# Should reviewers give away endings (spoilers)?



## john_a_karr (Jun 21, 2010)

Should reviewers give away endings (spoilers)?

I don't think so, not without sufficient warning in the review, anyway. What reader wants to know the ending up-front?


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## Linjeakel (Mar 17, 2010)

I think the majority of people read reviews _before_ they buy, to help decide on a purchase etc., rather than afterwards. That said, I think it's wrong of reviewers to rehash too much of the storyline in general and especially to give away real plot spoilers, never mind the ending.


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

No.

The only time I even like a rehash of the storyline is on a non-amazon site or other site where the book blurb isn't readily available.


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## Anne Victory (Jul 29, 2010)

Absolutely not, IMO.  Never, ever, ever.


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## L.J. Sellers novelist (Feb 28, 2010)

This is my biggest, perhaps only, complaint about some reviewers. Some give away plot details that readers would prefer to discover on their own. And giving away the ending is unforgivable. But I don't know any experienced reviewers who do that.

L.J.

_--- edited... no self-promotion outside the Book Bazaar forum. please read our Forum Decorum thread._


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

no. never. never ever. I loathe those reviews and will often vote them down.


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## Cuechick (Oct 28, 2008)

No, I hate spoilers. I am careful about reading reviews, because of this. I usually only read other customer reviews on Goodreads cause they warn for spoilers and even then I only skim to get an ideal. After I finish I book, I often go back and read the reviews more closely. I am the same with movies.


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## coffeetx (Feb 12, 2011)

john_a_karr said:


> Should reviewers give away endings (spoilers)?
> 
> I don't think so, not without sufficient warning in the review, anyway. What reader wants to know the ending up-front?


No they should not but if they are going to do that then they should put a header of spoilers at the top. A lot of people on Amazon are not so much reviewing the book as they are just commenting on it. They don't intend to give any formal book review. They are giving feedback which usually includes spoilers. This is why I am careful to not read reviews that tend to go in this direction.


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## Sandra Edwards (May 10, 2010)

No way!


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## easyreader (Feb 20, 2011)

No-- what's the point of reviewing then?


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## Iwritelotsofbooks (Nov 17, 2010)

I think you can discuss the ending if you clearly label *Major Spoiler Ahead.*  I just hate it when they spring it on you without warning.


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## RJ Keller (Mar 9, 2009)

lacymarankevinmichael said:


> I think you can discuss the ending if you clearly label *Major Spoiler Ahead.* I just hate it when they spring it on you without warning.


Nope, not even then. As a reader I feel cheated when reviewers give away "spoilers" - by which I mean not only the ending, but also plot twists that were supposed to be surprise - and as a writer, it offends me.


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## SpecOps (Feb 20, 2011)

Of course not.  Who decides who is a reviewer anyway?  People self-annoint themselves and then blather away.


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## Pinworms (Oct 20, 2010)

Yes, they should


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## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

No.  Reviews should be 100% spoiler free.  The whole point of them is to decide whether to check out a book or movie.  I can think of few things more pointless than reading a review after having read a book or saw a movie etc.


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## JFHilborne (Jan 22, 2011)

You should be able to give an honest review without spoiling it for other readers. I think it's okay to comment that you found the ending weak, if that's the case, without giving away the ending. A review is only an opinion and it's not fair to rob the author of future sales by giving away the entire plot-line and ending in a review.


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## MichelleR (Feb 21, 2009)

john_a_karr said:


> Should reviewers give away endings (spoilers)?


As a rule, no.

Sometimes it's hard, because there is an aspect there that I really want to discuss to explain why I felt the way I did, but I think a reviewer can almost always vague it up enough to not spoil.

I will say that sometimes things read as a spoiler that aren't a spoiler. You know what I mean? An event that reads like a big deal if mentioned but it very matter of fact in the book and very beside the point and possibly mentioned on the first page. 

I once got grief for mentioning details in an autobiography of an actress. Not super secret revelations, but stuff readily available in IMDB. I think I mentioned her parent's divorce was hard on her.


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## Guest (Feb 21, 2011)




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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

Arkali said:


> Absolutely not, IMO. Never, ever, ever.


I agree 100%.


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## MosesSiregarIII (Jul 15, 2010)

Pinworms said:


> Yes, they should


LOL

I thought what Pinworms meant was: No.


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## theraven (Dec 30, 2009)

I don't think they should but if there is a spoiler, I'd like a warning. I will admit that I have read spoilers (and appreciated them) for certain books. There was a book I was reading and I kept getting the impression that the book was going to go in a direction that I'd rather have to read. I checked out the reviews, looking for the spoilers, found out that my suspicions were right and stopped reading.


