Greetings readers!
Ahhhh spoilers. A cause of great drama, pain and probably a lot of unhappiness. But hey they come with fair warnings right? Wrong, not always. Sometimes spoilers just assault you out of the blue and you can’t unsee what you’ve seen so your scarred for life, baby!
So let us discuss!
• Spoilers = The Devil’s Spawn OR Spoilers = A Bit of Necessary Info •
~ Confession: I have a secret love for spoilers. ~
Maybe not big ones, but little ones. Spoilers that make me wonder, why?, how?, and increase my intrigue to read a certain book or series! Maybe I “accidentally” scroll through a spoilery review and see a spoiler about the MC having magical abilities, intrigue hits and I press Want-To-Read. Maybe I see another minor spoiler about the plot. Something that doesn’t give the whole thing away but you know little, little things.
Maybe, I’m one of those people who scavenges for spoilers about books with love triangles to see who I have to root for and not be on the losing side!?! (I totally do this.) Why? BECAUSE I HATE LOVE TRIANGLES BUT I WOULD RATHER BE ON THE WINNING SIDE THAN THE LOSING ONE!!!!!
I don’t always look for spoilers. But with books that I’m kind of iffy about (or books with triangles) I just want a little bit of necessary info. Let it make me wonder and question and draw to the book to me. Sometimes I end up liking the book, sometimes I still end up on the wrong side of the triangle and sometimes the spoilers bring up things I don’t want to read about and I avoid the book completely.
Little spoilers are okay, but big spoilers.
No.
• Let’s talk about BIG spoilers which actually are the Devil’s Spawn. •
~ The Epic Plot Twist Spoil ~
I have had a couple epic twists spoiled for me, by accident. Both of the big twists in A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir were ruined for me. I was scrolling through Tumblr and she was answering questions about the book and I spotted two huge things that left me going “WHAT?!??” but at the same time “NO?!?!” It kind of ruined the momentum of the book, it was still AMAZING but those two revelations weren’t as epic as they should have been because I was spoiled! >.<
~ The Character Death Spoil ~
This is actually the worst! I’ve had it happen to me a couple of times. I was spoiled for Crooked Kingdom (by my own fault), The Crown’s Game (by Kez’s fault) and pretty much all the deaths in Throne of Glass (by fault of Pinterest/Tumblr).
It just really sucks to get death-spoiled because then you are already mourning that character and by the time they die, it just doesn’t hit you as hard. I like to be hit hard and cry a little, but death-spoilers ruin this!
~ The Final Ending Spoil ~
I hardly doubt anyone likes to know the ending of the book while they are reading it. Especially the conclusion of a series. I mean, it kind of defeats the purpose of reading the preceding books if you know how it’s all going to end. At least, that’s how I sometimes feel. Usually I push through and continue reading, but like I don’t have the same enthusiasm!
I know Maz and Kez would just not read the books at all if they spoiled the ending-ending for themselves (Which they do often to avoid long series. I don’t see their logic.)
• The Problem with Me and Spoilers •
I have the worst poker face. THE WORST. My fake smile, shake of the head, or just plain, “neutral” expression gives it all away!
Here’s the thing. I am a great liar when I want to be. (Which may be too often) But when it comes to books/movies/all things fandom, I just cannot keep my composure and I give it all away!
My friends and cousins, especially my cousin will come out and friggin interrogate me about her theories and ideas. Over text, I can keep the secrets but in person, I look guilty…especially when their theories are spot on.
I start sweating:
My hands get clammy:
My face gets red:
And I put on the fakest smile of life!
At that, my friend/cousin start yelling at me that I’m spoiling it for them, to which I answer: “THEN DON’T ASK ME!”
Moral of the story: I am an automatic spoiler, don’t tell me your theories unless over text because if you see my face, the cat is out of the bag!
Let me know what you think! Let’s discuss! SPOILERS! Do you voluntarily search for them? Do you religiously avoid them? What books have been spoiled for you? (Please do not give actual spoilers, lol) Do you have a good Spoiler-Poker Face?
I would love to know, so leave me your thoughts!
Happy reading!
