Being here on this board, talking to people, has helped me understand KA Applegate better. I know I butt heads with people who enjoyed the ending, and I hope I didn't make too many of you bust a blood vessel because of it.
KA had a message, and that message has become increasingly clear since I came here. In the end, she chose that message over her readers. It has occured to me that there is a theme to some other children series, like in Mulan. That's and excellent example. The theme is staying true to one's heart, and that's what KA did. And because other people have encouraged this theme in children, then we can only respect her for that.
Does this mean I like the ending now? No. I'm just kind of apologizing for rubbing people wrong, and saying that I have always, and will always, respect KA as a writer. We have different opinions about her series. How it was done, how it should have been done, and how it could have been done. And though we may butt heads again in the future, we will always have respect for KA Applegate.