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## Anne Victory (Jul 29, 2010)

MichelleR said:


> I will say that sometimes things read as a spoiler that aren't a spoiler. You know what I mean? An event that reads like a big deal if mentioned but it very matter of fact in the book and very beside the point and possibly mentioned on the first page.


Agreed. If it's mentioned before the end of the first chapter, I don't consider it to be a spoiler if it's mentioned in the review. Spoilers usually burn me, though.


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## john_a_karr (Jun 21, 2010)

foreverjuly ... is that a 'no' then?  

Someone raised the divulging of plot points ... just as bad. That's part of the unfolding tale, and should only be generalized. 

I agree that most reviewers are keen enough and don't give away details, but with Amazon's commentators = reviewers, I do see where it happens now and then. Part of the gig, I suppose.


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## joanhallhovey (Nov 7, 2010)

Oh, my, no, and if they do they should be jailed immediately.  -  Kidding. Sort of.  Thankfully, no reviewer has revealed the ending to any of my books that I know of.  I had a friend once (she's gone on to her reward as my grandma would say) who used the read the ending of books first.  That's kind of off topic, but I never quite understood it especially since she was an author herself and knew the hard work that goes into a good, and often surprise ending. Never mind that she ruined the story for herself.  So no again.  Even with a spoiler.


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## Edward W. Robertson (May 18, 2010)

If you're talking about a typical review, or an Amazon review, no way. Not unless they sound like spoilers but really aren't; I covered _I Am Number Four_ (the movie) recently, and while a lot of its summaries go out of their way not to give away the details of the protagonist's life, he infodumps everything about himself within the first ten minutes. Recapping that stuff isn't a spoiler.

But there's certainly space for reviews that cover the entirety of a book. Sometimes reviewers and readers alike want to talk about that big twist the story took or whether they were satisfied with that final act. If you make clear upfront the review's spoiler-heavy, what's the problem? Not all reviews are intended to spread the word about a work. Sometimes they're intended to help people understand a work. That means looking at it as a whole, beginning to end.


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## evrose (Jan 7, 2011)

This thread reminds me of a bumpersticker I saw a couple years back. Right after one of the latter Harry Potter books was released (I don't know which, I haven't read them), the sticker read, *"Dumbledore dies on page 457."*

Hilarious.


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## Thumper (Feb 26, 2009)

Reviews that are basically book reports tick me off. I honestly think there are a ton of people out there that don't grasp the difference, so they pop online and tell the who freaking story in their review. 

I'm looking for a book to read: if you, as a reviewer, re-tell the story, you've ruined it for me. And if you did that intentionally, because you didn't like the book and don't want anyone else to "make your mistake," well, you kinda suck.

If you give away the ending...you kinda blow, too.


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## John Dax (May 21, 2010)

You can put me down as "spoilers in reviews pretty much suck in every possible way."


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## Mark Feggeler (Feb 7, 2011)

Simple answer: "No."


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

As long as there's warning so I can avoid it until I've finished the book, I don't mind. Sometimes if I have a problem with an aspect of the book and I want to have my say about it, it's difficult to explain it without revealing something. Just another reason why I prefer Goodreads - they have a good spoiler warning system.


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## ella_drake (Feb 19, 2011)

I'm going to go with the minority in this thread and say that it depends. (though, if a reviewer gives a spoiler, it should be noted in big type & if possible, below the fold or hidden in some way).
There are times when I've been curious about a book that I thought might be a difficult read in some way, either because of violence, or emotional endings, etc. I've sought out spoilers for that reason. But I also don't like getting surprised by a spoiler in a review without warning. I think that's a disservice to the reader and the author.


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## Amanda Brice (Feb 16, 2011)

I hate, hate, hate spoilers in reviews. If you absolutely must discuss the plot and ending itself in your review, then you really should put a gigantic spoiler heading in all caps.


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## RJ Keller (Mar 9, 2009)

evrose said:


> This thread reminds me of a bumpersticker I saw a couple years back. Right after one of the latter Harry Potter books was released (I don't know which, I haven't read them), the sticker read, *"Dumbledore dies on page 457."*
> 
> Hilarious.


I literally laughed out loud at that.


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## AlisonM (Jul 30, 2010)

No, I find it very annoying reading a review which is basically a full run down of what happens in the book.  Reviews should contain no more detail of the actual book content than the blurb IMO.


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## Mark Feggeler (Feb 7, 2011)

AlisonM said:


> No, I find it very annoying reading a review which is basically a full run down of what happens in the book. Reviews should contain no more detail of the actual book content than the blurb IMO.


