(Meme from: memecrunch.com)
When I first decided to create my blog, one of the first things I promised myself to do was write reviews with no spoilers. Up until this point, I was really only using GoodReads to find books–which is not an awful place to start by any means–BUT, people on that site love to post super long reviews filled with GIFS, pictures and the worst thing of all: SPOILERS.
Man, nothing ruins a book (or a TV or a movie) more than reading a spoiler! I HATE knowing what is going to happen next in a book–it just ruins the whole experience for me. I like to be surprised, I like to see something come out of left field and hit me in the face. It doesn’t get much better than that for me.
What is the point in me reading the book after you have told me the best part of the story?
None…at least to me.
But I know that some of you include spoilers in your posts or that you enjoy reading reviews with spoilers. For those of you who do write spoilers, I thank you for being kind enough to warn potential readers that your posts do have spoilers! As a spoiler hater, I like knowing what lies ahead in a post–ironic, eh?
I will admit that I see the appeal of including spoilers in your reviews. Sometimes it just makes things so much easier to explain why you like/dislike a certain part of a book by including the direct evidence. On occasion I will include a mini-spoiler-rant in my reviews just to let off some steam but I am sure to put it in hidden text so that if someone doesn’t want to read it, they don’t have to.
But sometimes the temptation is too great! As much as I don’t enjoy knowing a spoiler, the fact that something is hidden and unknown is kryptonite to the knowledge-driven personality I have. Most of the time I refrain, unless I know that I will not be reading the book. I usually use the spoilers to justify why I decided not to read it–though sometimes that backfires and makes me wish I did read the book.
Regardless, I really, really dislike spoilers. They don’t do anything for me other than ruin what would have been a great plot twist and so I try to avoid them at all costs.
***
So I guess my question is: what are your thoughts on spoilers? Why do you include or not include them in your blog posts?
Let me know by leaving a comment below!
As long as spoilers are clearly marked, I have no problem with them. I usually try not to have spoilers, but sometimes I just can’t. Sometimes I read reviews of people trying not to spoil anything, but they mention so many times that they can’t spoil it, that I feels the review suffers from it.
Your last statement is so true! Sometimes, it comes across as shameless promotion of the book to me if someone says they can’t spoil it so much.
I read reviews to help decide on books, but I also read them after to see what others thought. So I sometimes include them in my reviews so that the author or anyone who’s already read the book can know my thoughts. But I think they should ALWAYS be clearly marked. It’s disrespectful to both readers and authors when people ruin books!
I do the same thing when I read reviews of books I’ve already read. Having spoilers can help start the conversation between those who have read the book already.
And you’re right when you say it is disrespectful! It takes away a reader’s choice to read or not read the spoilers–it just isn’t fair.