Sometimes I just have to ask:  Why?

I’ve just come from a post that has totally taken a possibly entertaining novel off of my TBR Pile and tossed it on the “give to Goodwill” pile.

In the very first sentence of this blogger’s “review” she has told me the ending of the story.

Why?  Why bother to read the book now that the ending is spoiled for me?

I will admit that yes, I’m frustrated and yes, I’m mad.  But for the love of the written word why in the world would someone tell me the ending of a novel without warning me?

I’ve wasted $7.00 on a novel that I’m not going to pick up.  Hopefully, someone else who buys it at Goodwill for a dollar will enjoy it.  (and yes, that is sarcasm)  But it’s not only the money (I, like most people, have a limited book allowance per month)  What truly bothers me is that I lost the chance to enjoy a novel that I was looking forward to.

I understand that we all review differently.  Some tell most of the story, leaving the ending to be read by the reader.  Some offer only teasers and their own opinion of the book.  While others completely tell the entire story in a summary fashion.  All of these styles work, and I usually know how far I can read on a review before I have to click away in order to avoid big spoilers.

But when the ending is in the first sentence of a review?  There is no time to realize that I don’t really want to be reading this.  At that point, I already know the ending, all that would be left to me are the parts up to that ending that I was told – too early.  Getting to read the ending AT the ending is part of the joy of reading, one of the rewards of a story well told.

Today, I was cheated out of that – and yeah, I’m mad.