As an occasionally obsessed TV fan, I’ve been familiar with Michael Ausiello’s writing career for years. I avidly followed his “Ausiello Report” for scoops and spoilers on my favorite shows, enjoyed his fanboy goofiness and funny interludes, his Smurf obsessions, and his super witty writing style. When I saw that he had a book coming out this fall, I naturally assumed this might be a collection of his TV writing.

Spoiler alert: It’s not.

Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies is a personal, painful, inspiring, heart-warming, and heart-breaking love story — Ausiello’s up-close memoir of the loss of his husband Kit after a short and intense battle with a devastating form of cancer.

Michael and Kit spent 13 years of their lives together, but this isn’t a sugar-coated fairy-tale version of perfect love and romance. Instead, it’s a warts-and-all look at a real relationship, filled with ups and downs, anger, laughter, challenges, and almost-breakups. It’s clear that Michael and Kit had an instant chemistry and loved each other deeply and passionately, but Ausiello doesn’t shy away from describing the less euphoric points of their relationship as well, such as Kit’s infidelities and Michael’s drinking.

Kit goes from strong, healthy and vital to a cancer patient in practically the blink of an eye. It’s wrenching to see Kit’s discomfort as it grows into pain, to see Michael’s helplessness at not being able to rescue the person he loves most in the world, and the growing realization that Kit is facing a death sentence, and quickly. And yet, there are moments of joy and beauty. Although they’d never considered marriage for themselves before, they practically turn the city upside down in a quest to get married before Kit starts chemo, and it’s funny and sweet and lovely.

I can’t say enough good things about this book, although I suppose I should warn readers that you’ll need heaps of Kleenex at the ready. The book has a lot of humor, for a book about cancer, and Michael and Kit themselves are funny people. I loved reading about their romance, their pet names for one another, all the silly little things that make up a life, and cried myself into a messy puddle as Kit weakened and they prepared themselves for loss.

Michael and Kit clearly had something special, and I appreciate how much of himself Michael was willing to share in putting together this lovely tribute to the man he loved. It’s practically a cliche to describe a book as a love letter to a person or place — but it’s just so apt in this case. Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies is absolutely a love letter to Kit — funny, sweet, and utterly romantic, and so very tragic.

I so admire Michael Ausiello’s honesty and emotional openness in writing this book, and although I didn’t previously know anything about him except his professional persona, I do feel invested now in wishing him a life of happiness. Kit was clearly an incredibly special person, and I’m happy to have gotten to know him through this book.

Entertainment reporter Michael Ausiello has enjoyed immense success in his professional life, progressing from writing at a soaps magazine to Entertainment Weekly and TV Guide to his current job as co-founder at TVLine.com. Ausiello is well-known for his snarky and knowledgeable insights about pop culture and TV. But while Ausiello's career was taking off, he was going through immense personal anguish: the death of his husband, Kit, from neuroendrocrine cancer in early 2015. Ausiello's memoir catalogues meeting Kit, thirteen years before his death, and also describes the heartbreaking journey of losing him to cancer--with much of the trademark wit and humor we see in many of entertainment posts.

I don't know what possessed me to request this book. I love Ausiello, his reporting, and his columns, yes, but how I thought I'd come out unscathed from an incredibly sad memoir about a lovely gay man losing his beloved husband to cancer... I don't know. Sure, parts of this memoir are funny and snarky, but much of it is just heartbreaking and gut-wrenching. Good grief. There's no real equivalent of reading about a man openly and honestly telling you about losing a great love of his life.

Ausiello's memoir goes back in forth in time. While most of the book focuses on the present-day: learning about Kit's shocking diagnosis, how that affects couple, and ultimately leading up to his death. Still, he also goes back to when the two met, began to date, and fall in love. There's a sweetness to reading about young Kit and Mike, for sure. The early parts of the memoir very much remind me of reading pieces of someone's journal. Some of the beginning parts were a bit of a struggle for me, as you get bogged down in so much detail: what they ate, where they went, where they walked, who called who, etc. That was a little excruciating at times, but as I said, there was also a sweetness and tenderness to it. It just seemed like sometimes there was a little too much oversharing--details and moments that weren't necessarily relevant to the overall story. A little too much telling versus showing, especially in the first half or so of the book.

