The 52 Book Club: 2025 Challenge discussion

36. Final sentence is less than 6 words long

For prompt 36, choose a book in which the final sentence is less than six words long. It doesn’t matter whether it has one word or five words, as long as it’s less than six, it counts!

It’s also up to you what you consider the final sentence to be. You may decide to count additional content (such as an author’s note or acknowledgements.) It’s also up to individual readers whether or not they would include a phrase like “The End” as the final sentence or not.

Keep in mind that we are an international group of readers who tackle prompts in multiple languages and translations. Some books may fit this prompt in some translations but not others. (For example: The Spanish translation of a certain book has a final sentence that is five words long, while the French translation of that exact same book might have seven words.) As long as at least one edition of the book fits the prompt, you can read that book in any edition, translation, or format.


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This is another “gift”, I’m sure I’ll find a book by chance that has a short last sentence

How We Named the Stars

Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah

Oryx & Crake

Angie Cruz – Dominicana

I picked a book from the LISTOPIA and decided to read:


The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

HAPPY READING!!

Who Killed Bob? by Stephen Craig - 4 words - "His work was done."

Look Out For The Little Guy! by Scott Lang - 5 words - "I'm looking out for you."

I read All the Crooked Saints by Maggie Stiefvater, 3 Stars.
The final sentence is "We do."

For this prompt I read Smothermoss which I gave 5 stars to and highly recommend, especially if you grew up in/near Appalachia.

Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig

We Solve Murders by Richard Osman

I just read The Dud Avocado by Elaine Dundy. The last sentence is 2 words long.

I finished "The Christmas Sisters" yesterday and was delighted to see it fits this prompt. The final sentence is "She was grateful for hers."

I read What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall

Iron Flame

The Cry - last sentence is "Then she pressed PLAY." 4* psychological thriller

I read “An Ember In The Ashes” by Sabaa Tahir. The last sentence has only 2 words.

I read Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson. The final sentence is "Can you walk?"
https://cdnbookworm.blogspot.com/2025...

The Deadly Truth by Helen McCloy
Final Sentence: "She wasn't worth it..."

I read “The Long Run” by Robert Brodey. The last sentence is 2 words: “Me, too.”

The Women by Kristen Hannah

The Ministry of Time fits this prompt! Last sentence is four words.

I read Silver in the Bone by Alexandra Bracken

The last sentence is just one word. So I think that covers this nicely! Glad to have checked this one off my list naturally!

James

I read In Five Years

“So let it be”

Going with Defectors: The Rise of the Latino Far Right and What It Means for America

"Welcome to the year 2045."

Fourth Wing
Iron Flame
Onyx Storm

And they are ALL cliffhangers, so be ready.

The Lost Apothecary contains a recipe as the last bit of "in world" writing before the author's acknowledgements. So: "Makes 45 cookies" is the last sentence.

“The Golden Rendezvous” by Alistair MacLean is a fantastic thriller all the way to the last sentence “But he’s hearing it now” which is less than 6 words.

“The Long Run” by Robert Brodey.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. “I been there before.”

Anything You Do Say

Anything You Do Say by Gillian McAllister. 5 Star read!

The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave

Cross The Line, Simone Soltani ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I'm reading Diary of a 6th Grade Ninja book 9: The Scavengers Strike Back

From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs Basil E. Frankweiler
4.5 stars. 6 words
“No one has claimed them yet.”

Igniting the Fire Starter Within - "You decide."

Read No Turning Back: A Witness to Mercy by Donald H. Calloway, MIC

I read Lady Thief by A.C. Gaughen. "And I vowed vengeance."

Nutshell by Ian McEwan. "The rest was chaos"

A Grim Reaper's Guide to Catching A Killer

I read Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley.

I read Masquerade by O.O. Sangoyomi
"Long live the Queen"

I read Play It As It Lays by Joan Didion.
"Why not, I say."

Peace Like a River by Leif Enger

I was going to use this for I think if was blue, but since it had a six word final sentence (and that has been more difficult then I thought it would be) I chose to put it here.

The Woman They Could Not Silence: The Shocking Story of a Woman Who Dared to Fight Back by Kate Moore
Last sentence is 5 words.

Farm Boy by Michael Morpurgo
4 words

The Case of the Counterfeit Racehorse by Elizabeth Levy
2 words

Let Sleeping Rogues Lie by Sabrina Jeffries
3 words

Notorious Nineteen by Janet Evanovich
4 words

First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison


Switched out my pick
A Little Bit Country by Brian D. Kennedy

I read Guarded by The Yeti by Cara Wylde ( 3 words)

Just finished ‘1984’ by George Orwell. A great read.