YA Epidemics*
Love Triangles
Probably the most obvious of the YA epidemics plaguing so
many books on the shelves right now, love-triangles have been running rampant
since Bella met Edward…and then kissed Jacob.
How many of us have flown through pages of a new book, engrossed in the
story and the romance, until that one chapter throws a new romantic interest
into the mix? There was a time when I
would arch an eyebrow, assess the newcomer, then welcome him into my circle of
fictional crushes with open arms.
Fast-forward a couple of hundred love-triangles later to
rolling eyes, exasperated sighs, and a circle of fictional crushes barricaded
and locked up inside arms that are now crossed tight.
Have you noticed the theme to these love-triangles yet? It’s always girl-boy-boy; god forbid we see a
boy pining over two girls. For some
reason, it’s perfectly acceptable for our female heroines to be tragically torn
between two lovers, but reverse the dynamics and our guy is a "playa" who doesn’t
deserve either of the girls he’s leading on by a string. Are we actually buying this? Bella put scars on that poor werewolf that
were only healed when he got in touch with his inner pedo, and who can forget
how Rose ruthlessly tore out the heart of one very sweet, vulnerable, troubled
Moroi before stomping on it and tossing it into the dirt?
Why do publishes do this?
They find a popular trend and monetize on it by throwing it in our faces
like water on a fire…with the same extinguishing effect to many of us avid
readers. It’s gone from slightly
annoying to irritating as hell to sitting firmly in the number one spot of YA
Epidemics. I won’t deny the initial
appeal to the love-triangle – why only have one hot guy when you can have two?
– but when it’s done so often that it’s nothing but a plot device to lure in
new readers in half of these books, you’ve got to ask yourself if maybe it’s
time to retire the triangle and rediscover the uncomplicated pleasures of a
nice, drama-free line.
So, what’s your take on this particular YA epidemic? Is there still magic in the love triangle, or
are you in the same wearied boat as I am?
Let me know in the comments!
*Literary Epidemics is a potentially new weekly feature for Paper Fantasies. Each week's post will address one of those pesky little YA trends that seem to have snuck their way into...more books than they should have. I'd love to know what you think!
Great idea for a weekly feature, love it. Totally agree, I'm so over love triangles. I never thought before about how its 1 girl torn between 2 boys. But you are right it is and both are always fantastic specimens and madly in love with her, yawn, whatever! I suppose its mostly girls reading YA and that is what they identify with. Doesn't make it very realistic though. Authors, do us a favour and mix it up a little, please :)
ReplyDeleteOh and love your stick figures to emphasise your point :)
ReplyDeletehttp://betweenthelinesisanendlessstory.blogspot.ie/
Ooh, Trish, I think I'm starting to love you lol. Thank you soooo much for all your kind comments!
DeleteI'm sure you're right about it being girls who tend to read these books, so that's why they're all irresistable and perfect, but just once I'd like to see Ms. Perfect Heroine be put through the agony they put some of these guys through.
Bwwwwaaahhhhhhaa Oh I HATE love triangles blech Love the blog!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Renee! I was kind of skeptical to post this because I didn't want to come off as all judgey, but I think a lot of readers are getting sick of the triangles. I'm glad you liked it!
DeleteThis is a great idea for a discussion feature! I'm definitely tired of love triangles, but what annoys me the most is that most of the time you definitely know who she's going to end up with, even though she doesn't know it herself. What I absolutely HATE is that I'm usually for the other guy, you know, to make it a bit original... and with books like The Hunger Games and Unearthly, that guy gets completely tossed aside once she makes her decision. Like, "and we never heard from him again". *headdesk* Seriously, cut the guy some slack, he deserves better. The resolutions to love triangles are just always frustrating.
ReplyDeleteI've never liked love triangles, but a lot of people do and that's why it works. Having a love triangle starts a sort of debate which causes fans to get way more emotionally invested in the series. Debates that spring up on Twitter or forums about which "team" you're on brings more attention to the series until other people are finally like, "Okay, I guess I need to figure out what they're going on about now."
But I wouldn't place the blame solely on the publishers. I think it's mostly the writers as well. Writers just think that this is what their readers want to read about, especially when they see series with love triangles being super popular - Twilight, THG, Unearthly, Everneath, Shatter Me, etc. But I do believe since more posts like this have been cropping up lately, authors are starting to get the message.
I definitely agree with your points. Especially about leaving the second guy in the dust while the happy couple rides into the sunset. I guarantee, write these stories through the rejected guy's eyes and our perfect heroine won't seem nearly so perfect anymore.
DeleteI think it's equal parts writers and publishers. True, it's the authors out there writing so many love triangles, but it's kind of hard to blame them when all we see published in paranormal YA by the "big dogs" these days seem to have one. Obviously, they're going to assume their chances are higher if they copy the trend...and sadly, they're right. Though I will admit that not every love triangle is poorly done or plot-device-y.
I think the general outcry of the reading community has already been making some type of an impact. Whereas before, every single YA book I'd pick up would have a love triangle, it's down to about every other one now haha. And I mean, I get it. There is definitely an appeal to love-triangles. I just wish that pop culture didn't have to take an entertaining thing then shove it in our faces until it's just plain cliche.
Thanks so much for the thoughtful, discussion-opening comment, Debby!
Love this topic, because it is EVERYWHERE in young adult books. I can totally relate to how you feel in this post, along with those in the responses.
