Definitely don't start the web serial Worm then, it's about 1.8 million words of exactly that lol. That's actually a big part of why I like it and other books with the same premise- I like to feel sad and hopeless before the relief of a resolution, of a character persevering despite a hopeless situation. It's kind of like the slow treck up a rollercoaster ramp before the drop, you know?

Not saying that you should enjoy the same things I do, if you don't like it and don't want to read those books that's totally fine! But I think it can be the mark of a good story if it can elicit those strong emotions in you, and if you can bear them long enough to push through until the uplifting ending it's a really great sense of satisfaction!