Bookish Musings: Do Spoilers Actually Ruin Books?

 
 

There are lots of discussions about spoilers out there, but I wanted to make my own statement about spoilers, one that I realized recently and that I’ve never seen anyone mention. And I guess I also maybe wanted to make a case for all the books out there that have been spoiled but don’t deserve to be ditched for that reason alone.

So here I go, about to play the devil’s advocate, all for the sake of defending all the great books out there that were unfairly spoiled πŸ˜‰


Why I Hate Spoilers

I hate spoilers as much as the next person. In fact, I may hate spoilers even more than the next person since some people out there like spoilers and purposely seek them out whereas that is something I never do if I plan to read a book. I literally cover the next sentence with my hand as I’m reading if something big is about to happen so that my eyes can’t dart over there because I don’t even want to spoil something a sentence ahead of time. I think unmarked spoilers are evil because everyone deserves the chance to have that full experience the first time they read a book, and that full experience includes being shocked, being awed, being surprised, being emotional, being anxious, and being on the edge of your seat not knowing what’s going to happen or who’s telling the truth. There isn’t anything that quite compares to that initial read for that reason. That’s also why I think including unmarked spoilers in reviews is rude not only to other readers but also to authors. They work hard on their books in order to deliver a certain experience to the readers and don’t deserve to have someone screw that up for someone who doesn’t want to see the spoilers.

Why Spoilers Are Actually… Maybe Not That Bad

That being said, if a book is well-written, no amount of spoilers can actually ruin it. Ok, ok, I shouldn’t make broad statements. There might be some books in which spoilers do completely ruin them or just take away too much of the magic. But, for the most part, a well-written book is still going to make you feel and make you emotional and keep you at the edge of your seat even if you already know what’s going to happen.

I mean, think about it. Haven’t you ever re-read a book or re-watched a movie? You already knew what was going to happen, but you still enjoyed it anyway. You still got sucked into it, you still laughed, you still cried. Right? I’ve re-read some books, and I know that that holds true for my own personal experiences at least. Even if I knew the characters were going to end up together and be happy, I still felt heart-wrenched when they were having problems because they were in heart-wrenching pain during that moment, and I was feeling it through them. And even if I knew a character wasn’t going to die, I still got watery eyes while they were lying there on the floor bleeding because they were regretting something in what they thought were their last moments, or because their lover or best friend or family member whose POV I was in was wracked with denial and grief, and I was, again, feeling it through them. To me, the best books are the ones that actually make me feel through the character, feel what they feel, not what I feel. And for the characters, there are no spoilers, no re-reads, no beginnings, no ending, no stories even—there’s just the moment.

And let’s be honest, aren’t most books pretty predictable anyway? Occasionally one comes along in which the protagonist or love interest actually does die, or the main characters fail at whatever their goal was, but, for the most part, we know the general way books are going to end. It clearly doesn’t make us enjoy them any less though.

My Overall Thoughts

I guess my point is, even though I will still cut you if you spoil a book for me and still feel that nothing compares to that initial read, maybe spoilers aren’t quite the end of the world since the good books (the key word being good) will still be worth reading, even if we already know what the twists are or how they’ll turn out. But of course, if a book is poorly written and relies on shock factor, twists, forced mysteries, or other plot devices, then, well, that’s another story.

 
 
 
 

Talk to me!

Do you seek out spoilers, or do you avoid them?
Do you think a well-written book can still be good and worth reading even if it's been spoiled?
Do you still get emotional when you re-read books even though you already know how things will turn out?

 
 
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Your Thoughts

 

53 thoughts on “Bookish Musings: Do Spoilers Actually Ruin Books?

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  1. Christina C.