However, as it continues, it either improves or I became more used to the style. You become really caught up in Kit and Mike's relationship journey. It's painful and sad to read, but there are definitely humorous parts interspersed within as well (thank goodness). Ausiello appears to be brutally honest in his portrayal of everything--the ups and downs of their relationship, the cancer and its toll on Kit (and Mike), and more. What we're left with is a heartbreaking, poignant tale, with a reminder to truly live life to the fullest, as you really never know what comes next.

Overall, despite a slow (detailed) start, this is a lovely tribute to Mike and Kit's love and life together. It's heartbreaking and touching and a beautiful ode to his husband. My heart goes out to Ausiello, but after reading Kit and Mike's story, you'll be left grateful for the time the two had together. We should all be so lucky.

I am not even sure how to review this book; I literally just stopped crying from it. Like super ugly crying. I will be crying for days over this book and for Michael's loss. Days.

This is a story about life. And death. And love. It is a huge story about love. The kind of love, even with all the troubles and trials that they had [and Kit and Michael had all of those and then some] that is what all of us want in our lives. The kind of love that makes you want to die when your spouse dies but also helps you go on living when they are gone because you just have to.

I loved every second of this book, even when Kit was dying. Which sounds horrible, but Michael made him so alive in this book, I feel like I knew him just a tiny bit and that my life is better because I knew him just a tiny bit. And Michael's writing just takes you to every aspect of their lives together. And the humor [dark as it was] holds it all together. It was very bizarre to be laughing hysterically while wiping away all the snot from the ugly crying; but that is kind of how they lived their life together, so maybe it wasn't that bizarre after all.

This is the best book I've read so far this year. It's also probably one of the best/my favourite books I've ever read in my life. I regret that I can only give it five out of five stars, probably even 10/10 would not suffice to convey how much I love this story and the manner in which Michael told it.

I never had the pleasure to meet Kit Cowan in life but through reading this story and Michael's telling of their life together, both the struggles and the joys, I feel like I did. I feel like I'm better for having read this book and I that I now have an even further expanded view of how I can - and should - approach both obstacles and triumphs. I wish that I could approach situations in my own life with the same heart and compassion and humor that Michael and Kit do.

This is a crass (far crasser than I would have expected, having followed Michael's career so far), funny, laugh-out-loud (I have to say, the cat sure trained Kit well), kick you in the gut, tearjerker, heartbreaking, REAL look at love and loss. You'll cackle and sob, indeed. Thank you, Mike. "Eh, that Kit Cowan, he had a good life."

I received an ARC copy of this via NetGalley and am voluntarily providing a review.

This is different than any review I have done. 

That is why it is called a tribute. 

Because what I just spent the last 6 hours binge reading ( I don't know if binge reading is a term, but if it is not it should be) may be one of the most heartfelt, meaningful, and beautiful memoirs I have read in my entire lifetime. 

Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies is nothing less than a masterpiece which honors TV Line.com creator and entertainment journalist, Michael Ausiello and his late husband, Kit Cowan's love story. This book focuses on the love that these two had and still have for each other, Kit and Michael's good times of first falling in love and dating, bad times of trouble's in their relationship and Kit being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, and ultimately the journey that Michael and Kit take together till and beyond Kit's final days. 

What I just spent hours reading and sobbing over as I scrolled through my galley copy, is tribute that Michael wrote to not only honor his relationship with Kit, but Kit as a person and to share with the world the kind of husband, son, friend, and overall amazing human being he was and should be remembered as. 

