Twists are the big surprises to do with plot or character motivation or hidden information that are usually revealed towards the end of the book, if not the very end. Often they’re just about throwing a spanner in the works of the story (the last minute betrayal by the trusted friend, for example), but when they’re very good, they are such that they change the interpretation of all that has gone before.

Twists are pretty tough for writers to pull off, because readers are such a diverse bunch that you’ll never get the same reaction out of more than one of them. As a writer, I tend to avoid them except where the narrative ends up requiring it (and they’re the simple sort that add a bit of complexity to the current plot, not the interpretation-changing sort). As a reader, twists tend to fall into a handful of categories for me.

1. Where I work it out at the same time the narrator does or just before
This is probably the absolute ideal in terms of what the writer intended. All the clues were there, the big reveal is timed perfectly, and I, as the reader, have been brought along on the journey so that the twist is both one of those great reading moments and also feels completely justified (this is important).

2. Where I’m completely surprised
This can be iffy. It’s not as ideal as working it out for yourself a la the first category, and if it’s “too” surprising, it can seem like it hasn’t been supported by what’s gone before. At the same time, the extra shock of having no clue at all until the author tells you can make the twist even bigger and better.

3. Where I don’t even notice the twist
Yep, this does happen. This happened recently with a book I was very disappointed with. I can’t help thinking that if I had been capable of deciphering the twist, I would have been much happier with the ending. I still don’t know what happened, and I re-read the ending chapters a couple of times to try to work it out.

4. Where I work it out far too early
This is not too common for me; I don’t tend to think ahead when I’m reading, I just want to stay in the moment. But sometimes it’s just obvious to me — sometimes so obvious that I won’t even realise it was meant to be a twist until the way it’s finally brought out into the open indicates it was meant to be a big reveal moment.

That’s not necessarily because the author has done a poor job at hiding the clues, nor is it because I’m extra-special-smart (as I say, I usually don’t get twists early). I certainly hate those piss-poor Amazon reviews that complain that the twist was too obvious while showing their ignorance by revealing it in their review (what, no-one should have a chance to be surprised just because you weren’t?). I think different readers pick up on different things when reading, and sometimes the clues smack me in the face and give it away where they might not for a different reader, and vice versa for other books.

So it’s not necessarily a poor reflection on the writer, but it does often lessen the enjoyment of the book because once you’ve guessed, you’re kind of tapping your fingers waiting for the characters to work it out too (depending on the type of twist, of course).

By the way, I have specific examples of each of these types in mind; I’m not going to name the books because as a reader I don’t like to be warned that there’s a twist going in (I want to read and enjoy the book, not sit there wondering if that line was a clue or that behaviour meant something and so on; nor do I want to ruin my own pleasure in being surprised). If you want to know which books, email me privately.