You might think: Michelle, if the trope is underrated why are you sick of it? But that’s not what I meant by underrated. What I meant is, that when us bookworms talk about book tropes we’re sick of, we usually talk about love triangles and insta-love (Guilty – I too am very sick of these, especially insta-love. When it comes to love triangles I’m just sick of ‘girl must choose between two boys! WHO WILL SHE CHOOSE’ (just give me other types of love triangles guys. Hell, give me a love octagon) especially when it takes over the entire plot). So what tropes am I talking about? Glad you asked (yes I’m the one who askes shush)
THE LOVE INTEREST’S GIRLFRIEND IS A BITCH
Lately this trope started to irritate me a lot, and I don’t exactly know why? I haven’t read a book or seen a movie/tv show that had this trope, but boy do I hate it. The female lead has a crush on the male love interest, but oh no! He already has a girlfriend! And that girlfriend is a flat, one-dimensional bitch. She has no personality besides being bitchy, jealous and possessive, has no story of her own and is only there to be an obstacle in the two main leads’ love story. Can we please stop tearing other women down to build up the female lead? Please? Also, if the girlfriend is a bitch, and the love interest is in an abusive relationship, focus on the abuse! Show how unhealthy the relationship is instead of having the ‘evil’ girlfriend just being an obstacle. And give her more personality than that, please.
GIRL HATE
When girls hate each other for no reason?? Why?? Like Clary and Izzy hating each other in the TMI books, because?? Izzy is used to being the only girl?? Now she has to share attention or something?? I don’t know?? It’s just super annoying. Bless Shadowhunters for fixing this mistake (guys I’m super behind on Shadowhunters please don’t spoil me I have no idea what is going on right now I’ve only seen episode 1 because I have no time or energy to review the episodes).
EVERYBODY IS SUPER PRETTY LIKE IT’S YA’S NEXT TOP MODEL
Looking at you Throne of Glass.
Seriously where are the regular people at
MISCOMMUNICATION
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD IF YOUR ‘CONFLICT’ CAN BE SOLVED WITH ONE FRICKIN’ SENTENCE IT’S NOT A CONFLICT AND YOU NEED TO THINK OF A BETTER PLOT
Can you tell this trope annoys me a lot
ROMANTICISING ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIPS
I initially wasn’t going to include this one, since I wrote an entire post on it, but seriously. Stop it.
What are some tropes you’re sick of? Rant away in the comments!
Miscommunication is the most infuriating thing on the planet! But I am not going to lie, I might be guilty of making my protagonists ridiculously handsome too. I couldn’t help myself?
IT IS! Just talk omg. Haha I get it. I usually cast my characters and pick really pretty actors woops.
Yep, agree with all of them. I can’t remember the last time I read a YA book because at least one of those is featured in all of them and I just don’t have the patience for it anymore.
Haha understandable! I still read YA, because these tropes (and insta-love and love triangles) aren’t always present and they don’t always bother me *that* much (sometimes it’s the combination of annoying tropes that puts me off) but I understand not wanting to pick up another YA book because of it!
Understandable. I do enjoy reading YA every now and then for a change but it’s not something I will actively seek out. It’s a shame because they are really fast reads. I went through 556 pages in two days last weekend…
The other girl or other girls being bitches is SUCH a tired trope, and in real life I’m so sick of hearing the “I’m not like other girls” as if other girls/women are one hive mind collective ugh. The basis of this is bullshit meant to set women against each other so that we’ll compete instead of banding together. I’d love to see a story where the girlfriend is a nice person who just isn’t compatible. Hell she and the MC could even be friends. It would make a far more complex and interesting dynamic, because the MC would feel super guilty for lusting after her friend’s SO.
Whenever I hear ‘I’m not like other girls’ I cringe so hard ugghhh. Yes exactly! I would love to see stories like that. It would be amazing and so important for girls to see a story like that! :)
I hate when all the characters are physically flawless and everyone looks like a God/Goddess. I mean, can you not?!
Miscommunication is the most frustrating thing oh my god sometimes I actually want to yell at the book in anger!
I’m so with you on the ‘evil girlfriend’ and girl hate tropes. They’re not very common (thank god!) but I hate when the protagonist has to hate on a girl for her character arc to progress. 😐
Yeah I sometimes actually yell at a book 😂 just talk already 🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂😩
Yes thankfully they’re not used that often (unlike insta-love, miscommunications and love triangles) but when they are used ugghhh. Let girls support girls 🙏
Ugh I really am bothered just as well when characters look SO pretty – this is just unrealistic and unecessary, I think. Definitely looking for more “normal” people, hahaha.
Haha yes exactly! Not everyone can be a model :P
I AGREE WITH ALL OF THESE ESPECIALLY THE GIRL HATE ONE
UGHHH miscommunication drives me crazy. Like it’s stupid for charactrs to break up over stupid ass stuff that can literally solved when talking about it. They break up just to get back together a few chapters later… they hug and go “OMG IM SORRY I WAS WRONG” *eye roll*
Amber @ Escape Life in the Pages
Yes exactly!! If your conflict can be solved with a simple conversation, is it really a conflict? It’s so frustrating dhgfdfg I get that of course this can happen in real life as well, but usually it feels so stupid and I’m just screaming ‘WHY AREN’T YOU TALKING’
Your blog posts rants are entertaining and pretty accurate too
haha thanks
Great to see you back. You need to see Hidden Figures when you get the chance. Truly inspirational
I really want to see it! Hopefully next month :)
An extra push. (Don’t read comments)
https://alexraphael.wordpress.com/2017/03/14/lines-of-the-day-hiddenfigures/
Miscommunication is so terrible. You just want to shake them.
yesss I just want to jump into the book and yell ‘JUST TALK ALREADY’ haha
[…] ⌘ Cait from Paper Fury shared 10 reasons books are like children. SO TRUE. ⌘ Jolien from The Fictional Reader shared her top 5 of tropes she’s tired of. I can only agree. ⌘ Ava from Bookishness and Tea compiled a list of diverse sci-fi/fantasy reads ⌘ Michelle from The Writing Hufflepuff shared underrated book tropes she is tired of hearing. […]
A big fat YES to all of the above! Especially unrealistic and overly pretty characters and miscommunication… Ugh.
Yes they’re so annoying! Really could do without them haha
Oh my word! This is so true! I hate the miscommunication thing, and why is it the girlfriend of the love interest is always so mean? Just because they maybe aren’t destined to be together, doesn’t mean she has to be horrible!!!! This is such a good post! :)
I know right?! I really want to see more nice girlfriends who it just doesn’t work out with, not because she’s mean and abusive! Thank you! :)
:)
[…] I talked about ‘underrated’ book tropes I’m sick of like miscommunication […]