Book Blogger Confessions is a meme that posts the 1st and 3rd Monday of every month, where book bloggers "confess" and vent about topics that are unique to us. Feel free to share, vent and offer solutions. Just keep it respectful - no bashing authors or other bloggers!
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Question: Spoilers in reviews: Do you read them, do you include them? How to you describe (or avoid describing) spoilery parts of a book?
As a reader I love spoilers. I'm that annoying person who reads the last page first.
I usually only do this with series. I get so anxious that my beloved characters will die or chose the wrong person that I have to know in advance so I can calm the heck down and read without freaking out.
I don't read details - just a quick peek for a name to know he/she is alive. Stuff like that. It doesn't ruin the book for me at all. The journey and details are still there for me to discover. I do avoid reviews that describe the whole book in great detail. I’m not looking for that. I usually just ask friends instead.
Now as a reviewer, I don't reveal spoilers. Sometimes that can't be avoided with long running series because you may be discussing plot points to a reader who hasn't read the earlier books but I always add a warning something like this: "No spoilers for this book but there may be spoilers for the other books in the series."
To avoid spoilers in my reviews I try to allude to the facts without spelling them out. Maybe impart a feeling rather than giving away actual story lines. I don't find it all that difficult.
The only time I have problems avoiding spoilers in reviews is if those BIG moments are the thing I disliked or loved about the book. Especially the dislikes. I want to explain why the book didn't work for me without spilling everything and ruin the book for others who might still enjoy it.
My review for The Sea is Rising Red was the toughest review I've ever written. The things I both disliked and liked all involved major spoilers. I'm still not happy with it but I had to make the call and decide to go with a review that wasn't as clearly written/informative as I would have liked or spoil the book for readers and I chose the former.
What about you? Do you like spoilers? Do you mind them in reviews as long as there is a clear warning?
Question for April 16th –: Review/Guest post requests: Do you have a review request policy? Has it changed over time? How do you handle requests that don’t meet your criteria? In the past, what types of "pitches" have caught your attention? Are there any (non-specific) examples of requests that are off-putting to you as a blogger?
I'm one of those people who HATE spoilers with a vehemence. They make me so mad! Especially when reviews have spoilers. However, I'm okay with them if they come with a warning. Then, I'll just skip over.
ReplyDeleteYou ARE that annoying person! *shakes fist* LOL
ReplyDeleteI don't know how you do it chic...
LOL I know! But I'm so tense that I can't enjoy the book if I don't. I don't do it very often though.
DeleteI kind of think spoilers are a necessary evil, but the reviewers should always indicate them!
ReplyDeleteThe only time I ever went to the end of the book before reading the rest was Harry Potter- I had not dedicated 7 years to these books to have something heartbreaking happen- so I understand why you do it for series!!!
But in general I don't spoil books for myself. I love that frantic fear that the characters might die or something else might happen- because if I know it will happen is there really any point reading? That high tension heightens the book for me and improves the entire experience.
I need to know or I'm a total wreck the whole time I'm reading. I know to some extent that's the point but I can't take it. I'm a wimp lol
DeleteI told you I read the end of Mockingjay first. For Catching Fire I had Kevin peek and let me know if a certain someone was alive but I wouldn't look myself because I was afraid I would see too much. I don't like the spoilers where the whole story is spelled out.
Even with spoilers I'm always surprised while I'm reading. I may know one thing is going to happen but my assumptions of how it got to that point are almost always wrong.
I try not to do it but when its a book too that I disliked or a big part of the story, some times there is no way around it.
ReplyDeleteI never read the last page first, but I do love spoilers, especially, like you mention, for my beloved series. And it's usually very hard for me to leave them out of my reviews, because I'm just not mindful of it, though I should be. LOL
ReplyDeleteInteresting that you read the last page first, I think you are the first reader I've ever met who does this ..... or are there others out there who just don't admit to it?