    I seek spoilers out all the time. I want to know if there are subjects within a book that I want to avoid or if certain topics are handled well. It saves me the effort if I know I really might not like a book and of course money. I have some books I bought that I really hated without knowing much else than the synopsis. Sometimes spoilers even make certain books more appealing to me. My enjoyment level is the same with/without spoilers because you get a tidbit of information but the context/moods and everything else still is unknown. πŸ™‚

    1. Kristen Burns

      That makes sense, if there are certain things you absolutely want to avoid and know that they might be considered spoilers. I always read blurbs, and I almost always read a whole bunch of reviews in order to determine whether a book is right for me, but I still try to avoid any actual spoilers. Though in a few cases there were things that were kind “spoilers” but not really that made a book more appealing to me (for example, if it wasn’t revealed until later in the book that one of the characters was a vampire, I like vampires, so that’d make me more interested). But you’re right, there are still other unknowns πŸ™‚

  2. Greg

    I’m not as anti- spoiler as some. I mean I’d rather not be spoiled but it’s not the end of the world if I see something. And that’s for books- for movies I have no problem really being spoiled- in fact I often seek them out. If I see spoiler tags about the next Star Wars movie or something I’m all over that- mostly because I want to see which direction they’re going, you know if it’s going to suck. πŸ™‚ I remember when the plot for the last movie leaked year early and I read it thinking shit, that’s what they’re doing?? So I’m glad I saved myself the aggravation lol.

    But I know this isn’t about movies. πŸ™‚ For books, I agree- spoilers are bad. The only thing I would say is the blurb or summary often spoils a book- but if the publisher or author intends that info to be out there is it really a spoiler? I don’t know. And I agree- even if a book is spoiled I can still enjoy it. It’s the vicarious experience, and you’re right- re- reads are a good example. You can enjoy the story over and over even knowing the surprises.

    As far as emotions, yeah. If it’s a story I’m into sure it will still affect me even on a re- read.

    1. Kristen Burns

      I don’t mind if you wanna talk about movies too lol. I just hardly ever watch movies myself and therefore tend to really only talk about books. In a case like the Star Wars thing you described, I can see why you’d look for spoilers.

      As for the spoilers in blurbs thing… I don’t know. I try not to include anything *I* consider a spoiler in my reviews. But if it’s really too difficult not to include it and the blurb mentions it anyway, I figure it’s fair game to mention. And yeah, spoilers suck, but they’re necessarily the end of the world. If a book is written will, it’s still a vicarious experience regardless. And I’m definitely still affected emotionally by rereads if they’re written well!

  3. Rachana

    If I’m really enjoying a book and I desperately want to know what happens next, I’ll definitely seek out spoilers for it. My curious must be satisfied haha. As for re-reading books – I sometimes get emotional but most of the time, it doesn’t feel as exciting or as intense as the first time reading the book.

    1. Kristen Burns

      Lol I do a pretty good at keeping my curiosity reigned in because I like the anticipation! I get what you’re saying about re-reading though. For the most part, I agree that it doesn’t feel quite as intense. But I think certain scenes, certain books, or certain types of emotions can still make me feel just as strongly as they did the first time. It’s very circumstantial lol.

  4. Rowena

    I’ll admit that for certain things, I’m a spoiler ho. I need to prepare myself for the big things. But I agree with what you said about if books are well written, spoilers won’t ruin a book. Half the time, when I’m reading a book that I read spoilers on, I forget what the spoiler was until it happens and then I’m like, “Oh yeah. I knew that was going to happen” but my enjoyment of the book doesn’t suffer for it. At least it hasn’t yet.

    1. Kristen Burns

      Haha, I like the surprise, but I know some people don’t. And I suppose if you forget a spoiler, then it’s like you never even read it! Lol. But yeah, if a book is well-written, it’ll still make you feel and enjoy it.

  5. Lexxie @ (un)Conventional Bookviews

    I absolutely HATE spoilers. I hate spoilers in everything though, not just books. TV shows and movies as well. I’m actually so against spoilers that for some of my favorite authors’ new books, I won’t even read the summary before I buy and read their book…I love going in blind, being completely surprised and just discover every single new thing along with the characters. That’s part of what makes the experience of reading so fantastic.