Exactly. If I want a synopsis, I'll look for the CliffsNotes version. When I read a review, I want the reviewers impressions of the qualities of the book that they enjoyed or disliked. Simply telling me what happens in the story is not the same as offering a proper critique.


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## The Real McCoy (Oct 8, 2010)

There's never any need to give away an ending. But it brings up another problem. On my Amazon Book site it's possible for a prospective buyer read the first couple of chapters, which is fine by me. Trouble is, Amazon also allow them to read the last few chapters. I grumbled to my publisher, who mentioned it to Amazon who said it's no different to a person picking a book off a shelf as the end is there for them to read if they want to. This somehow doesn't make sense.


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## Alessandra Kelley (Feb 22, 2011)

There should be no spoilers in a review, ever.  I do feel that if something about the ending really upsets the reviewer, and they think the story went off the rails or did something unfair, they should be able to say that -- but without any details at all, please.  The same applies if the ending is somehow astonishingly awesome.  You can say it was so, but NO SPOILERS.


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## MichelleR (Feb 21, 2009)

My Reviews, Which Reveal a Small Streak of Erotic Romance Reading.

As mentioned in my previous post, I'm with people who don't believe in giving away spoilers, but I will touch on plot points. Not a complete synopsis, not every one, not enough that the need to read the book is gone, but a reviewer has to say more than I liked it or didn't like it and that means mentioning themes or moments present in the work.

No reader of the review is going to be assisted unless I reveal a little of who I am and a little of what the book is -- and if the two were a good match or not. I want people to be able to make a choice, even if it's to decide to buy a book I hated or pass on a book I loved. Without context, that doesn't work. To my mind, that means possibly discussing my reaction to certain scenes.

Here's the closest I've come to spoiler territory/plot revelation recently: _When Beauty Tamed the Beast also has a really great emotional pay-off. Do you love scenes where, in a moment of true crisis, a character realizes just how much the person they love means to them? Any of you guys remember the scene in Something Wonderful (Judith McNaught) in which the hero has to contemplate losing the heroine in order to understand the depth of his love? This. Only with chicken manure -- well, and some other unsavory things. The hero, who has been pushing the heroine away, becomes a true hero and pushes himself past endurance in order to save the woman he loves. _

I don't think I ruined anything, even for people who've read Something Wonderful and might have more of an idea of the nature of the crisis. What I think, what I hope, is that it will make the book _more_ intriguing -- whether the person read SW or they just want to find out how chicken poo comes into play or just love that the hero is going to be really, really heroic.

I believe there's such a thing as responsible reviewing, but it's more a matter of knowing it when you see it. There aren't any hard and fast rules on what can be said about the text of a book other than not to reveal anything that the reviewer would reasonably expect to deaden or greatly lessen a reader's enjoyment. However, in order for a reviewer to discuss excitement or disappointment, to give the reader an idea of if the reviewer went in with the same expectations as they might, a reviewer needs to discuss how they interacted with the story. That means perhaps mentioning things beyond the blurb.

LOL, I was one of those people who found out about Dumbledore a little sooner than would have been optimal.


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## Kathleen Valentine (Dec 10, 2009)

In all the reviews I've ever written I've only given away one ending. I put in lots of Spoiler Alert and even drew a line and said, if you don't want to know what happens, stop here.

The reason I did it was because the book was a gorgeously written, beautifully plotted novel with wonderful characters and I was shocked when, toward the end, the author threw in something so cheap, predictable and cliché I wanted to wring his neck. What a disappointment!


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## MichelleR (Feb 21, 2009)

Kathleen Valentine said:


> In all the reviews I've ever written I've only given away one ending. I put in lots of Spoiler Alert and even drew a line and said, if you don't want to know what happens, stop here.
> 
> The reason I did it was because the book was a gorgeously written, beautifully plotted novel with wonderful characters and I was shocked when, toward the end, the author threw in something so cheap, predictable and cliché I wanted to wring his neck. What a disappointment!


That's a hard moment -- when the ending ruins everything. It's hard to communicate it without just giving in and saying it.


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## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

No. Don't you just hate that?


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## Alessandra Kelley (Feb 22, 2011)

Kathleen Valentine said:


> In all the reviews I've ever written I've only given away one ending. I put in lots of Spoiler Alert and even drew a line and said, if you don't want to know what happens, stop here.
> 
> The reason I did it was because the book was a gorgeously written, beautifully plotted novel with wonderful characters and I was shocked when, toward the end, the author threw in something so cheap, predictable and cliché I wanted to wring his neck. What a disappointment!


