Wattpad Pet Peeves

7 REASONS I HATE YOUR LOVE TRIANGLE

You are in full out binge mode. You are on a quest to find a good YA Novel, with some action, a well-developed plot and strong female character that you can sink your teeth into and seriously invest your emotions.

You go to the book store, find a novel with an eye-catching cover with a girl standing there staring at you defiantly and say, 'Maybe this is a good one?'. You take a look at the book blurb.

Yup, she seems strong willed alright. There are a few subtle hints of a love triangle or a possible love interest here and there, like a long time best friend, a brooding stranger she encounters one stormy night, or even her sworn enemy that seems a bit sketchy.

But you remain optimistic.

Only to find out that this post-apocalyptic novel is actually just a story about a seventeen year old girl (fifteen if you're even more unlucky) remaining indecisive as she debates which man she should allow to get in her pants. Worse if it's already happened, which man she should stay with and let it continue?

Truthfully, this is the case most of the time. I always end up being

utterly dejected whenever I realize this novel with such a good plot, and interesting character development up to the moment I read had to include a love triangle.

It is almost as if authors feel the obligation to have a Love Triangle (which is actually a Love V, mind) in their work to attract more readers.

But I have developed such a loathe for love triangles to the extent that as soon as I get a whiff of one, I shut the book and leave it on my shelf to collect dust. I have to take a break from it. I will not put myself through something so irritating and cringey.

If it becomes too cliched, I have to take a break and go back to it some other time when my spirits are a bit more tolerable.

That's how bad it is.

The mere fact that in almost every YA Fantasy Teen Fiction novel in general there has to be a female MC and she has to have a man or some love interest riles me up.

It makes one think that no matter what, a female needs to have a man to complete her when in reality, that's not how it works. Sure, some would prefer to have a companion, but what about those perfectly fine in the presence of their own company?

Sometimes if I seriously grew fond of the characters, I will continue reading the book for the sake of doing justice to the author who no doubt put a lot of effort into preparing that novel, but as soon as I have completed it I make a mental note not to put that novel on the list of possible re-reads.

Below are most if not all the reasons I am truly disappointed and loathe Love Triangles.

1. It Turns Lovable Characters Into Enemies; It Makes The Reader Turn Their Back on Those Characters

Whenever a love triangle surfaces, we begin to take sides. Thus came about ship names; fans ganging up on the other group, and even in the novel one of the love interests becomes the bad guy. And I really dislike this. This isn't a matter of me having favoured a particular lead, it is a matter of me just wanting to enjoy a book without any unnecessary conflicts, which leads to my next point:

2. Most Times, It's Completely Unnecessary

Sometimes, the novel was fine by itself before the love triangle appeared. Again, this is most likely driven by the author's obligation to include a love triangle in their work, or living out their own fantasies or desires in their work. It is unnecessary most of the time, and extremely annoying. A waste of space.

Now there are some (rare) instances when I actually like a love triangle, primarily because one, it has an unexpected outcome and two, the female lead handles it maturely, instead of staying stuck in the limbo and debating which guy she prefers.

3. It's Predictable

We all know who the female is going to 'choose'. It's always the first male lead. Need I say more?

4. What Independent Female Lead?

No matter what, the Independent female lead we had grown to like so much always turns out being super dependent on one of the male leads, or, she simply becomes the klutz/indecisive female of the story. I'm not saying we as females should not depend on our partners, its a relationship, there should be some amount of inter-dependency because there is trust and comfort between the partners.

What I absolutely abhor is that the extent to which that inter-dependency goes. I'm talking the female lead not being able to do jack without the assistance of someone else.

5. The Objectification of Male Leads (and Degrading of the Female Lead) or Vice Versa

In the love triangle, both leads slowly become objectified. Whether it be the male with the glorious sun-kissed complexion and banging 12 pack (pardon my exaggeration) who always just so happens to be Caucasian or the damsel in distress female with an hourglass shape and other more aesthetically pleasing features I'd rather not dab into.

6. The Resolution is Unsatisfying

The second male lead ends up not getting the girl, dying, killing himself, spending eternity alone because he'll never find a woman as great, or he just 'moves on' when he's still 'stuck'. It makes one think that after rejection people can never be friends again.

7. It Abolishes the Idea of Males and Females being JUST FRIENDS (and it is Possible, Mind).

No. Do not give me that look. It is very possible, and I am not saying this to purposely put any of the males reading this post in eternal anguish. The love triangle most if not all times revolves around the girl's/male's long time best friend who decided to wait faithfully by her/his side with the intention of either a. revealing their feelings sometime next century or b. hoping the friend would soon realize their feelings (though it's pretty obvious that friend is super thick-headed or just willfully naive).

The friend always has to have feelings for the female and the new male protagonist always has to become attracted to the female. Sigh.

Conclusion.

This is all just my opinion. That doesn't eliminate the fact that these tropes seriously do exist though!