What do you make of this ending?

The author chooses to end the novel with a new sales rep coming to an Island Books that is no longer owned by A.J. What do you make of this ending?

I liked the ending and it seemed to me that it was totally in keeping with the rest of the book. It sort of ended exactly where it began with the a new sales rep visiting Island Books and it still being there and sort of still in the family in a way. Just the way a fairy tale should end.

The ending was perfect for each of the characters that the author, Ms Zevin, created. Well maybe not for AJ (!). The reader would never want Island Books to close its door so when I finished the book I sighed and thought I would not have wanted the story to end any other way.

This was as perfect an ending as you can get -- not overly happy and not overly sad ... real life!

Perhaps I am reading too much into it but at the end of the last page, I had a very clear vision of the new rep and Maya getting together. Not immediately, she's just left high school and Jacob's 27 - but in a few years time, at some auspicious moment their paths would cross and they'd settle down to lives on the mainland. Then years later, as Ismay and Lambiase are slowing down, they would find themselves gravitating back to Island Books and taking over the business - and thus the cycle would begin again.

I liked it...a full circle of time and events. I like how it begins with a new/energy love for the books, and the characters that emerged, and the ending gives me the same hope that despite the changes coming the bookstore will continue.

And one other point about the ending, in AJ's booknotes/musings he starts with Roald Dahl's "lamb to the Slaughter", and ends with Dahl"s "Bookseller", and reference to the first. It is interesting to note how his idea of bookselling, and being a bookseller has changed from the start to the finish. In the end it is all "connect".

So few books complete someone's story. This was a complete story of Mr. Fikry; what happens after is someone else's story.

Yes, Davina, that's exactly what I saw! As Amelia came to the island and fell in love with AJ, I saw the new rep falling for Maya. I think Maya will finish college and return to the island. At that point she and Daniel will start a relationship. They probably become friends on her breaks from college. The cycle continues.

I love the idea of Daniel and Maya eventually getting together and even taking over the bookstore. I hadn't thought of that, but that idea makes the book seem more complete to me.

I really liked this ending. It meant the book store was continuing. I new rep coming in was good because that is the way the book started.

The ending was sad but satifying. The new "rep" is filled with hope and excitement about reading books and his new joy. I like books that come full circle.

I thought the ending was a perfect ending. It was sad that he died, but happy that the wonderful book store would continue and a new story would begin.

I felt the ending to be a bit rushed. All the loose ends seemed to be taken care of without a lot of bother. I did like the idea of the book store living on after A.J.'s death, though.

It didn't feel contrived at all

I didn't expect it, but I didn't really think it was necessary. It was sort of contrived. I would have liked to see
A.J. grow older and see Maia's life unfold.