This is I book that I don't feel I can be critical of, not because it is a memoir describing a man and his relationship with his now deceased husband which includes details of his spouses passing. 

But because I honestly can't think of anything that I would really change in this book. I felt like every chapter had a purpose, every description was written to utter perfection, and just this story is one that found a way to make me laugh out loud about a couple racing through a Law and Order SUV set while filming to be able to get the documents needed to be married to crying from the gorgeous eulogy that Michael gives for Kit. 

I can't remember the last time I sobbed out loud reading a book as much as I did reading this one.

Being able to see Kit and Michael's relationship from the beginning with some ups and downs, the smaller nostalgic moments that couple's always remember, and the large life changing moments that can alter lives for better or worse was a roller coaster ride of emotions, but a great one at that. 

i love Michael's writing and his attention to the smallest detail. Being able to share all the emotions he went through with his husband and the sentimental pieces of their lives together, was probably not an easy task. However, Ausiello was not only able to write these scenes with extreme preciseness and detail to things going on around him in those moments, but he was able to show the details of emotions. 

That is not an easy feat, especially when dealing a true story like this. 

I feel so happy and honored to be able to peek in to Michael Ausiello's life and see such a genuine relationship of love and support. 

Now this is not always to say that Michael and Kit's relationship was sunshine and flowers or anything like that. In fact, there are a lot of things in this book that showed the darker and problematic times and events surrounding their relationship, not even counting Kit's cancer diagnosis. However, from the very beginning to the very end of their time together on earth, you could see either my examples noted by Micheal of the past or present or just the way Ausiello describes his life with Kit. 

One moment I felt really stood out and something I'd want to note was the rings. The use of toy spider rings was so adorable and honestly one of my favorite moments of the book. It was the kind of thing you see in a adorable romantic comedy or a cute moment in a TV show that makes the audience "awww" like Nathan giving Hayley the cracker jack box bracelets in One Tree Hill or Blaine texting Kurt "Courage" and it basically becoming a theme of their relationship. Little things like that can just mean so much in a relationship and that was definitely one of the sweetest and most touching moments. It was romantic, sentimental, and helps to express the relationship between Kit and Michael fairly well in my opinion. 

Overall, there is not much to say about this book except it made me laugh uncontrollably and full on sob the next. This story was filled with love, loss, hope, caring, and so much more. I encourage everyone to pick up this story because as Michael said, "Eh, that Kit Cowan, he had a good life."

And I definitely think it is a life that  no one will regret reading about. 

5 Stars out of 5 stars 

***** out of *****

Michael Ausiello always makes me laugh and he always has so much information. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I would definitely read more from him.

In March 2014, Michael Ausiello’s then partner, soon-to-be husband, Kit was diagnosed with a very rare and very aggressive form of cancer. 11 months later, Kit lost his battle. Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies chronicles Michael and Kit’s journey of love and loss.

Normally, I’m not one to pick up a book that looks sad, especially one that I *know* the hero will die in. It took me years to pick up John Green’s A Fault in Our Stars, and that one was fiction. But as soon as I saw this book on NetGalley, I immediately requested it. I’ve been a fan of Michael Ausiello’s writing since I discovered his column at TV Guide many moons ago, and have followed his scoops to Entertainment Weekly and now over at TVLine.

In fact, I’ve been reading his column and watching his interviews for so long, I found as I wrote this review I just refer to him as “Michael” instead of “Mr. Ausiello.” So I hope Michael forgives me for this informality.

Michael brings his traditional brand of snark from his scoops into his memoir, and it is greatly appreciated, at least from this reader. Michael and Kit found dark humor as Kit’s battle raged on, and Michael’s writing style brings some much needed lightness through the darker times. (Not to say this is a light book. It is not.)