~ Rendz
Reading with Rendz 
Love this!! I like a bit of spoilers to tell you the truth…particularly when dealing with a freaking cliffhanger…I need to know… so I don’t hate those who spoil, however I do try not to do this because I know a lot of us bookworms do hate spoilers…
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Well said! Thanks for sharing! Cliffhangers are really tough to handle so I totally get your point!
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I was spoiled about the end of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, but the ending seemed so ridiculous that I didn’t believe it, and then it happened and I was so mad at my friend for just posting that on Live Journal with no warning I didn’t talk to her for a month.
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Oh no! A final ending spoiler!! Shame, shame, shame! I hope you get some revenge!
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This is such a nice and difficult topic! I don’t think I have ever gotten mad because of a spoiler. I once was browsing for the “I am Number 4” saga and I had until book 4, then I found there was book 5! and I opened the detail page and read (my bad) and I read one mayor and sad event that happened in book 4… I was in book 3… so I was so OMG IS THIS SERIOUS? HOW DO YOU ADD THAT TO THE SYNOPSIS OF A BOOK! but I still didn’t know how that happened, so it did not ruin the book for me XD
I don’t mind that much if you tell me that something happens, but it is better not to know I think…
I friend of my told another friend that Dumbledor died in that book that she was reading, which was true, but that was a horrible horrible terrible spoiler! T_T
I really like your post!! (Tumblr is evil btw XD)
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Haha! Yes sometimes we accidentally stumble upon spoilers without realizing it! Your friend is guilty of Character-Death spoiling! How shameful!
And yes, Tumblr is very evil!
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It has a name!? :0 one learns something everyday haha yes, it is indeed xD
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Such an intriguing topic, Rendz! Me and spoilers…well, I will admit that I do do one thing that you do. I definitely will try and figure out who the winning person is in the love triangle is. I get so upset if I back the wrong person, so I will try and get people to tell me who I need to ship for (should have trusted my friend who kept telling me to love Cal instead of Maven in Red Queen – oops). I do have a habit of spoiling myself. I know you said that you like to go and read the last page or sentence of a book in the past, but what I do instead is flip around in the book to see what I have to look forward to or see when the swoons are coming. What happens a lot of time is me spoiling myself on some super big thing. Like, in Hunting Prince Dracula, I accidentally flipped to the climax part where the killer was being revealed. While it didn’t spoil the entire book for me, it did make it a lot less fun as you said. And thank gosh I’m not a super big fanart, tumblr, pintrest person because I would spoil the heck out of myself. Wonderful discussion, Rendz! 🙂
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Thanks for sharing Mandy! I’m so glad someone else tries to find the winning side of the triangle too! I do the flip through the book too! (In addition to reading the last line) I kind of squint my eyes and just scan a few of the middle pages and end pages here and there! Sometimes I see stuff and I’m like WOAH! I think I only every spoiled myself really bad one time cuz I stumbled upon a character death T_T! But spoilers are like a guilty pleasure too hehehe!
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But yessssssssssssss. I do the squint flip through too! I just want a little preview! But yes, it gives you more excitement to read forward or you know when the swoons are coming or you know who the love triangle person is supposed to be. But oh no! That would be a bad spoil. I think the worst time I spoiled myself was a way long time ago and it was on the last page (I was only 100 pages in at the time) and I found out everyone in the book was dead. Totally ruined the entire book. XD
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Yikes! The squint flip is dangerous but also a necessary risk 😉
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Oh gosh, no I don’t like spoilers. Great discussion post! You made me question if I’ve ever gone out in search of answers before reading a book and been spoiled, but I’m pretty sure I haven’t? It’s like people who read the last page of the book, wouldn’t that have spoilers? Ahhhhh I can’t.
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Thanks Kyera! I don’t read the whole last page (because that really is giving everything away) but I do read the last line just to colour me intrigued 😉 I think your the first comment to hate spoilers! Haha! You’re doing things right, the rest of us are a mess XP
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Yeah, with little spoilers I can understand. In fact, I sometimes do find accidental spoilers. Sometimes they’re even fun, mainly because you find tiny hints and foreshadowing for those small spoilers. It can be fun. But yeah, no to big spoilers. That just irritates me.