    I get what you mean about re-reading, or re-watching a movie. But I don’t really do that… I have so many new books to read that it’s really rare for me to re-read – and if I do, I’ll pick up the audio version of a book I’ve read, that way, the second experience is still different from the first. And while I then do know about twists and turns and heartbreak in advance, a good narrator can help me rediscover the story anyway.

    You are right about really good books not being ruined because inconsiderate jerks don’t mark their spoilers, though. And I haven’t put off reading a book because of that. But it probably did change my experience in small ways anyway… If you know who the killer is before you start reading, you can look at clues differently. If you know someone is or isn’t dying, – and while you may still feel anguished – that experience of reading about it will be read from a slightly different perspective.

    Great post, Kristen!!

    1. Kristen Burns

      Yes! You understand me. I HATE spoilers, but the good books still aren’t going to be ruined. I agree that I’m sure it still changes the experience at least a little, but it doesn’t actually ruin it.

      I differ from you though in that I don’t like going in blind. I like to have a general idea of what the story is going to be about. So I usually do read the blurb right before reading the book. If I think there’s a real risk of a spoiler though for some reason, then I can survive without reading it if it’s the next in a series I’m already reading.

      As for the re-reading, you mention how the narrator can help you rediscover the story, but I feel like it’s getting to notice those clues and the different perspective and the things you mentioned in your third paragraph that make re-reading special for me and allow me to rediscover it. In fact, sometimes a re-read can make me more emotional in certain ways because of what I already know.

      Thanks, glad you liked it!

  6. Jessica

    I sometimes like reading spoilers because I will know what I’m getting into. I don’t like books about rape, aliens, or wars. So instead of going head first, I always find it if they have any of those first.

    1. Kristen Burns

      That makes sense to read spoilers if you know you want to avoid those certain things but know they might only be included as spoilers. I find that I can get most of the info I need just from reviews without spoilers, but then there’s not much that I really seriously avoid, so I don’t usually have to worry too much.

  7. verushka

    Spoilers. Hm. I don’t have a hard and fast rule about them , I think, but I haven’t really thought about it before now. It depends in part whether I am confused or unsure about what a book is about, then I go looking for reviews, which often have different levels of spoilers. In those cases, the spoilers actually make or break whether I want to read. Other times though, I fully admit that they can turn me off a book if I don’t like them, but those always catch me by surprise — I have to really dislike the spoilers and it turns my POV of the book upside down entirely. I should probably figure out a hard and fast something about it lol

    1. Kristen Burns

      If the blurb is just vague and I can’t even figure out what the book is about, then yeah, I too will try and find some sort of synopsis or info if it seems like something I might like. But I guess, even then, I still try to avoid legitimate spoilers. But for me it’s never really that the spoiler turned out to be something I didn’t like, it’s more that I just don’t want to be spoiled period, even if it’s something I would like. You don’t need to have a hard and fast rule about it though lol, just keep doin’ what you’re doin’ if it works for you!

  8. Lola

    I hate spoilers and have heard a few were knowing the spoiler makes me less likely to pick up the book, I just hope I’ll forget it eventually and there have been some books were I would’ve liked to not know something beforehand as to be more surprised when reading it. On the other hand spoilers are also one of those topics that is a bit of a grey era, like what is a spoiler and what not. Is mentioning there is a love triangle a spoiler? Even if the blurb hints to that? When is it a spoiler and when not?

    I remember Divergent and if you read any of the reviews or anything about the book beforehand you know who the love interest is and if I hadn’t known that when i started reading I wouldn’t have expected that at first and it would be a different experience. I probably would’ve been more surprised then.

    I watched star wars in chronological order not knowing who darth vader was, and the moment I pieced it together was awesome. I won’t ever forget that moment, it felt great and it was such a surprise. It also felt like things fell into place and like I just had this big revelation and I liked that. And I still do my best to never mention that spoiler anywhere even though everyone probably knows, because I don’t want to ruin it for anyone who hasn’t watched it yet. As I loved watching the movies and figuring it out for myself. And it’s also the reason why I would advice watching them in chronological order even though they weren’t published in that order.

