The responses I got weren't ALL that surprising to me. But I did notice that a lot of people, while talking about books, make the comment: "If there's cheating I stop reading." or "I can't read books about cheating." BUT for all the fuss and muss about that complaint NOT ONE person said there should be a warning about cheating in books before they buy them.
Which begs the question, if it's not warned and you buy it, do you return it? THIS post is about what people feel is worthy of a warning.
literally 98% of all the people who answered that there SHOULD be a warning said, abuse child/animal/domestic, rape.
I was quite taken aback by the number of people who said "I don't think books should come with any warnings."
One person had a great suggestion of every book having a Warnings Page. A person can decide to look or not.
There were a few who said incest should be a warning. And I can maybe see that. It could be a trigger.
Here's how I see it: I agree that abuse, sexual or other, should absolutely come with a warning. I believe incest to a degree but it's not a huge one for me.
I do NOT agree that "HEA Guaranteed" or "Cliffhanger warning" is EVER mandatory. You are buying a book. A story from someones mind. There may be adultery, it might be a bittersweet ending. Possibly menage. Thing is THOSE ARE NOT WARNINGS. That's part of the story. Warning are things that trigger episodes in the reader's mind. It's mental. I have my own triggers that when reading a book I prefer the warning.
I will say this, if I read a book and there's cheating and I don't like how it ends IF I READ THE WHOLE DAMN THING I WILL NOT RETURN IT! Nor should anyone else. That's stealing! You may not like the book, it's fine you don't have to, but let's not return a book you've read.
So what do you think. What's deserving of a warning?