I would have preferred a review which touched on the plot points up to the going-off-the-rails moment, then said just what you said here -- which, by the way, I think beautifully conveys your disappointment and annoyance, without revealing any plot elements. I can understand your decision, though. You did seem to put in a lot of warning and space to avoid inadvertent seeing of details. But ooh, I still hate spoilers.

It's a pity no editor or proofreader made your observation to the author before publishing.


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## Annalinde Matichei (Jan 23, 2011)

Kathleen Valentine said:


> In all the reviews I've ever written I've only given away one ending. I put in lots of Spoiler Alert and even drew a line and said, if you don't want to know what happens, stop here.
> 
> The reason I did it was because the book was a gorgeously written, beautifully plotted novel with wonderful characters and I was shocked when, toward the end, the author threw in something so cheap, predictable and cliché I wanted to wring his neck. What a disappointment!


Of course another reader may see it differently. I think the way you did it is fair - you gave ample warning. If I were reading the review I think I would have stopped there - at least if I intended to read the book! I would want to find out for myself if the ending was as disappointing as you felt it was (I'd likely end up agreeing with you, but I'd still want to feel the impact of the ending - good or bad - in its proper context).

I absolutely agree with those who say there is a place for discussing _all_ of a story - its twists and its endings - but that place is not a review. This is really entering the territory of literary criticism - which doesn't necessarily mean something academic. When I've read a good book, I love to go over its details and read others' views of the story in depth: but a review is intended to be read _before_ reading the book and that means that a responsible reviewer must be extremely careful about spoiling the story.


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## karenrosario (Feb 20, 2011)

Not if they are reviewing the book before many people have had a chance to read it; and certainly not in the case of a series leading to a final ending. It's almost as bad as film trailers that tell you the whole film in thirty seconds.


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## ReneAZ (Jan 1, 2011)

joanhallhovey said:


> Oh, my, no, and if they do they should be jailed immediately. - Kidding. Sort of. Thankfully, no reviewer has revealed the ending to any of my books that I know of. I had a friend once (she's gone on to her reward as my grandma would say) who used the read the ending of books first. That's kind of off topic, but I never quite understood it especially since she was an author herself and knew the hard work that goes into a good, and often surprise ending. Never mind that she ruined the story for herself. So no again. Even with a spoiler.


  My feelings exactly Joan! Oh my, I read reviews to get a flavor for the book. If the ending were to be revealed, why bother reading the book! 
I think your grandma would make a good character in a book herself -- never heard of anyone reading the ENDING of a book first! Too funny!!


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## john_a_karr (Jun 21, 2010)

evrose said:


> This thread reminds me of a bumpersticker I saw a couple years back. Right after one of the latter Harry Potter books was released (I don't know which, I haven't read them), the sticker read, *"Dumbledore dies on page 457."*
> Hilarious.


Wait -- Dumbledore _dies_? Oh, man.


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## Jeff Sherratt Novelist (Feb 9, 2011)

Never. Good reviewers (professionals) know not too. It is the customer reviews that can kill you when they spoil it without some SPOILER warning in the title of the review. I've seen this happen several times and it really isn't good for the author. It can make a five star rating worthless and damaging.


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## D. Nathan Hilliard (Jun 5, 2010)

I would rather they didn't, but I haven't ever really run into that problem...more the opposite. Many reviewers (at least in my case) seemed to be so worried about spoilers that they will hardly discuss the story itself.


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## Pushka (Oct 30, 2009)

I only ever read the first couple of lines of reviews because some reviewers take great delight in spoiling the book by revealing enough detail so it spoils the plot.  Kind of like they have a special secret and know more than you do.  There is a film reviewer who goes to all the premiers and in a way of showing off I think, he always spoils the movie by telling too much.  I hate him.


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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

Linjeakel said:


> I think the majority of people read reviews _before_ they buy, to help decide on a purchase etc., rather than afterwards. That said, I think it's wrong of reviewers to rehash too much of the storyline in general and especially to give away real plot spoilers, never mind the ending.


My thoughts exactly. Reviews are not like high school book reports where you have to - at the very least - convince the teacher that you read the book.


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## Jax (Feb 19, 2011)

Never. Ever. Ever. That is UNFORGIVABLE! Full stop.

Jax


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## AnneKAlbert (Dec 7, 2010)

I have to agree. NO. Never. Why would a reader bother reading a book if they know the end? All that is required of the reviewer is to either promote or if they really dislike the book, to warn readers off. The latter, btw, I do not take to heart! I like to make up my own mind.


