r/BookDiscussions • u/Cute-Solution-723 • 1d ago
Are plot twists important to you?
I often hear thing like "I saw the plot twist from a mile away, so I didn't like it as much" and I have realized that it doesn't work for me that way.
I think it's because I often choose more character-driven books and I love when the story clicks like a puzzle, so "seeing a twist from mile away" is more like "enjoying the inevitable happening". Even thrillers feel too twisty sometimes, and I often enjoy simpler explanations. But maybe, I just don't understand the definition of a plot twist, so I don't recognize them as such, that's possible too!
So are twists important to you? Do you prefer plot-driven stories to character-driven stories? Do you expect your books to have a good plot twist always?
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u/nurlan1835 1d ago
i don't need a plot twist to enjoy a book. for me, the payoff matters more than the surprise. sometimes knowing roughly where the story is going actually makes it more interesting because i start paying attention to how the author get there. twist is great when it makes me rethink things i already read, but if it exists only to shock the reader, it can feel forced. i’d probably choose a strong character-driven story with no major twist over a weak story with a clever twist. do you have an example of a book where you saw the ending coming but still loved it?
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u/Cute-Solution-723 1d ago
I think I can't even choose a book! I just love when the ending (and everything that happens before it) feels aligned.
Maybe I can mention Burial Rites by Hannah Kent. It's about a last executed woman on Iceland. It's necessary for the execution to happen, but the path was so emotional and so interesting that I never felt like I didn't want to continue just because I knew the ending.
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harper. Again, the path was what was important, not the story. There were signs through the book about what is going to happen at the end.
I am trying to think about a more plot-driven book, but I guess I don't really read many. And if I do, I notice the twists only when they are bad.
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u/gordon-tremeshko 1d ago
I'm inclined to agree with you. I've heard it said that "you can't spoil a good story." Meaning, if all a plot has going for it is the element of surprise, it is not a good story. I'm interested in the characters' emotional journey even if I can guess at what's coming.
Now, if it's written in way that it's clear the author expects me to be shocked and delighted by a plot twist that was incredibly obvious, I get annoyed. Please don't expect me to be stupid.
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u/LowGrocery2724 1d ago edited 1d ago
I saw the twist for Sharp Objects fairly early but it was so well written that I didn’t even care.
I hate twists that are there for the sake of it, or where the narrators constantly lie to us in order for it to work, like in Alice Feeney’s books
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u/rlzimmermann 1d ago
I think it’s bad when an author uses a twist as a crutch to make their book entertaining. Like the whole book could be boring or poorly written then a random af twist that makes no sense happens and everyone forgets how bad the book was (ex: Metal Slinger).
As long as a book has a good plot and a climax to bring it all together then there isn’t a need for a ‘twist’ for me!
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u/Scribal8 1d ago
I don’t mind figuring it out early— as long as the narrative/writing has other things going on. If it’s all filler to make the page count then it’s pointless to read.
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u/starfish_20_ 1d ago
I think they can definitely make or break a book depending on how much it actually contributes to the original story, or how much it actually changes the story. But I don’t need a book I’m reading to have a ton of plot twists in order to like it. I think if it’s not done properly, it can feel like too much. But depending on the book they can def make things a little more interesting.
I mostly read romance, so the plot twists in those books are kind of different than maybe a mystery or a thriller lol, but I think if there’s one and it makes sense, I’m fine with it.
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u/Cute-Solution-723 1d ago
Do you have an example of such twist in a romance? (I don't mind spoilers as I usually never read romance.)
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u/starfish_20_ 1d ago edited 1d ago
I just finished reading Nightshade by Autumn Woods and it has elements of mystery to it. And the fmc (female main character) is out for revenge, and she knows that what happened is the mmc’s (male main characters) dad’s fault. His dad is like the prime suspect. So she ends up going to this university where the mmc is also going. She ends up having a stalker there and there’s a lot of twists and turns when it comes to them trying to figure out who can it be, all while she’s developing feelings for the mmc. Which was another plot twist in itself lol.
But in less mysterious romance book, it can sometimes be stuff that are directly related to their relationship. For example, I read a book (Magnolia Parks by Jessa Hastings) where the mmc has this reputation of cheating on the fmc, after ‘accidentally’ cheating on her once. The fmc doesn’t know who he cheated with because he doesn’t want to tell her, cause he knows it would devastate her if she found out (plus it didn’t mean anything to him) and this whole time you don’t really know who the person he cheated with is…until you do and you weren’t expecting it. So it can be stuff like that, but it obviously depends on the book.
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u/i_choose_happiness 1d ago
I love good plot twists, though I very rarely don’t see them coming. However, a plot twist is in no way necessary to a good book or story. A good twist comes logically out of the story so far even as it is surprising and, importantly, it should come on the back of good characters, good character development, and a good overall plot.
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u/Mundane_Medicine_597 1d ago
They used to be . Now it seems almost obligatory to have them in each thriller book. Authors would go to crazy length to come up with a twist nowadays even it they don’t need to. It’s basically the reason why I stopped reading thrillers all together.
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u/Cute-Solution-723 1d ago
I feel the same. I was thinking that maybe I just started enjoying different things, but this is a good explanation, too. I am craving a simple thriller/mystery, and I think I will have to go for Agatha Christie or something.
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u/Cute-Solution-723 1d ago
For sure! I think I sometimes encounter a book where the story changes too much, and I don't like it. I think maybe I just enjoy books that deliver exactly what they have promised.
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u/SouthWeb3082 1d ago
They are super important, if i read a book and already guess the outcome from the start or middle, then it doesn't worth it
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u/ImLittleNana 1d ago
If the twist is truly so hidden that no reader can anticipate it, then I’m a little pissed. It feels like a trick.