As he chronicles Kit’s last eleven months, Michael flashes back to when they first met, and also different stories from their years together. I was laughing so hard when Kit first encountered Michael’s Smurf collection. And as Michael follows the ups and downs of Kit’s fight, I enjoyed the bliss they found in unexpected moments, like when Kit fixed their small deck up so he could sit outside and enjoy the afternoon with their cat, Mister Scooch.

My favorite chapter of the book was when Michael and Kit got married. It was such an unexpected, crazy afternoon. Really you couldn’t write it any better for the movies. Unlike Michael, I don’t do spoilers, so I’ll just say what a perfect wedding story for them.

I have to tell you, I was a MESS reading the last three chapters. Just an absolute mess. I think the hardest chapter for me was Kit’s last day. He was at home in hospice, and Michael’s writing brought me back to my dad’s last day (also in hospice) at the end of his Alzheimer’s journey, making it all the more personal for me. I knew how Michael and Kit’s parents felt, having to say goodbye to someone they loved so much, especially someone who should have had many years ahead of them.

The end of the book (while extremely sad) was really well written. I read one chapter a night of Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies (I knew one chapter at a time was I could handle) until I hit the end – and then I read the last three chapters and afterword all together. I found the afterword lovely and bittersweet and it broke my heart.

Bottom line: I loved this book. Just loved it. Michael isn’t perfect. Kit wasn’t perfect. But their love story? It’s pretty perfect.

I'm not really sure I can do this justice. It's a bit weird to read about someone you think you know because you've followed their work for years, even though you are a stranger. This isn't a maudlin book. It's not a cloying love letter to a lost soul mate. Michael wrote & treated himself and Kit like human beings. Imperfect. Messy. REAL. You get introduced to two people who love each other but that doesn't miraculously make them flawless. There's cheating, there's alcohol abuse, there's the ennui of being with the same person for so long. But all that fades into the background when they get the dreaded C news. Then the battle for health takes over. But they never stop living their lives. They take trips, they love, they laugh, they cry. And when the battle ends, Michael mourns. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll mourn.

I have to be upfront: going into Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies, I was weary. This trepidation had nothing to do with the author; I’ve been a fan of Michael Ausiello for years. His love of Veronica Mars and championing of the show first put him on my radar over a decade ago. That being said, it never occurred to me to take interest in his personal life. When I heard he had a memoir coming out, one detailing the loss of his late husband to cancer, I was curious. I was also terrified. Reading tragic stories — especially true ones — usually reduces me to a blubbery mess. For that reason, I generally try to avoid them.

But the pull of Ausiello’s writing, which has made me feel every emotion on the spectrum since I read my first-ever “Ask Ausiello” column way back when, was too great. I received an advanced reading copy of Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies through NetGalley. Buoyed by the semi-playful title (a delightful homage to Ausiello’s TV-writing career), as well as the cartoonish cover, I hoped this book wouldn’t break me down.

As you can probably guess, it utterly destroyed me.

At first, it didn’t. Ausiello’s writing, even in this format, is peppered with pop culture references. He blithely discusses his Smurf collection, his ridiculous cat, and his late husband Kit Cowan’s sassiness. Dark humor permeates even the most heartbreaking updates to Cowan’s condition, as a rare and aggressive form of neuroendocrine cancer breaks his body down. The bemused, bordering-on-apathetic personality Ausiello presents in his on-camera interviews is very much alive and well in Spoiler Alert.

However, as the book progresses — bouncing between Cowan’s fight with cancer and earlier memories of his and Ausiello’s 13-year courtship — a deep sadness slowly permeates the text. Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies reduced me to tears more than once. I had to take frequent breaks, overwhelmed by the level of emotion in the writing. And when Mr. Scooch, the couple’s cat, appeared to say his final goodbyes? Forget it. I was a mess.

Ausiello’s writing strengthens as he tells his story, which makes it all the more heartbreaking. His writing is often glib and easy to digest, but the content itself is harder to swallow. Part of me feared, going into this book, that reading about the death of a loved one through his widower’s eyes would feel voyeuristic. Instead, it was just devastating.