    On the other hand I also agree with your second statement. If the book is really good you will still enjoy it, even if you got spoiled. And many book readers like to re-read books and then you basically spoiled the whole book already and it’s still fun to read. It’s just a different experience. And sometimes knowing what is going to happen makes it even more fun to read. So I guess you could say spoilers change how you experience a book, but that isn’t always necessarily bad. Still in general I prefer to avoid spoilers.

    And while the main plot twists might be predictable, it’s often the smaller ones that can be sadder when you know them. A side character that dies for example can have a big impact as well, especially if you know that beforehand. Or a switch in love interest, the surprise of that is ruined if you already know that. I do agree that even if a book got spoiled it’s still worth reading and a good book is probably still a good book even if you got spoiled. But if you got spoiled you never will be able to read it not knowing that.
    It’s different if you choose to get spoiled, if you ask someone to reveal something or if you look up a spoiler, but if you get spoiled without wanting to? I think it’s the worst as you can never forget that and never read the book without knowing.

    1. Kristen Burns

      Yeah, I’ve done that lol, accidentally read a spoiler but just kinda put the book aside and crossed my fingers that I’d forget the spoiler by the time I actually decided to read it. It does happen sometimes. It is kind of a grey area what’s considered a spoiler and what isn’t, but I feel like there are certain things that are *definitely* spoilers and no one would really disagree. If something happens in the first 30% or so, then I usually don’t consider it a spoiler. And something like love triangles aren’t usually some big surprise, they’re a staple of the book, so I don’t normally consider those spoilers either except for special circumstances.

      I don’t consider knowing the love interest beforehand in Divergent is really a spoiler though :-/ I feel like in most books you know beforehand who the love interest will be, and it probably would’ve been obvious even if you hadn’t known just from how he’s described and everything when she first meets him.

      The Star Wars thing is interesting. I imagine it would be a totally different experience to watch them in chronological order like that without knowing who Darth Vader was.

      I agree though, sometimes knowing what happens makes a book even more fun and/or more emotional. But I guess the difference is that at least when you re-read a book, you did get to read it for that first time without knowing. But still, it doesn’t necessarily *ruin* a book to have a spoiler, just makes it a different experience, like you said.

      But yeah, I still don’t like spoilers myself. It is different if you CHOOSE to look at a spoiler though. It just sucks to have it ruined when you didn’t want to know.

    1. Kristen Burns

      I usually avoid them too. Believe it or not, I didn’t read the Divergent series until it was hugely popular, but I somehow managed to not know about that spoiler lol. I’m glad though because I actually wouldn’t want to know something like that ahead of time, even though I understand why other people might.

  9. Laura

    I totally agree with you here! Whilst my instinct is to just be like ‘spoilers are the worst thing ever! My entire reading experience will be RUINED if I accidentally come across any spoilers!’, that probably isn’t strictly true. As you say, in most cases books are predictable and you can guess that everything will probably work out fine for the characters no matter how dire the situation is (unless that book was written by George R.R. Martin!), and if the book is well read and the characters are interesting it should still be perfectly enjoyable.
    Great post! I’ve never really thought about spoilers in that way before πŸ™‚

    1. Kristen Burns

      I get it, that’s totally my instinct too lol, but that’s not fair to all the good books out there and not entirely true when you actually think about it. As some other people have said, it doesn’t ruin the reading experience, it just might change it some. And yeah, I mean, how often do characters actually fail or die or not get to be with their love? That’s just how books are lol. Then again, on the off chance that a book does end tragically, I’d be more upset about seeing that spoiler since that actually would’ve been a surprise. Thanks! Glad I could also help someone else think about it differently πŸ™‚

  10. sjhigbee

    Hm… I’m with you on the cutting! I LOATHE spoilers and get very fed up with the current crop of blurting blurbs that see fit to give the main plotpoints of the first 25% of the book – because even with the good books – it compromises the PACE. If you’ve already been told that our protagonist is going to be tossed over the side of a boat on the back cover – and it doesn’t occur until page 85, you will be WAITING for that moment. And thinking that the groundwork the author prepared for the jolt of shock (which now isn’t remotely shocking) is rather dragging…
    Ahem. Not that I am unreasonably touchy about this subject. At all. *left eyelid twitches*…

