Posted: December 5, 2023
Plot twists are fun to read and even more fun to write. They can be small things or big things, so long as they’re something that ruffles some feather in the plot. Personally, I think the best plot twists are the big ones—the ones that are hinted at time and time again, only for the reveal to blow everything out of the water.
I’ve compiled a list of my personal favourites, in alphabetical order, since I don’t really have a rank for any of them. Some are smaller, some are bigger, but they’re all things that have stuck with me.
This one actually had a hint right at the beginning of the book, and subscribers to this blog probably already know that I love it when a book gives you a seemingly throwaway detail that turns out to be a clue early on. His past is so sad, but it adds so much depth to his character.
I added this one mainly because of how funny it was. Yes, Good Omens is a comedy at heart, but the big battle at the end (in the book, Satan doesn’t even show up like he does in the TV show) is reduced to the willpower of a single eleven-year-old, and it’s downright hilarious.
Harry Potter is chock full of reveals and plot twists and so much more—it was so hard to choose just one. Still, I think this one was pretty big, because there are clues throughout the entire book as to his true identity, and I also enjoy the irony of his position.
Tartarus is a place that readers know about since The Lightning Thief, but I was absolutely not expecting this. That, combined with the fact that this was also the most brutal cliffhanger I’ve ever read, makes it my favourite.
Like with Harry Potter, the Percy Jackson series is so full of plot twists and reveals at every turn, some smaller, and some massive. There were a few others that I originally wanted to go with while writing this list, but I decided on this one just because of how much it supplants the “chosen one” trope. There were clues throughout the series hinting at the true meaning of the prophecy, which we don’t actually know the exact wording of until the last book, but it’s always fun trying to pick things apart in Uncle Rick’s prophecies.
Gosh, this is a book series I read years ago, but I still remember how shocked I was to find out the truth. It’s one of those mysteries that, along with her ability to see ghosts, stays with the series for a while, seeing as there isn’t a designated exposition character to explain all this to her. No one knows, and the story is, in part, about Kylie discovering exactly who and what she is.
While reading the series, I had my own theories running wild. I even imagined that District 13 was actually the Capital, just with a bit of rebranding after the war. The truth was a little disappointing next to my theories, I’ll admit, but I was surprised nonetheless by what I found out.
A smaller plot twist, sure, and it doesn’t really affect the plot too much, but I found it super interesting. It spans series, which is another plus, and you’ve just got to feel bad for Ithuriel; he’s been through so much.
Wow. A lot of these favourite plot twists have a running theme. I guess that can be expected. I read this series back in elementary school, and I really want to get around to reading it again. It’s the series that inspired me to try publishing a book (which I did, though the book is no longer available since I’m rewriting it).
If I had, in fact, ranked these, this plot twist would be one of my lowest, only because of all the grief it caused while I was reading the series. From thinking one thing to another to finding out the truth, Jace’s identity has been put through the ringer, and I’m proud to say that I actually guessed the truth. (A few pages before the actual reveal, but I guessed it.)
My Top 5 Least Favourite Plot Twists
My Top 10 Favourite Tropes
My Top 10 Least Favourite Tropes
My Top 10 Recommended Books—September 2023
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