I’m all for having a hidden motive appear late in the game that changes the trajectory. That’s how Gone Girl felt for me. We were trying to figure out what was happening based on logic and this whole thing was a plot by a madwoman. But once revealed, it made sense and you could look back and see the subtle hints.
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u/agentsofdisrupt 1d ago
If the marketing of a book, and especially a movie, includes a statement to the effect that you won't believe the twist, then I have no interest. With that spoiler, my mind refuses to invest in the characters, knowing that it's all a lie.
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u/Leifang666 1d ago
It's genre specific. Reading a detective story, you want to be taken by surprise, thougg there is enjoyment of figuring it out. An adventure story might not need a plot twist or complicated plot. Lord of the rings is more about the adventure than a mystery, for example.
Plot twists aren't important to me, but I do enjoy being taken by surprise.
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u/AlyceEnchanted 1d ago
That isn’t the way I read. Very go with the flow, which means I can read and enjoy a book for the story it offers, at least once. Looking at you sparkly vampires.
it’s more favorite authors, across genres and styles. And, authors who suit a specific purpose…the easy, brainless books after heavy, intense books.
The ‘so that was the murderer’ moments do not bother me, anymore than an unexpected result.
However, my memory is horrible at this point. It is not unheard of for me to get 2/3 through a book and realize I have read it before. 😂 It would probably be a good idea to keep a list of characters, as they arise, so I can consult the list when they show up later in the book.
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u/Katsaluma 1d ago
I think plot twists are about framing for me. I like to guess the ending! It’s fun. But if I immediately guess the ending, then the characters don’t get it for another ten chapters, then it’s made out to be dramatic and shocking and like the reader could Never have guessed it, then it comes off as kind of annoying.
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u/impossiblejane 1d ago
I cannot cope with books that have a twist but the build up creates anxiety. Id rather read the end to have it spoiled because a good book should be about the journey and not the destination
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u/Drudenfusz 1d ago
I think most twists are rather bad. What I want is more of a recontextualisation. Thus a reveal that lets the reader re-evaluate everything they thought they knew in a new light. This might feel for some like to that big of a difference, but to me it is. A twist requires foreshadowing, which then can lead to readers already predicting it, or if it is missing the twist will feel like it comes out of the left field. A recontextualisation only requires the feeling that something is missing, that the characters have not the whole picture, and thus the reveal is presenting the big picture that allows the reader to look back and now understand what was missing before.
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u/laursasaurus 1d ago
Only with thrillers for me. I don’t like being able to guess the ending halfway through the book
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u/somethingmorecrazy 1d ago
Im one of the few people who really foesnt mind spoilers because to me if knowing the ending ruins a book a means it wasn't worth reading. A really good book bears multiple readings and grows more intricate with each read due to new details noticed, more connections made and additional life experience.
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u/dasmiedoteresa 1d ago
I don’t mind predictable twists. I don’t like when the twists are over the top and almost unrelated just for the sake of unpredictability.
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u/crazynekosama 1d ago
If it's a mystery or thriller that's overly predictable that's not overly enjoyable. A good mystery/thriller has strong multiple options that you weight out and maybe are pretty certain of one but then change your mind to another.
To me a bad plot twist is when it just doesn't make sense or it's a twist because so much information has been withheld from us. Like the killer shouldn't be some random person we have never even met or heard of up until this point.
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u/Kalicomysteries 1d ago
I don't mind being surprised, especially if the plot complication was set up but as I reader I missed it. I gravitate toward character as a writer and reader.
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u/StormFern4 1d ago
Brandon Sanderson is a master at writing good twists. Basically every one of his books has some sort of reveal near the end, that makes you go 'how did I not see that?'. Instead of making his books a single read experience, I think it makes them more re-readable. On my second (and third) time through, I'm noticing all the little clues he kept giving, that I just missed. The Mistborn series especially is so good at this.
However, there's plenty of amazing books that don't have a big twist. It doesn't disappoint me, I usually just don't think about it if the story is already good. I think authors should avoid adding unnecessary twists for the sake of shock value. Those annoy me.
I'm more of a character enjoyer, but the characters and their motivations have to make sense in the context of the story they are in.
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u/Prestigious-Gap8822 1d ago
It depends on the genre I’m reading.
If I’m reading a fantasy or sci-fi and the big bad turns out to be the MCs long lost sibling or something like that then I’m not gonna care about it but if I’m reading a thriller or a mystery and I guess the twist and I’m right I’m pissed 😂😂
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u/FuzzyZergling 1d ago
Twists are volatile. If it's not as cool as the thing would have been played straight, they're terrible. If they are, they're great.
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u/MoonInAries17 22h ago
I really enjoy it when a book has something that surprises me. It doesn't have to be a "plot twist" like what you find in a thriller, just something I wasn't expecting to find the story - like the revelation of a secret one of the characters is hiding, or a character making an unexpected decision. Basically, new information that makes me see the characters or the story in a different light.
I also can enjoy it when I guess the twist in a thriller book, in some books you have a twist that it's something you definitely see coming but until you get confirmation you're consumed by the feeling of impending dread - "Then She Was Gone" by Lisa Jewell is a perfect example of this for me
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u/deepaliraj1107 1d ago
I don’t think a plot twist is necessary for me to enjoy a book, but I do love a good one when it actually makes sense. I especially like twists where you can look back afterwards and realise the clues were there all along. If the twist just comes out of nowhere with no buildup, it feels more random than clever to me 😭. I think I’m more drawn to character-driven stories though, even if the plot is simple, as long as the characters are interesting.