shannon Messenger’s novel as much as we do now? Well if I am to be clear, I definitely wouldn’t. I wouldn't enjoy this novel without the questions the author creates at the end of a chapter that drives us to endless possibilities. Let’s say the time when Grady won’t tell her what his ability is, the reader probably thinks that it isn't a big deal, but when Shannon Messenger enhances us with her astonishing use of cliffhangers it adds one more question to the list that we already have, “But once again it didn't escape her notice that Grady avoided telling her what his special ability was. It couldn’t be anything bad. Could it?” (Messenger page 187) Looking at this example we can infer that there is an answer to this question, but looking at this Cliffhanger we can also infer that this is a Foreshadowing move that Shannon Messenger has taken. There are many like this, which make the reader feel a surge of anger, excitement, and a whole lot of irritation that they might find the answer to the question sooner or later- but as I can witness, waiting this long for the answers was worth it-( though there are many unanswered questions that you should find out later if you plan on reading the rest of the series- I won't spoil anything) Such examples are when Sophie and Fitz had a splotching match and their forces rebounded, Shannon ends the chapter with “Pain shot through her whole body and she collapsed. The last thing she saw was Fitz crumpled on the floor. Then everything went black.” This definitely tells the reader a bold and clear message, ‘ You cannot stop at this chapter’ and the reader mercifully obeys. These incidents tell us a lot about Sophie, how Sophie has the ability to do a brain-push, and simultaneously the encircling questions pop out as well, like how, why, when, what? All this leads us to is getting more and more engaged and firmly bonded with the story, wanting to solve the questions and crack the code to all the answers, but this concept of cliffhangers has made our journey- this process very interesting through Shannon Messenger’s very own unforgettable embroidery of this experience. When we think about Cliffhangers, what is the key factor that truly engages us? Is it the concept of abruptly stopping and causing the reader to get a feeling which is slightly agitated and curious? Shannon Messenger uses a useful and very valuable tactic in getting the reader interested in the next chapter, without even starting the first one. For instance, when Sophie sees Fitz standing there, as a unique figure, staring right at Sophie, it engages the reader immediately because, through Shannon Messengers intricate use of detail, the readers know that she has something to do with it. This is how the chapter starts, well if we refer to how this chapter ends… “She was going to die” (Messenger 11) What reader won’t be interested in the next chapter? In fact, this is the starting of an intense journey; When Sophie arrives the Forbidden cities for the first time, how this changes her entire life, her reputation, her legacy… All in all, Shannon Messengers amazing woven work, in crafting this amazing novel, by explaining to the reader, in the most absolute terms, and then suddenly- ending with such intricate detail that one could never master no matter how many times they read the novel. Shannon Messengers writing could never grow old due to the lessons that she teaches to the readers and possibly future writers, how to put a scene to a stop without lengthening out all the events, how to make sure that the cliffhangers don’t mess up any of the events or spoil the rest of the story. Without her intricate use of cliffhangers, this book would have been impossible to read...'''