ReplyDeleteI could never skip to the back of the book, it would put me off reading the book. My friend Reeshe when she starts telling me about a book or series she's reading she can't help but spill almost everything to me. She tells me there is still lots she hasn't told me but it doesn't feel that way and since I feel like I already know the whole story it takes me a lot longer to pick up the book since what I love is the surprises and the twists.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I realllly want to include a spoiler cos usually it's something I loved or hated, but I refrain from doing it
ReplyDeleteAs a reader, I hate spoilers with all my being and soul!!! Like, physically, I.Hate.Them.
ReplyDeleteOkay, now that is out of my chest I can say that IF there is a warning in red and bold letters that reads: "Spoilers, go away if you haven't read it!" I don't mind...I just walk away and avoid that review, comment, observation, etc.
I think what I hate the most are the comments around twitter, facebook and such, because reviews, I can avoid them (usually I only read reviews from 3 or 4 people) so they are not a problem. But comments....arrrrgh!!!! Especially when it's a series or a trilogy, it happened to me twice: With Perfect Chemistry and Nightshade. Both trilogies ruined because of random comments on Goodreads and twitter pointing big parts of the plot of book 3. I wanted to rip them apart! lol because not everyone has read the previous books!! Why, people can't understand that?! (Sorry for my mini rant, but...raawrrrr it makes me mad, and since you asked...hahah :P)
And when I review a book once in while I keep it spoiler free, always. Or I'd do something like you said: "No spoilers for this book but there may be spoilers for the other books in the series."
P.S: I can't believe you read the last page first, you are that annoying person LoL but it's ok, if it calms you down haha but it is weird I must say. We are not twins in this matter, hmmph! *hair flip* XOXOXOX! ;)
Don't disown me!!! lol
DeleteThat's so interesting about the comments. I never really think about that - especially when I'm discussing a series that the reviewer has obviously read.
We still have to mindful of those who haven't. Even in comments.
Karen, I swear we are twins separated at birth. I do the quick peek too. I thought a lot of people did that, but I tweeted about it and people thought it was so hilarious. The key is to just look for one word, like the name of the person you're worried will die, and not look at anything else. It's a skill, I guess. A worthless skill, but still :)
ReplyDeleteAnd I never put spoilers in my reviews. I would feel horrible if I thought I ruined a book for someone else.
bahahaha! That is exactly what I do. I don't want the plot spelled out for me at all. I still want to read how everything got to that point but I can't handle the anxiety of not knowing if someone is alive or dead.
DeleteIf I think I might see too much I have my husband look for me and tell me only what I want to know. It's still out of context so the book isn't ruined for me.
My mom reads like you--has to read the last few pages first, to be sure she's not wasting her time! I thrive on anticipation, though, so I can never read ahead or I'll just start reading from a midpoint and never go back to where I was before--that's how I do with tv shows, so if I miss episodes, it's like the lost parts don't exist anymore.
ReplyDeleteI agree about the 'spoilers for past books, but not for this one' policy. It's hard to review book 7 in a series and not discuss how the heroine became a werewolf in book 4 and married her boyfriend in book 6. I think all we're obligated to do is not spoil the individual book itself.
I think it depends on the purpose of the review. If it's a straight-forward review to tempt others to buy a book, or not to, then spoilers are a no-no. If the post is to discuss in detail a film or book with others who have read or seen it and just want to talk about ALL OF THE THINGS, that is just as valid a reason to write a blog post, but it does have to be clearly indicated if there are going to be spoilers. When I write that sort of post, I will write a warning in bold either at the top of the post, or before the spoilery bits.
ReplyDeleteI did host a discussion for a long running series on my blog last year. I posted in huge bold letters that we were discussing spoilers and then added a page break so people would have to click over if they wanted to continue reading.
DeleteYou definitely will be talking spoilers in that case.
You read the last page first? :O Bad a**! hehe
ReplyDeleteThis is my first week doing BBC! It's a cool meme. I'm glad I found it.
Here's mine if you want to check it out:
http://www.bookmarkyourthoughts.com/2012/04/book-blogger-confessions1.html
Definitely good discussion question! Just put up my post. :)
ReplyDeleteI do not like spoilers at all! Even if it is just a tiny one. If I feel I need to include a spoiler I will make a spoiler alert in m post and try to hide the lines so the reader won't see it easily.
ReplyDelete