Main character dying in the middle of a story.

Belle_91 said:

As others have said, it can be done. (Spoiler Alert for popular YA series!) I believe the MC in Divergent is killed off. So you might want to see how that author did it.

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Yeah but... Quite a lot of readers threw that book against the wall and cursed the author. Personally, I think the way that author did it involved character violation, making characters TSTL.

ETA: TSTL=Too Stupid To Live. A typical example would be the heroine in a horror movie who knows there's an ax murderer on the loose, but goes down to the basement in the dead of night* alone to check out a strange noise.

*For some reason she invariably wears a thin nightie and doesn't posess a robe.

I've read Withering Heights but it was a love story so I think the death worked well in it, though it was very sad.

In Divergent (which I haven't read but I have an idea what its story is) the protagonist dies in the third/ last book. Even if I had read it, it would have been very frustrating, but that's just my opinion because I don't like people, especially the main characters, dying in novels.

But since you say that you have two main characters, it might work with your book if the other character, the antagonist, is interesting enough.

I think it could definitely work. Not everyone will like it, but you cannot please everyone. Of course, execution is all-important. If the protagonist's death is vital to the story you are telling, and paves the way for the continuation of an intriguing plot, then I think readers won't be as likely to throw the book. Personally, I like books that cause a strong emotional reaction. I love ASoIaF because I know my beloved characters are not safe. It makes me become more invested in their stories.

So, yeah! Go for it!

Sunflowerrei said:

Of course it can be done. Ken Follett killed off Tom Builder in the middle of The Pillars of the Earth.

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Off topic, but when the Pillars of the Earth mini-series came out, I rented it to show my husband, since I had enjoyed the book.

We watched the first couple discs, then rented the second half a couple weeks later. Before we start watching I want to make sure we remember where the story left off, so I ask him what happened already.

He says, completely seriously, "Well, Bob the Builder's dead and..."

I just about died laughing.

Bob the Builder's death is now canon in our household.