-Insta-love. Nothing makes me want to throw a book more than insta-love. It usually happens in books with no character development beyond the obsessive love, where each character's world is defined by their relationship. Yawn.
-Love triangles. It's been overdone more than a chicken dinner at my house (I'm really paranoid about salmonella).
-Possessive/borderline abusive guys. So many YA authors seem to think this is hot. It really isn't.
-Awful characters. I don't mind flawed characters, but there has to be something sympathetic about them that I can connect to.
-Animal cruelty. Animals in books make me scared because I can't bear it when anything bad happens to them. And it does way too often.
-Repetitiveness. The same words, phrases and - worst of all - descriptions used over and over again is ridiculously annoying. Especially when connected to how hot a character is. We get it, his eyebrows/cheekbones/big toes are really god-like.
-Terrible nicknames. I was going to say terrible names in general, but the vomitous nicknames couples give each other is always so distracting. "Siren", "Pigeon", "Vagine"... OK I made that last one up but seriously enough with the silly nicknames!
-Girl on girl hate. I can't stand when a female main character is all "not like other girls" (what's so wrong with other girls?) and/or every other girl is a biatch and someone to compete with.
-Bad 'isms'. Racism. Sexism. Homophobia (Yeah it's not an 'ism', but it's along the same lines). It's one thing if a character acts this way and it's not endorsed by the narrative, but if the book itself is any of those things it is just despicable. This includes unintentional 'isms', through stereotypical/cardboard characters and the insensitive treatment of issues and language.
-Illogical worldbuilding. I can suspend my disbelief for anything as long as it makes sense in world. Magic is fine. Vegetarian vampires are fine. Vampire venom acting as sperm to create a hybrid baby with a human? Not fine.
Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.
I especially feel anti the girl on girl hate, "not like other girls" heroines can be problematic, I'd rather read about someone who has female friends or the capacity to.
ReplyDeleteI also agree on the "isms" it's on my TTT as well.
Exactly! There's already too much pitting girls against each other without seeing it in otherwise awesome books too.
DeleteRepetitiveness drives me crazy too.
ReplyDeleteSO boring!
DeleteIllogical world-building and possessive guys (one of the reasons I'm staying away from NA. I'm not buying the whole but-I-have-a-troubled-past-crap)
ReplyDeleteMel@thedailyprophecy.
I haven't read a lot of NA but possessive guys seem to be a big part of it!
DeleteI think instalove has topped everyone's list today, followed closely by love triangles. Agree with your list, particularly abusive guys, illogical world-building, overuse of animal cruelty, repetitiveness, and DUMB nicknames.) Basically, these lists could easily be twice as long, hah.
ReplyDeleteWendy @ The Midnight Garden
Ha, I know, I could have kept on going! So many pet peeves
DeleteTotally agree on all of these points Belle! I also hate it when prose is overly 'flowery' - like to the point of being distracting from the story. If an author can pull off beautiful writing without taking away from the excitement of the story, they've won me :) Great list!
ReplyDeleteThanks Michelle!
DeleteEVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE. YES. Especially the -isms and Girl on girl hate. Enough with those really. And mostly in New Adult. Make it STAHHHHPP.
ReplyDeleteYeah NA seems to be the worst offender in so many areas.
DeleteLove Triangles - why is this soo overuse??? It's like as if the only action or drama the story can muster is the romantic kind brought about by the Love Triangle...
ReplyDeleteRead Books and Blog | Addicted to Films
I blame Twilight
DeleteHa! I loved your picks, Belle, and totally second all ten! I feel like YA authors these days tend to capitolise on the success of books like Twilight when it comes to writing these "swoon-worthy" boys (because, let's face it, they're certainly not men). Possessive, controlling, supernaturally hot guys coupled with shallow girls do absolutely NOTHING for me. I want MEANINGFUL, BELIEVABLE relationships. Let the BFF/nice guy win for a change, dammit. Give me more of Peeta and less of Edward! And knock it off with the stupid love triangle already. Let's move on to another overly used YA trope...
ReplyDeleteTotally agree.
DeleteI agree with so many of these. The ones that really get on my nerves is insta-love, abusive guys, girl on girl hate, and bad worldbuilding. Thanks for sharing! And yeah for Jack Sparrow!
ReplyDeleteHa I love this gif :)
DeleteBut I judge all my prospective gentleman callers on the attractiveness of their big toes.
ReplyDeleteThis is the greatest comment on my blog ever.
DeleteThis post is like a summary of Twilight series.
ReplyDeleteBahahaha yes because it caused the overabundance of many of these things when people tried to cash in on the craze!
DeleteI despise unlikable characters. It's so annoying when I'm supposed to identify with a main character who is insipid or annoying or any harsher word. I agree, flawed is fine. Flawed is good. But unlikable characters ruin a book for me even if the story or other parts work.
ReplyDeleteI don't like the other things you listed either - but I felt like voicing my assent with the unlikable characters most :)