ReplyDeleteI sometimes don't mind them if they are a minimal part of the story, but so often it becomes the main plot or focus of the story that everything else is just swept to the side. Like, with Hunger Games I didn't really mind it because the focus still seemed to be on the survival and the games, but with others it seems to be all about "Oh woe is me, who shall I choose?"
You make a great point about it always being a girl pining over two guys. I always want to add that why is it that the two guys always like the girl back? It's like these guys are constantly giving up their entire lives for this one girl. Why?! If an author puts a girl in this position, at least make it so the guys aren't completely at her mercy and instead actually think for themselves. Maybe when she finally chooses them they should just say no and go date someone else. Why not? It happens!
But great post and look forward to reading more. :)
Thanks so much for the comment! I agree, half these girls aren't nearly as perfect as the author likes to think, so having not only one but two gorgeous guys in love with her is just unrealistic. Like you said, when it's not shoved down our throats, triangles are a lot easier to tolerate.
DeleteNice topic! I have to admit though, I'm not that annoyed with it mostly because I tend to read a mixture of books with love triangles and without them. I thought Matched by Ally Condie was a different take on the live triangle; it wasn't the typical one you find in YA. Usually the girl is pining over both. But in Matched the MC wanted to be in love with one but wasn't and was totally invested in the other. Not what you usually find.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I'd mind it as much if it wasn't in 75% of the books I read, so I understand that. Heck, when they were still fresh(ish), I kind of liked them! That's not to say I hate every book with a love triangle now, because that would seriously limit my reading options. I just wish they'd tone it back some.
DeleteThat does sound like an orignial twist to the triangle. Sort of like Unearthly. I should really check Matched out, I've heard a lot of good things about it.
Great post! I love this topic! Personally, I like triangles, as long as they are well-developed and the characters are fleshed out. Sometimes, what you see is that the other love interest is very two-dimensional and flat and that the "chosen" one is given the bulk of the hero character development. I want to know more about the other love interest, beyond the superficial. My opinion: if you're going to implement a love triangle, don't make it a flash in the pan, type thing. Going hand and hand with this, I hate it when you never hear from the other love interest again (or, until the author decides to give them their own story because fans are clamoring to see them get their own HEA).
ReplyDeleteMy inner cheerleader has always liked to root for a team (that one guy), and more often than not, I tend to gravitate to the bad boy. So, yeah, I've been disappointed a few times when the author has gone in another direction with a love triangle. However, I'm not completely burned out on them just yet. I do agree with an earlier comment; I like to mix things up when reading so I don't get bored or disinterested. And, now that you mentioned it, why aren't there any love triangles with one boy torn between two girls? I'm game!
Sometimes, what you see is that the other love interest is very two-dimensional and flat and that the "chosen" one is given the bulk of the hero character development. I want to know more about the other love interest, beyond the superficial.
ReplyDeleteThat is EXACTLY what happens in some of these stories! I'll admit, some triangles are done well, and as long as I hadn't just finished a ten-book-long string of triangle-y books, they're still entertaining. But it's those with the flat, superficial guy thrown in that make it so bad sometimes. Like, we readers can tell when it's a plot device and when it's the story the author would have told, trend or no trend. It just...bugs me.
I'm a huge fan of the bad-boys, as long as they don't cross over to stalker/abusive territory haha. But a guy with a smirk and wicked twinkle in his eyes...gimme.
Thanks so much for the comment! I'm pleasantly surprised by how many dicussions this topic has started up. I'll definitely be doing another one next week.
The old cliche with love triangles in YA for girls was two girls to one guy, but it was almost always wholesome heroine meets hunky guy, but he's currently in a relationship with insult to dogs girl who's superficially pretty and rich, but a horrible meanie. It will turn out that a) he's only going with other girl out of a sense of obligation or b) he's really thick and somehow never noticed her horrible side.
ReplyDeleteWholesome girl will either prove her worthiness or trick other girl into melting down on boy so that he can discard her without losing honor and hook up with wholesome girl.
Stories aimed at boys usuallly use two boys, one girl with one of two cliche variations.
Wholesome underdog boy likes pretty girl. Pretty girl is in relationship with abusive, controlling asshole and is generally unhappy about it. Wholesome guy defeats asshole in fight or contest, making himself alpha male and pretty girl chooses him.
Funny, quirky poor guy likes pretty girl. Pretty girl is in a relationship with safe, financially secure but boring and kind of smug guy. Quirky guy does quirky things to woo pretty girl (often things that would get him arrested in real life.) Pretty girl is finally won over and dumps boring guy for quirky guy. If the author is especially generous, boring guy will discover less pretty girl has pined for him all along and go with her.
You know what, now that you mention it I'm starting to remember some of those older boy-girl-girl cliches, mostly in movies. Huh. So I may have been a little wrong about the consistent formula, then. But if anything, the predictability you pointed out only proves the cliche nature of these love triangles even more haha.
DeleteI'm reading a book right now that has the opposite of what you're talking about, focusing on a love triangle between two girls and one guy. I gotta say when it's a guy in the same situation, he comes off as a total slime ball. Not that i'm saying I prefer it the other way around, but me as a woman see it as a young woman keeping her options open.
ReplyDeleteMy opinion isn't exactly right, I know i'm being completely ignorant, lol. But every time i turn the page in my current book, i swear i wanna throw it out the window for playing with the affection of two girls.
I'd have the same opinion lol, which is part of my point. There's a double standard there; a girl is torn between two lovers, but a guy is a dog leading them both on. I think most people would have that reaction.
DeleteWhat book is it that you're reading? I don't read too many with a two-girls-one-guy triangle.