Here’s an example. Most people know the big plot twist in Psycho. (If you’re one of the few unspoiled people left on this planet, I won’t say anything). But while watching the movie for the first time, while I had fun noticing the tiny hints that most people miss on the first viewing, I kept wondering what the heck it would be like if I saw the movie totally blind. I think this applies to most books. Especially character death. Oh, don’t get me started on the times I’ve been spoiled over character death.
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Yay for little spoilers!
I am actually one of those few people on earth who doesn’t know the big Psycho twist O-O
Actually, I think my cousin told me, but I was half-listening so I forgot XP
I love going into things blind, but at the same time I like to be in the know! I’m a walking contradiction! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
BOO CHARACTER DEATH SPOILERS!!
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Little spoilers can be okay. I mean, they can intrigue you and make you want to read more to see HOW it happens.
Wait. What? OH MY GOSH, YOU LUCKY HUMAN. Even though it was fun to see all these tiny hints…I kinda wish I had the opportunity to go in blind. And while I know you don’t love horror, keep in mind this was a movie made in 1960. I wasn’t really scared at all, thought some of that may have come from knowing the twist…
Lucky! I never forget big spoilers. UGH.
I have that same feeling. Like, I want to not know anything, but I also want to know stuff. Gah.
CHARACTER DEATH SPOILERS ARE THE MAIN REASON IT TAKES ME FOREVER TO READ AND FINISH BOOKS. (Sigh)
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Oh thank god I’m not alone. I don’t exactly hate spoilers like I should. I always have to know things like who the main character ends up with! This is more to do with my absolute loathing for Love Triangles and also the fact that I ship everyone. I’m petty if my ship sinks I’ll enjoy the book less😂 Thankfully I’ve never been spoiled by anyone. Though statues on GR’s have come close. I normally always spoil the book myself. I also need to know if a main character or character I love is gonna die👀 I have to be prepared. I get so attached if they just died with know warning… I couldn’t handle it. It goes back to when an unexpected character death happened on my fave kids tv show as a kid. I didn’t talk for a week. It got so bad my teacher called my mum😂 Thankfully I’m not that bad now but it still hurts.
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Haha thanks for sharing! Fear not there are many people in the comments who don’t completely hate spoilers! Ship sinking is one of the worst feelings in the world I try to avoid it like the plague but I am a constant victim! 😔 That must have been a really traumatic experience if the character death hit you that hard 😂
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Ship sinking kills me. I’m the same I always pick the wrong love interest which is why I now avoid love triangle books. Makes reading easier ☺️ Yes it was at the time haha I laugh about it now😂
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*no not know
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I love little spoilers too! Sometimes I google and look for them.
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You sound like my sisters 😂 except they go for the big ones!
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sooometimes I go for the big ones too. If I worry my favorite character will die, I’ve been known to go searching for that answer. 😀
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I think reviews often need certain little “spoilers” or else you wouldn’t really have a review. You’d mostly be making claims with no evidence, which is simply ineffective writing. I don’t count things that aren’t meant to be surprises as spoilers, though. Unless something is truly shocking, like a character death or betrayal, I’m not really going to worry about revealing information like “and then she gets a cat” or “of course, like in all these stories, she’s secretly very powerful.” Everyone who reads fantasy KNOWS that the girl “without magic” doesn’t really not have magic. So I don’t consider it a spoiler in that case. I suppose if my readers didn’t see it coming, though, they would disagree with me there. 😉
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Those are some amazing points you brought up! You definitely need to dig into some details in reviews otherwise everything is just going to sound really vague! I totally agree!
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Aaaah no, no, no! I don’t look for spoilers and I absolutely hate it when even the teeniest detail is spoiled because then I question every single thing I read in the book. Goodness, this has happened to me especially with The Wheel of Time books and I’m just left stricken!
But I am also the worst at hiding spoilers (-_-) This is why my sister and I don’t normally discuss books if she hasn’t read it.
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Hahaha I completely understand your point! I have the same problem with my sisters too. It’s hard keeping spoilers in there are some that are so juicy I want to burst out and tell it to the world, but I don’t think the world would appreciate that. XD
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Nope nope nope to spoilers! I like to have a general idea about what a book/film/t.v. show is about but where is the fun in knowing the plot twists and intriguing character developments? I like books to entertain me and surprise me.
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Well said! The fun is in not knowing anything and getting the big surprise!
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