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Wednesday 10 February 2016

TOP FIVE WEDNESDAY: Top five books that I got spoilers for

(Top Five Wednesday was created by GingerReadsLainey. Find out more at the Goodreads group!)

Thankfully - touch wood, sending my thanks to the gods - I don't get a lot of spoilers. I'm quite good at avoiding spoilers, or just being so far behind that I don't understand the spoilers anyway... But it means that I don't have to frantically panic and hide from my laptop as soon as something exciting releases.
Well... Apart from these five times that I got awful spoilers, and I wanted to shrivel up in a ball and die.

5) 'The Fault In Our Stars' by John Green
Cancer patient dies of cancer. Wow, big spoiler.
I'm going to assume all of you have read or watched 'The Fault In Our Stars', so you'll know that it actually IS a big spoiler! When I started reading the book and I quickly worked out that we weren't meant to know that Augustus still had cancer, I had an internal OH NO moment - I knew I'd been spoiled, I knew exactly what was coming, and I knew that I wasn't going to enjoy the book at all because it was all totally predictable.
I do wonder if I hadn't gotten spoilers if I might have actually liked this book - then I remember how bad the writing and the characterisation was, and I heartily laugh at myself. 

4) Various books with spoiler sequels
If you have a "will they, won't they" drama as the focal point of the relationship in the first book, followed by the release of a sequel where the couple are happy and have been together for months? Definitely dissipates the tension of the first book!
Similarly, having a book like 'If I Stay', where the entire plot revolves around whether the character will continue to keep living or not, to then have a sequel? That kind of instantly answers the question, because the character is still around to be written about.

There are also series such as The Selection series by Kiera Cass, in which the original trilogy was followed by a book is titled 'The Heir'. Because we follow the same character through the series, I'm pretty sure you can guess where it concludes...
We also have longer series in this, too. If you're reading Harry Potter and there's a moment where you think the protagonist is likely to die, it's confirmed that he's not going to because the next book is named after him (unless it's one of those 'In Memoriam' titles, which would be very clever and would definitely lull readers into a false sense of security!). 

3) 'The Walking Dead' comic series
Something BIG happens in the 100th issue of 'The Walking Dead'. Something so huge that finding out spoilers for it kind of ruins the build up of the comic and threatens to ruin the TV show if they decide to stay true to the plot. Fingers crossed that they'll go widely off course, because then at least it's only one thing spoiled for me. 

2) 'Romeo and Juliet' by William Shakespeare
I've read a lot of Shakespeare for fun, because I enjoy it ('The Tempest' particularly is a freaking riot) but I've never read 'Romeo and Juliet', nor do I need to because it's so ingrained in popular culture. This is probably the biggest spoiled book of all time, ever.
However, this also extends to any books that get translated into films or stage productions: the likelihood is that even if you've managed to avoid spoilers for the book, you won't be able to avoid spoilers for the movie. I've nearly had 'Gone Girl' spoiled for me this way, and I definitely have a bit more of an idea how everything pans out - then again, that's my fault for procrastinating picking it up! 

1) 'Allegiant' by Veronica Roth
As soon as I saw the topic was biggest spoilers, I KNEW 'Allegiant' had to go at the top of my list.
I walk in to psychology class a few days after the book releases, and my friend is sat behind me. She leans forward, taps me on the shoulder and says "Hey, have you read 'Allegiant' yet?". I shake my head no, and she frantically nods her agreement. "Neither have I, but apparently SPOILER dies!". 
But, of course, she did not place that emphatic SPOILER in the middle of her sentence, but instead ruined the ending of the book for me. This is not a small book, so as soon as I knew the ending it took me about three months to trawl through it... I didn't think I was ever going to finish it at one point, because I was so dreading the end.
Not even ashamed to admit that I did still have a little cry, though. 

I hope you enjoyed this Top Five Wednesday! What was the most devastating book you ever got spoiled on? Don't post any specific spoilers below, because I'm sure most of us will get what you mean! 

4 comments:

  1. I definitely agree with the whole sequel drama. It is like when I was reading The Hunger Games you know what is going to happen because there is another book. I was also spoilers for Allegiant, goodreads reviews should be banned.
    If you are interested my T5W is here: http://powisamy.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/top-5-wednesday-books-you-were-spoiled.html

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    1. Ah, Goodreads reviews can be both good and bad - since I've started following more reviewers I know who to avoid, but if it goes straight to members of the general public it's normally deathly.

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  2. I didn't even think about the sequel thing! I'm like that a lot with movies/tv shows. If a character is "dying" but know they signed on for a sequel/next season I'm like mreh.

    Here's my Top 5 Books I was Spoiled For

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    1. Oh god, this is the worst thing EVER! Especially with things like Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead, where the signing on news is so unavoidable.

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