Hi all!

Today I am going to list 10 bookish tropes I hate. The following week, I’ll share 10 tropes I love. If you’re not sure what a trope is, it’s basically a recurring theme. For example, ‘The Chosen One’ trope is seen in such books as Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. Some are great and some are just plain irritating. Without further ado, here are the ones I can’t stand:

1.) INSTA-LOVE! 

This is the most popular terrible bookish trope. It’s when two characters fall in love instantly, without any build-up or realistic progression. I have seen some terrible examples of insta-love in my time. The most well-known being Twilight, where Edward and Bella fall hard the moment they lock eyes. It’s a little too dramatic for me. 

2.) ABSENT PARENTS! 

For some reason, the majority of YA fiction rarely features the main character’s parents. I see it time and time again. Why are the parents always absent? Sure, teenagers spend a lot of time at school and with friends, but they also have home lives. When I was young, I thought I knew everything but in reality, I knew nothing. I still know nothing! Parents should feature more in YA, guiding and shaping their children. That’s just my opinion. 

3.) THE TROUBLED/MISUNDERSTOOD JERK! 

It’s disturbing how many books feature the troubled guy, who treats the girl like a jerk, before revealing a softer side. This is not okay! If a male treats a female badly, he’s not worthy of her time. I don’t care if he’s good looking. I don’t care if he’s just misunderstood. He needs to sort out his issues and learn how to respect a woman. All of the lovely ‘friend-zoned’ boys are completely overlooked, because they just aren’t edgy enough. It’s not fair. 

4.) GIRL-HATE 

I see a lot of girl-hate in YA. Slut-shaming, gossiping, teasing and catty bullying. I know it happens in schools, but it’s so damaging to read about. Girls should not be calling one another derogatory terms, like ‘whore’ and ‘bitch.’ We need to stand together – not make it okay for men to do the same (Mean Girls quote). It really saddens me to see this type of behaviour in young adult fiction. 

5.) FAT-GIRL/FUNNY FRIEND 

Thanks to Dumplin, we have a book where not only is the large girl the protagonist, she also gets her own romance/happy ending. All too often, the bigger girl/guy is pushed into the role of sidekick or funny friend, as though that’s all they have to offer. The same could be said for girls/guys of different colours and race. Books are definitely becoming more diverse, but for the longest time, the lead was white/straight/thin and attractive. It has taken some time, but finally, we are having protagonists of all shapes, sizes and cultures running the show. 

6.) WHAT WAS THE POINT OF THAT? 

I cannot stand when characters/plot points are introduced and then never heard of again. You get to the end thinking: ‘whatever happened to that person’ or ‘that thing was never resolved.’ If this happens in a book, it will automatically lose a star from me. Be consistent! 

7.) LET’S KILL OFF THE BEST CHARACTER! 

Why do so many authors kill off their best, nicest character? These sweet, cinnamon rolls are deserving of so much more than they get. We love them, we adore them and then all of a sudden – dead! Do I need to mention a certain girl from Mockinjay? Still not over it! 

8.) I’M GONNA CONFUSE THE HECK OUTTA YA! 

Another huge deal-breaker is when an author is purposely confusing. I don’t want to have to work things out when I’m reading a book. I like a bit of complexity, but not to the point where I have no idea what’s going on. If a book is too complicated, I’m going to put it down and never pick it back up. This is why A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is my most hated book of all time. 

9.) WHERE IS THIS GOING? 

I’m always so disappointed when a book starts strong and then somewhere along the line, the plot spins out of control. I don’t like books that are all over the place. The best books, in my opinion, are consistent and well thought out. They have been planned in advance; cruising at a great pace. Insurgent and Allegiant went down a silly path, which was such a shame, because Divergent was fantastic. Sorry for the shade!

10.) I’VE FORGOTTEN HOW TO COMMUNICATE

We see this a lot in movies and television. It’s where a problem can be easily solved with a bit of communication, but the character decides to keep things to themselves, causing more drama and misunderstanding. It gets to the point where you’re yelling at the pages, because you can’t believe how easily the issue could’ve been fixed, if they had just opened their mouths! 

There you have it! That’s 10 bookish tropes I hate. What are some of yours? Thanks so much for reading! 

Peace & Love xoxo