    1. Kristen Burns

      Haha, ok maybe I’m not quite as passionate about spoilers as you. I actually like to go into a book with a general idea of what it will be about, essentially what the goal of the book will be, so I feel like the first 25% or so is fair game. I get more impatient if I don’t know what the heck the book will be about because then I feel like I’m just waiting and waiting for nothing and don’t know if we’re getting any closer to anything or not. Though I suppose it somewhat depends on the length of the book too. 25% of a 200 page book is only 50 pages, but 25% of a 400 page book is 100 pages. But I can also understand why you dislike knowing those things. Blurbs do seem to be getting more spoiler-y, don’t they? Because I’ve seen ones that talk about things that happen past the 50% mark even.

  11. Aralyn

    Nice post, haha. I’m the same as you: I WILL NOT LIKE YOU FOR A TIME IF YOU SPOIL SOMETHING FOR ME. No matter how small. I don’t even like emotions spoiled – don’t tell me you cried! It’ll make me wonder WHY.
    NO. I do catch myself with some bad habits, though, occasionally… Rarely, actually. I sitll haven’t pin-pointed the reasons I would read the very last sentence of the book… I also have the problem of my eyes darting ahead, like you mentioned, but I actually get distracted by my hands or any object covering sentences, so I can’t use that technique…
    However, I have a friend who sometimes spoils things for books and TV shows because she can’t handle the stress of it. So there’s a thought. She needs to know that this part won’t go to shit or this person JUST CAN’T DIE, y’know?

    1. Kristen Burns

      Then I guess it’s a good thing I put the part about the mood of Shatterproof in a spoiler tag lol. I don’t usually consider emotions a spoiler except in certain cases where it really will give the ending away. I feel like, just because a book made someone cry, for example, there are still a whole bunch of reasons why it could’ve done that. Maybe the MC died, maybe the love interest died, maybe a side character died, maybe the romance didn’t work out, maybe someone was betrayed, maybe there was just an emotional scene but it all worked out in the end, etc. And I like books that are dark and emotional, so I like to know how books made people feel so that I can find those types of books.

      But how can you read the last sentence if you hate spoilers so much?! Lol I’ve never done that. Just the eye darting thing, but luckily my hand doesn’t distract me, and I only have to do that for super tense, climactic moments when I know that something will probably happen.

      I can understand why some people do like spoilers though.

  12. Ashley G.

    I never thought of it that way, but you’re right. A good book will still be good, spoiled or not. For instance, I just finished The Death Cure and I did hear spoilers before reading it. But I still liked it. And I did kinda know what was going to happen any way without the spoiler. It was just inevitable. This is a really good thought that I don’t think many people consider. Great post!

    1. Kristen Burns

      I actually didn’t hear any spoilers for that book before I read it, but I got tears in my eyes just re-reading that one scene once, so I feel like I probably wouldn’t have felt any less emotional even if it had been spoiled. So yeah, books can still be good! Glad I could help you think about it in a different way!

  13. S. J. Pajonas

    I’m reading a book right now that I’m so so so glad no one has spoiled for me yet. I may be the first of my inner circle of friends to have read this particular book, though it is extremely popular and a few bloggers I know love it. Sometimes it’s really cool to go into a book knowing absolutely nothing. I’m not even sure if I read the blurb ahead of time!

    1. Kristen Burns

      I don’t even go into a book knowing absolutely nothing lol, but it is nice to be able to read books without spoilers. You’re brave for reading a book without even reading the blurb!

      1. S. J. Pajonas

        It was recommended by someone I trust and has over 1000 reviews on Amazon. Then it was on sale so I grabbed it without reading the blurb. So glad I didn’t. I had no idea what to expect and it’s been awesome.

