I Don't Like
When a heroine who was plain and couldn't get a
date at her last school, is suddenly irresistible to so many guys at her new
school that she is unable to choose between them.
With so many options, how can she not get herself into a love triangle. Right?!?!!
Please no.
This repetitive storyline needs to disappear.
With so many options, how can she not get herself into a love triangle. Right?!?!!
Please no.
This repetitive storyline needs to disappear.
Does this bug you too?
What's something you dislike about love triangles?
Haha! Yes can we please name Bella here? She's the first one that pops into my mind when thinking about this storyline. Not just Edwad, but also Jacob AND Mike (was it mike?... I think his name was different - I only recall him as the Golden Retriever lol)
ReplyDeleteUm, everything. I dislike everything about love triangles. Maybe that's because I'm an analytical gal, and when I liked (or lusted after) more than one guy it took less than a day for me to rank which was most worthy and to stop leading the others on. Or chasing them. Whatever.
ReplyDeleteOr maybe it's because, as with insta-love (another horrid trope) it's a way of taking a crush and making it seem more dramatic and life-affecting than it really is.
Or maybe it's because it's often used as a way to develop a character, instead of using a 'character vs self' or 'character vs society' tension.
Or because I find it suspicious when guys suddenly compete over the same woman. Maybe it's not about her at all.
OMG YES!
ReplyDeleteGirl is like undatable...goes to new schooll...acts the exact same as she did in old school but suddenly everyone wants to be with her. I always roll my eyes at this. So random *sigh*
Ugh, that sounds horrible! Luckily, (apart from Twilight) I haven't come across many books like this. I think that might be because I tend to stay away from books with high school settings, they usually just end up annoying me.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Even if this set-up weren't a recipe for a love triangle, I'd hate it because it breeds superficiality and one-dimensional characters. Just because the protagonist suddenly appears attractive by no means markets her personality or character. For the love interests in these stories deeper knowledge isn't necessary and they themselves make poor romantic leads. It's just a recipe for disaster all-round. >.<
ReplyDelete(If I'm double commenting, just delete one -- I commented and tried to post it but it disappeared. Bloglovin' likes to eat my comments sometimes!)
ReplyDeleteAnyway, yeah. This needs to go away. Most high schools are exactly the same (with slight regional/$$ differences) and, if the girl/guy can't get a date at their old school, they probably won't get more than one person vying for their affections at this new one.
Agreed. This is probably the most ridiculous thing ever. Not that a plain girl is not worth fighting over, but what usually happens is that their eyes meet over a crowded room and there's just something about her. What???? If she's beautiful, that makes sense, but otherwise, let's see some personality, some spunk, something that shows that the guy is attracted to her on the inside, which would be refreshing. But we don't get that. ~Pam
ReplyDeleteLOL! Yeah, this one is always so unrealistic and frustrating. I don't think I've read a lot of books with this trend, but I hopefully won't either!
ReplyDeleteI generally dislike the whole 'new girl' reaction - it is horribly unoriginal - and it doesn't read any better with romance added to it. Also, I think it's pretty unrealistic that people react like that in schools. At least, not any school me or any of my friends have been to!
ReplyDeleteHa -- that happens all the time, right? Two gorgeous guys are falling all over an ordinary girl just isn't very plausible. Or what Keertana said. She puts everything just the way I wish I did...
ReplyDeleteJen @ YA Romantics
*HEADDESK* YES. The plain girls; the most average ones; so UNnoticable. Such grey mice. They always get at least 2-3 guys drooling because they're soooo average. Ugh. Please >.<
ReplyDeleteYeah, no. I know this is the "wish fulfillment" aspect of fiction, but no. Now I get if she makes a couple cool guy friends off the bat because she's clever or funny or whatever, but 1) they are FRIENDS, so keep them friends, and 2) if we're really supposed to believe she's "just an average girl," then she needs to BE average, which means she can't be so funny/clever/pretty that she attracts everything with a pulse in a five mile radius.
ReplyDeleteYes this idea is so over done, I remember liking this idea at first, when I first read Twilight, a few years ago, but now, ugh, this concept just leaves a sour taste in my mouth. Why isn't she just able to fall for one guy? :(
ReplyDeleteI should call this the Bella Swan complex, because that's the first book that pops into my mind when I hear it haha. I agree, though, so annoying! Just what are these guys attracted to about the protagonist that's different from before? That's conveniently almost never explained. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteYES LAUREN! I don't read books for their realism, in fact, I tend to gravitate more toward fantasy and paranormal books just for the escapism of them, but I can't seem to get over my disbelief of love triangles. I know its fiction, but I've never once seen or heard of a love triangle situation in real life, so when a cute-but-not-swimsuit-model-gorgeous girl goes to a new school and immediately has multiple guys fawning over her I get irritated. That never happened to me, dammit! ;-)
ReplyDeleteUGH. Yes. That is such an awful thing. I don't like that at all. First, if she is ugly, then she is ugly everywhere. (Like me.) And I don't think it seems real that so many boys would want her. Sigh. Love triangles just sucks; in all ways. lol :) Not for me. Ack. But amazing post, as always, sweetie. <3
ReplyDeleteHaha, this is one that I totally forgot about. Suuuuuper annoying. OF COURSE she would attract two gorgeous guys who happen to be very different - the nice, sweet jock and the dark, mysterious loner/player, more than likely. *rolls eyes*
ReplyDeleteWords cannot describe. *cue headache* I mean, really? It doesn't make any sense. Guys are guys no matter where you go, and unless there was an alien abduction between one school and another, the girl is still the same. Why would the situation be so markedly different? But, just for the sake of argument, let's say it is. In that case, why would she EVER encourage/participate in a love triangle? It's like drugs; just say no. ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm loving the responses to this discussion question. :)
ReplyDeleteI immediately thought of Twilight too! Bella Swan might be described as the most average heroine out there, and we all know she didn't have much of a personality either, yet she attracted two very striking and very eligible boys straight away. Actually, wasn't it 3? Edward, Jacob, and some other guy. I just don't get it. I can understand it better if friendship developed first, but there was this insta-attraction between all participants, and as Beth suggested above, this angle was used to develop character and plot, so it wasn't good for the story nor the characters themselves. It was just plain awful!
I'm not saying it's unrealistic for 2 or 3 guys to chase after a girl, buuuuut, this girl obviously needs to bring more to the table; she needs to stand out! In this scenario, the girl has to know what she wants and not string anybody along! Not that I want to read about this scenario at all, but that's the only way I can even begin to understand a case like this.
Marlene @ The Flyleaf Review
If only that were real life, right? Not. I don't much like this either because it is sooooo unrealistic and improbable. Plain girl is plain and there's no changing that without one of those makeover montages.
ReplyDelete