Let Me Finish!

Let Me Finish!
written by Minh Lê
illustrated by Isabel Roxas
published by Disney Hyperion (2016)
Roar Score: 5/5

Is this the first children’s book about spoilers? It might be. And if it is, why has it taken until 2016 to have a book about the perils of unwanted spoilers? Children need to know when to keep their little traps shut and not ruin stories for other people. I’m only slightly kidding.

When The Force Awakens premiered last year, I had to sit my kids down and talk to them about spoilers. Just because YOU’VE seen the movie and know what happens doesn’t mean that EVERYONE has. Don’t ruin any surprises for them by talking about it school. No one ruined it for you.

Alas, I wish every parent had this discussion. But with the help of Minh Lê’s new book, Let Me Finish!, they can!

The book begins with a young boy settling down to read a new book. Almost immediately, animals start popping up and trying to ruin the story for him. They might be well intentioned, and they’re obviously excited about the story, but they keep spoiling plot developments that the boy would rather not have spoiled.

He’s desperate to find a quiet place to sit and enjoy his new book, but everyone around him just want to talk about the ending. Nobody will let him finish. It’s maddening. And I think you can probably relate.

Let Me Finish! is a wonderful commentary on our Twitter-centric culture obsessed with knowing everything the moment it’s released and about those who feel a sort of cultural superiority and find perverse pleasure in spoiling books/movies/shows for others. I don’t know what drives that type of person, but they are essentially – as in this book – animals. Agreed?

Isabel Roxas’s art here is utterly charming, and the reader follows along as the protagonist tries to make his escape across pages and through the book. His plight is lovingly illustrated, and it’s absolutely delightful.

Oh, and wait until you get to the end of the book! You’ll never believe that it ends when the boy finds…