        1. Kristen Burns

          Eh, I never trust that a book is for me just because it has lots of reviews and/or a good rating. I seem to have a different sort of taste than the majority. But if it was recommended by someone you trust, that makes it a little less risky πŸ˜› Glad it’s worked out well for you!

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  15. Becky @ A Fool's Ingenuity

    I completely agree, spoilers are annoying, especially if you’ve not gone searching for them but instead stumbled across them without warning, but they cannot ruin a good read. I think unless it’s a book where the impact of the book relies upon that twist at the end then spoilers are not the end of the world. They aren’t always intended and they don’t tend to be posted maliciously people just forget and it seems harsh to go out blaming people if they meant no harm. Kindly point out their error and move on. It sucks a good book may have been spoiled a bit but if it’s a decent read you’ll still enjoy it. I mean, I was spoiled on the ending of Batman v Superman and I still watched and enjoyed that film.

    1. Kristen Burns

      Exactly, if someone *wants* to find a spoiler, that’s their choice, but it sucks to see them when you didn’t want to. But yeah, unless the book really relies on that twist, the book can still be just as enjoyable. I do, however, still blame people for posting them. Maybe it’s not with malicious intent, but I’ve seen plenty of reviews in which the person just didn’t care and was like, “That was so sad when Bob died. And it’s too bad the relationship didn’t work and the couple broke up. But it was really sweet when the siblings were reunited at the end.” That’s not just an accident, that’s a straight up lack of concern for anyone else’s reading experiences. I mean, I do just move on, I never angrily berate people or anything like that, but it still makes me angry because of rude it is for both readers and authors.

  16. Dena @ Batch of Books

    I avoid spoilers completely. I never read reviews before I’ve read the book because I don’t want someone else’s opinion to alter my impression of the book. Also, I almost never read the back cover copy because they usually give too much away and I like going into a book completely blind!

    I agree that a good book won’t be ruined by spoilers, but I still avoid them if possible.

    1. Kristen Burns

      Wow! Ok, I don’t mean to sound rude, this is a legitimate question, but how do you decide what books to read if you don’t read blurbs or reviews? I always read blurbs, and I usually read a whole bunch of reviews because that’s the only way I can figure out if the book seems like my kind of book or not. I find that I tend to forget what all the reviews said once I actually start reading though, so their opinions affecting my own isn’t usually a problem, haha. I do avoid reading reviews *while* I’m reading a book though, or after I’ve read but have not yet written my own review, for that reason.

      But yes, I agree, spoilers don’t necessarily ruin good books, but I too try to avoid them!

      1. Dena @ Batch of Books

        Ha ha it does sound a bit nutty, I agree. πŸ™‚

        The cover is the main deciding factor for me. I might read one or two lines of the blurb, and I’ll look it up on Goodreads to see how many reviews it has and the average rating. I can usually judge fairly well off of those things. If the book is out of my reading comfort zone, I will read the blurb, but it’s usually the cover that will get me.

  17. Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction

    I’d definitely prefer not to be spoiled, and there are a few times that I think my reading pleasure has been reduced because I was spoiled, but I agree that it’s not the end of the world. I don’t avoid reading books that have been spoiled for me, and I often find myself still eager to get to that moment – or to find out how it came about. Sometimes it can even build up more suspense for me!

    1. Kristen Burns

      Some other commenters made a good point that knowing a spoiler changes a reading experience but doesn’t necessarily ruin it. But I agree, I think with spoilers there is always that risk that it will make the experience less enjoyable, though I suppose it’s hard to know whether we would’ve *actually* enjoyed it more or not since there’s no way to test that. And like you said, sometimes I think it does build anticipation. A lot of people don’t read blurbs because they don’t want to know what will happen even in the first 25-30%, but I like knowing that because I find that it does make me more excited, waiting for that moment of the inciting incident or whatever was mentioned, trying to figure out how the author will there, piecing things together, etc.