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## MichelleR (Feb 21, 2009)

It's funny -- after participating here and saying I don't do spoilers, I read a book where in the review I felt I had to reveal more than I normally do. I did mark it as a spoiler-ish warning   even though I don't think I ruined the book so much as listed mysteriously dropped plot lines.


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## EliRey (Sep 8, 2010)

Of course I agree the end should never be given away, but I hadn't thought about the plot details. I got a very good review from a big online review site, but she gave away so much of the plot. Thankfully not the big twist or the ending but still, in my blurb I leave the reader guessing as to why the heroine's mother is sent to jail. In the review she tells why in the very first paragraph. That was actually part of my hook. Many have actually told me that was the reason they were sucked in. To find out why.  

Give and take I guess...


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## bordercollielady (Nov 21, 2008)

Just  curious -  what  does  everyone think about  the  spoiler  (blackened) warnings on  Kindleboards.  I sometimes use them - but won't  anymore if they are too tempting.


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## Dan Holloway (Dec 18, 2010)

I thought it was the case so I went and checked, and indeed it is - on Goodreads there is a function for hiding a review if it contains spoilers, but you can click if you want to read it regardless - this feels like a very good compromise - readers get a star rating that gives part of the truth and can go into the review both eyes open - some times it really matters to know whether an ending works or not and why - albeit in broad brushstrokes, of course!!


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

bordercollielady said:


> Just curious - what does everyone think about the spoiler (blackened) warnings on Kindleboards. I sometimes use them - but won't anymore if they are too tempting.


Please DO use the spoiler block and/or warnings in the thread title if you are going to be giving away a major plot point. 

Some may find them distracting and/or not be able to resist reading through them. . . but for those who genuinely do NOT want to know what happens, _they are *critical*_. You're more likely to annoy someone by leaving a spoiler unblocked, than by blocking it and forcing someone to do a little work to see what it says for purposes of commenting.


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## phatpuppyart (Feb 26, 2011)

A short synopsis is great but no way, in my opinion, give away the ending -- for me that ruins it.

It's like someone telling you the ending of a movie before you see it.

I actually knew a lady once that when she bought the book, she'd read the last chapter first.... weird or what?!


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## bordercollielady (Nov 21, 2008)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Please DO use the spoiler block and/or warnings in the thread title if you are going to be giving away a major plot point.


What about in the contents of a post when you are responding to someone elses thread? I always add blackened "spoiler" warnings over relevant text - but do not have access to modify a thread title.


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## *DrDLN* (dr.s.dhillon) (Jan 19, 2011)

It seems obvious that giving away endings will spoil the suspense whether it is a novel or movie.

It wouldn't matter for nonfiction.


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## john_a_karr (Jun 21, 2010)

drdln (dr s dhillon) said:


> It seems obvious that giving away endings will spoil the suspense whether it is a novel or movie.
> 
> It wouldn't matter for nonfiction.


Experienced reviewers rarely do so, is the consensus. However, since anyone can become an insta-reviewer on Amazon or Goodreads or wherever, mindful moderators post warning statements.

Unfortunately, I don't think Amazon has even a basic Public Service warning on the issue.


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## Debra Purdy Kong (Apr 1, 2009)

No, I don't think reviewers should give away the endings, and if they must, they need to give a clear spoiler alert warning, so readers can skip that part if they want to. The only time I can see the reviewer justified in discussing the ending is if it's a major problem with the book, i.e. so unrealistic or dumb that it's the reason for giving only a 1 or 2 star review. Even then, though, I think problems can be discussed without actually telling the ready what happened.

Debra


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

bordercollielady said:


> What about in the contents of a post when you are responding to someone elses thread? I always add blackened "spoiler" warnings over relevant text - but do not have access to modify a thread title.


If you see a thread where the title has a spoiler, please report it. . .one of the moderators will change it. . . .


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## mesmered (Feb 2, 2011)

No. No, no, no!


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## Patrick Skelton (Jan 7, 2011)

Not cool to give away endings, IMO.


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## SCPennington (Sep 29, 2010)

Absolutely not. A reviewer can encapsulate the feel of a book, its _journey _ and their opinion of how it was traveled without including spoilers. That's like reading the last chapter of a book first. Who does that?

Who wants to do it?

Sharon


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## TrevorBloom (Jan 29, 2011)

> That's like reading the last chapter of a book first. Who does that?


I think a lot of people do. Some folk don't like surprises because they're so unpredictable and so they read the end of the book first, find out whether the boy gets the girl, and then they can relax and enjoy the story. After all, when you re-read a classic or a favourite story, you do so in part because you already know how it ends.

But that doesn't mean a reviewer should reveal the ending...


The Half-Slave
End of Roman empire historical fiction


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