Ausiello doesn’t shy away from the messiness a 13-year relationship involves. He candidly discusses the relationship issues he and Cowan faced, but there’s never a sense that they didn’t love each other, full stop. There’s never a sense that this relationship wasn’t life-changing, in all the ways that finding and loving your soulmate can be. You feel every inch of Ausiello’s heartbreak, as he and Cowan struggle to grapple with a reality where one of them dies in his early 40s. It sucks. There’s no ifs, ands, or buts about that.

Somehow, in the midst of all of that, there’s hope and inspiration. There’s also a deep, aching need to hold your loved ones as close as you can once you finish reading. Maybe even while you read.

Verdict
Buy it. Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies gives away its ending in the title. At the end of the book, Kit Cowan is dead, Michael Ausiello is grieving, and everything hurts. But the writing is good, and the love story Ausiello weaves is beautiful. It’s messy. It’s complicated. This book runs the emotional gambit, and it’s worth it. The surprise final chapter is especially good, though it’s incredibly bittersweet. I highly recommend this book, to anyone and everyone.

I was very happy with this book. Michael tells the story of his husband's illness with love and compassion and truth. There is no sugar-coating the horribleness of cancer and what it does to not only the patient, but to those who love the patient. I am definitely going to recommend this book to friends and library patrons.

heartbreaking love story...the hero actually dies...

All the feels. Every single one.

This is my first time even hearing of Michael and I'm actually glad for it. I was able to go into this book with no knowledge of his writing style or personality and I loved it! This brutally honest, ridiculously real account of his life with Kit amazed me. I was sucked into their life together. From the awkward first date to the devestating last breath, I felt it all. No tells you exactly what to expect when you're loved one is dying but Michael put it all out there for the world. Every. Dirty. Detail. It didn't feel like I was reading his book, it felt like I was reading his diary. The dark humor, the heartwarming way Kit and Mike were with each other, the heartbreaking battle with cancer, all of it was there. Remarkable.

My only criticism is the final chapter. I'm really not sure what to make of it, but it doesn't change my opinion of the book.

I received this ARC from Netgalley for my honest review...but I will be buying it. I will buy it for me, I will buy it for my family, I will buy it for everyone I know that has a loved one going through this fight because even though there isn't a happy ending it is important to have someone to give you a realistic outlook on what to expect.

Seriously, if you only read one book this year, make it this one!

Now that I've finally stopped crying, I'm ready to review my latest read. I received an ARC of Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies for an honest review, though I pre-ordered it months ago and was getting impatient to get it in my hands. (Release date: September 12. Get those pre-orders in now at your favorite bookstore!)

I've followed Michael Ausiello to get all the latest TV scoop since his Entertainment Weekly days (read: YEARS). I was well aware of his Smurf obsession, Diet Snapple love, and his main squeeze Kit Cowan.

After 13 years together, however, Kit was diagnosed with an aggressive form of neuroendocrine cancer and passed away 11 months later.

This memoir is a story of their love, Kit's cancer battle, Michael's support along the way, and so much more. This is Michael's ode to Kit, and we should all be so lucky to have a love like they shared. At times both hilarious and heartbreaking, this touching tribute will remind you to love those around you a little harder, seek out the light in the darkness, and be thankful for the time you have.

Whatever you do... when reading this book have your tissues ready! I have enjoyed Michael Ausiello's writing since his days at Entertainment Weekly and I am an avid follower of his ask Ausiello column at TVLine. I have always enjoyed his particular brand of wit and humor. While this book showcases that same brand of humor it also showcases how great a writer Michael is. Reading this was like being given front row seats to the Mike & Kit show.