  18. AngelErin

    I see what you mean, but I hate spoilers. As long as it’s not something major though it won’t completely ruin the book, but there are some books that the twists are the point. If that gets spoiled then well it may still be good, but I’ll be PISSED that I know what’s going to happen. Spoilers do take away from the initial read for me. πŸ™‚

    1. Kristen Burns

      I hate spoilers too, but yeah, I think they don’t necessarily ruin books, they just don’t allow you have that same type of first experience. I’m trying to think of any books I’ve read in which the twist really was the point and that the book would’ve been completely ruined had I known… and I think there are books I’d maybe have enjoyed less or viewed differently, but none that would’ve been *ruined*. I know you read a lot of thriller and the like though, and I feel like for thriller/mystery/suspense books, it would be a lot worse to know whodunnit or what actually happened ahead of time.

      1. AngelErin

        Yes! That’s exactly the kind of books that I mean. The thriller/mystery/suspense books. I think the book would still be readable and good, but pretty sucky to know any big twists. πŸ™‚

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  20. Jackie

    Sometimes spoilers can ruin a book for me. When the Harry Potter books were being released for the first time, the whole world was a landmine of spoilers, so I refused to read about the books, talk about the books, or accidentally overhear people talking about the books until I read the novels myself.

    I’m also a sucker for mysteries, and I suppose it would be kind of pointless to read a novel if someone told me the identity of the perp before-hand.

    But everything else is kind of fair game. I mean, I’d prefer not to read about spoilers, but my world doesn’t shatter if someone spills the beans. Sometimes it’s those spoilers that encourage me to pick up a novel!

    1. Kristen Burns

      Mmm, yeah, I remember how bad the Harry Potter spoilers were, but I always made sure to read the books ASAP lol.

      Someone else mentioned mystery/thriller/suspense books, and I hadn’t thought of those while writing this post since I don’t really read them, but yeah, I can definitely see how those would be ruined. Half the fun of mysteries is figuring them out!

      I agree though, for other books I’d prefer not to come across spoilers, but it’s not the end of the world if I do, and sometimes a spoiler can make you more interested!

  21. Got My Book

    Great article; you did a good job of putting a unique spin on it. I would leave a long comment, but I know you already read my recent post on spoilers; so I will just say I love rereading and agree with your points in that regard.

  22. Michelle @ FaerieFits

    This is an idea I’ve grown to appreciate more as I’ve gotten older. A decade ago (that makes me feel old), I was dead set against re-readong books (which should make you wonder why I was so obsessed with OWNING them instead of borrowing), and spoilers were most definitely the end of the world. But I’ve recently started to really appreciate a good re-read, and it’s made it painfully obvious that I can still enjoy a book when I know what’s going to happen.

    Great post!

    1. Kristen Burns

      I totally get you, I never used to re-read either because I didn’t understand the point when I already knew what would happen, but I do enjoy it now. And I didn’t think to mention this in the post, but I also read books after seeing movies sometimes. So now I do feel a book can still be enjoyed even if you already know what’ll happen. Thanks!

  23. Puput @ Sparkling Letters

    Ooohh yes we have a lot of thoughts in common! πŸ˜€ Unmarked spoilers are sooo evil! I feel trapped and ceceived everytime I found people spoiling a book without spoiler mark </3 but yes I agree, sometimes the journey itself is what matters despite how everything turns out in the end. In that case, spoiler doesn't really ruin the book for me. But for books with so many plot twists? The journey AND the ending are everything. No spoiling that for me πŸ˜›

    Speaking of re-reading… I'm the queen of re-reading! πŸ˜› I re-read books all the time, cry all the time. I read Me Before You three times, all in which I cried lol great post!

    1. Kristen Burns

      Yeah, I think some books are ruined more than others, and it depends on the spoiler itself. But some spoilers don’t have a huge impact on the story or are kind of predictable anyway.

      Hahaha, I used to never re-read, but now I love it. I don’t do it that often because I have so many new books I want to read, but yeah, I think I probably get even MORE emotional when I re-read since I’m already totally invested in the characters!

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