Talk:Endless Summer, Book 3 Choices/@comment-33367771-20180423004246

I can't speak for anyone else, but I personally found to be ending of this series to be utterly brilliant: the convergence of all the metaphors, narratives, and ideas that have been running through this series. You see, this whole story has been a lesson in priorities, well-articulated by a question at a certain New Years' Eve party in the middle of book two. Which is more important to you: the past, the present, or the future?

Book 1 was a story focused on the past. You arrive on an island, with no knowledge of anything. You must learn about those who surround you. Rourke's dossiers epitomize this, teaching you about who the characters are today as you read of what they've done. All of this emphasized by dramatic interpersonal conflicts: sweet Grace vs. cold Aleister, idealistic Sean vs. cynical Jake, rowdy Craig vs. (probably) depressed Zahra. You learn about the characters as they're pitted against one another, with interspersed stories of their pasts (particularly in the case of Jake and Estela) highlighting how they came to be who they are.

Book 2 continued to develop the past, as the idols showed how all of the characters' stories wove together. But the emphasis shifted to the present, as the characters struggle simply to survive, against all measure of dramatic odds: first the Vaanti, then Cetus, then the Anachrids. The player has neither time nor will to worry about what came before nor what's to come, as everything becomes devoted to the forestalling the dramatic deaths highlighted so vividly in the catalyst idols.

Book 3 lends itself to the future, as the world's salvation is clearly in sight: we learn near the beginning that the key is to return the Island's Heart to the volcano, and the Heart is always just out of reach. Such constant proximity to finishing naturally makes us wonder what comes next. So, too, does the fact that the world is constantly on the verge of annihilation: first the volcanic eruption and the collapse of the temporal sanctuary on La Huerta; then the madness that is finding Quarr'tel and dealing with a disillusioned Uqzhaal; then the discovery that La Huerta's time bubble is shrinking and the whole island will eventually be consumed; plus several battles with Cetus and finally, to top it all, a hole in the sky. To power through these grim challenges, the characters turn to the Embers of Hope: fragments of the future and promises of a happy life.

Chapter 12, in my humble opinion, elegantly wrapped this all together for one final decision. Rourke symbolizes the past and its associated nostalgia: the promise of all the good that came before without any of the pain. The Endless embodies the present, in his desire to keep the characters alive and together, and ultimately his hope that they will make La Huerta their home forever. Vaanu represents the future: the hope that one day the characters will be able to move on with their lives, having saved the world, made life-long friends and discovered parts of themselves they never knew existed. And in the end, it all comes down to you to choose one not just for yourself, but for everyone. That, I believe, is the climax: deciding which whether past, present, or future is most important, and I believe there is no objectively correct choice: it depends on which you value most. And, having witnessed such compelling imagery, narration and character development, that is not an easy choice. Making it is the highlight of this story: not defeating Rourke.