Lois vs The Love Triangle

To me I’ve always found the love triangle to be the most overused trope in Young Adult fiction. Usually you find these in a series and it’s often used as a means of creating drama and as a plot device.

I hate this trope. For me one of the most enjoyable aspects of reading is being able to watch how two characters progress in their relationship from beginning to end. Watching them struggle, communicate and tackle any obstacles that come their way is something I find very organic in any relationship and in the end it only makes them stronger as a couple. To me I find that adding a third person into the equation only hinders the relationship and the characters in question.

When it comes to love triangles you always find that there is a ‘good’ and ‘bad’ choice. These two individuals are often pitted against each other and find ways of putting each other down so that they look like the better option. It also hinders the development of our protagonist. Watching this character string along two individuals gets me raging because someone always gets hurt and in the end it undermines the relationship.

Also by having to watch the character go back and forth between two people it can distract readers from the main plot. We’ve seen this in the constant shipping wars that break out (The Hunger Games, Twilight etc) in which we find that the love triangle becomes the focal point and the other events and their outcomes are pushed aside.

I generally stay away from books that include a love triangle. However, if there is a series that appears to have a love triangle but doesn’t push it to the forefront and instead focuses on the bigger picture I might just read it. For example, The Throne of Glass series. I’ve not read this series yet but I plan on reading it when the majority of the books in the series have been released.

To sum up, Lois and love triangles do not mix.

What are your thoughts? Do you love/hate/don’t care about love triangles? Let’s discuss.