Michael documents his husbands nearly year long struggle with cancer and his subsequent death. He does it with dignity, grace, truth and so much honesty. Not only does he share the good times, he also shares the bad. Their relationship wasn't always great. He is able to convey the difficulties of being a caregiver without sounding resentful . They had issues like everyone else but their love for each other shines through in this moving memoir. If you have ever experienced a life threatening illness with your spouse or partner, this will most definitely hit home with you. It will make you smile, laugh, and cry. Mostly cry, but it will be well worth it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me an ARC for review.

Spoiler Alert: this book will make you laugh and cry and feel guilty for laughing and give you more emotions than you've been in touch with in a very long time. Ausiello's writing is so friendly and conversational, it really is more like somebody is talking to you than it is like reading a book. I am glad I spent a few hours experiencing the beautiful and heart-wrenching story contained in this book. It was well worth the read, and well worth the tears.

Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies was such a deeply moving memoir and dedication of love. I've been a fan of Michael Ausiello and TVLine for years, but had no idea about his husband's illness and death. Ausiello made me feel so many emotions, from joy, to sorrow, to amusement and hilarity, to grief and deepest sympathy. Above all, it reminded me how important it is to be present in life and shower your loved ones with love while you are able. I'd highly recommend this book!

i've been reading michael ausiello's work for years. i've followed him from tvguide, to entertainment weekly, to his start up television focused website tvline. it's not just because he is good at getting scoops on my favorite shows, although that is part of it, but also because so often his views on shows meshed with mine. sure, maybe it set up some implicit bias, but when you are reading takes on the entertainment you are consuming you want to find someone who has a similar world view. beyond that, however, is also the fact that he is snarky and funny and good at telling stories. and i kind of love someone who isn't afraid to give away the ending.

i am one of those rare birds who doesn't care about spoilers. nine times out of ten i read the end of books before i'm a quarter of the way through. i still read the whole book, but i like to take surprises out of the equation, for me reading or consuming television isn't about the ending, but about how we get there. in spoiler alert: the hero dies, michael ausiello takes us on a journey from the moment he first met his partner-in-life/future husband, kit cowan to the moment kit succumbs to a rare form of neuroendocrine cancer.

this story was heartbreaking and sad and funny and honest and brutal and just a love letter to kit. there is grief and loss and anger and so much love that your heart feels full and shattered all at the same time. the way michael can put himself, his insecurities, the imperfections that abounded in his relationship, and the immensity of his love for kit out into the world is kind of wonderful. this is a story worth sharing, a love worth witnessing even when it wasn't easy or beautiful or kind. the reality of living with and loving someone who isn't perfect, but is still the only person for you somehow makes the loss more wrenching, absolutely gutting.

this is not just another memoir about cancer. michael is unflinching in his descriptions about the ravages of kit's disease, and certainly it's a big part of the story here. but when i think back on what i read, i'm not thinking about the horrors cancer and the therapies meant to cure it put the body through. i'm thinking about love. in every remembrance, every word he writes about kit, even when he's detailing kit's flaws, you can feel the love michael felt for him. and that's what i took away from this. it doesn't matter that the story ends with kit dying, because he loved michael and michael loved him, and love is all you need.

(n.b.—i'm a total romantic at heart, so there is that. but i think most people would agree with me.)

Michael Ausiello has written a frank, honest, and emotional story about his relationship with Kit and Kit's illness.

I had heard about this book from following his work from TV Line, and since I enjoyed his snarky and entertaining writing there so much I thought I would check it out.

He approached Kit's cancer with such detail and unflinching honesty that you felt that you're right there with them suffering through the difficult times. It was heartbreaking to read about some of the experiences they had, but inspiring to see the joy that Michael could find in small moments.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Spoiler alert: this book made me ugly cry. I've been a fan of Michael Ausiello since he was writing for Entertainment Weekly and TVGuide.com - he's one of my go-to's for tv related news and gossip. What I didn't expect was for this book to make me so emotional. I laughed and cried and cried some more. This is a moving memoir of his relationship with his partner Kit, and how the two navigated Kit's terminal cancer diagnosis.