Saturday, May 7, 2016

Should I Hide These Topics Under Spoiler Tags?

This discussion is basically thank to polandbananasBOOKS on Youtube.

You see, on Christine's Hamilton tag video, she got into a mini rant over one of the tag's questions, which was: a book with a twist you did not see coming.

TWISTS
Her point was that she always gets really upset when reviews talk about the twists in books, because by talking about the twist, the actual shock and surprise of it is negated, because you know it's coming. 

You basically expect it, you look for it. You start thinking outside the box at what might surprise you and looking for clues to see which option is the correct one... this is how I figure out 90% of the "twists" in books. Some books even have "with twists you won't see coming" on the cover. So, dude, now I'm definitely going to see it coming. 

Listening to her, I started thinking to myself... dude, she's right. Why aren't talks of twists marked in spoiler tag? Should they be? On the one hand, it's vague in the sense you don't say what the twist is, you just discuss the emotions it gave you. On the other... refer to the paragraph above.

Her mini-rant has made me decide to hide any talk of twists in my reviews under spoiler tag. Because, I am still going to want to talk about it. But I'm not going to "force" you to get spoiled, even in the "smallest" of senses, without your knowing consent.

However, when I started thinking about it, there was another topic I started thinking I should hide, for the same principle.
ANGST
One of my pet-peeves is too much angst in a novel. Therefore, when there isn't any of it or very little of it, I tend to talk about it in my review. Favorably and loudly. Anyways, Christine's point made me think about this as well...

Aren't I ruining it for others by promising no angst? Taking away from the tension that might have been there otherwise? Think of a novel where one of the characters has a secret. The secret is there basically to create tension and stress for the reader, who knows it's going to blow up in their face.

Only you know otherwise, because you have just read my review, and I've promised you an angst free ride. So what might have been exciting or nerve wrecking is kind of just an annoyance for you know.

Same for the other way around - It takes away the surprise and wonder. 

What do you think? Should all the bloggers hide these under spoiler tag, or do they not bother you? Would you start hiding those under spoiler tags now?
And are there more topics you read in reviews that you wish were hidden behind spoiler tags? 

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