Cliffhanger
A cliffhanger ends a chapter or book at a tense, unresolved moment, so you have to keep reading to find out what happens.
The name is literal. In 1873 Thomas Hardy serialised A Pair of Blue Eyes, and one instalment ended with a character dangling off a cliff. The trick goes back to serial fiction in general: Victorian magazines, old film serials, TV, and now long book series.
Chapter cliffhangers are a pacing tool, and you barely notice them. A scene cuts off a moment early and you end up reading one more chapter than you meant to. A cliffhanger at the end of a book is harder to take, because you might be waiting a year or more to find out what happens.
That’s why “does it end on a cliffhanger?” is one of the most common questions people ask before starting a series, and why even reviewers who avoid every other detail will answer it. Most readers see it as helpful rather than a spoiler, since it doesn’t tell you what happens, only whether the story wraps up.
Cliffhanger: common questions
Why do authors use cliffhangers?
To keep you reading across a break, whether that’s the end of a chapter or the end of a book. At the end of a book it also gets you to pick up the sequel.
Is saying a book ends on a cliffhanger a spoiler?
Most readers think it’s fair to mention. It doesn’t reveal what happens, just whether things are resolved, and a lot of people use it to decide whether to wait until the whole series is out.