Five Bookish Tropes that Should Jump Off a Cliff.

G'day, readers! I have returned (as promised) with my opinion of five bookish tropes that need to vanish from bookshelves. Or from my life. Or the globe. Or something like that.

(Okay, not exactly. These tropes could be done well, I'm sure. They are just ones that either particularly rub me the wrong way, I've seen way too often, or I just disagree with entirely. If you don't agree with me—don't be offended. This is all in fun. I'm also not intending to bash any of the books I use as examples—I'm linking to them for the reference of the readers.) 

{ love triangles }

You saw that coming a mile away, didn't you? I'm pretty sure this is the most hated bookish trope out there and yet...people are still writing it? And publishing it? And selling it? It's quite annoying, honestly, for this gal to have two guys literally falling at her feet while she tries to decide which one she "really loves." (Um, maybe neither, or you wouldn't have this problem...?)

To be fair and not so negative, I have enjoyed books that included this trope. One that comes to mind is a book that I'd count among my top favorites—A Cousin's Promise by Wanda Brunstetter. But in this instance, the triangle had a purpose in the book without taking over, and it wasn't an "in love with two men" situation, because it was obvious who she loved.

BUT. I read a book last summer that contained, not just a love triangle, but a love square. You're laughing right now, but I'm not kidding. There was a guy and girl who aren't sure if they're still in love or not (he's just came back from war). So meanwhile, the girl is over here kissing this other guy, while dude #1 is kissing his nurse. In a closet. At the hospital. And she knows he has a girlfriend. LIKE WHAT. WHAT EVEN. (Did I mention the guys are/were best friends? Yeah, not okay.)

*forces self to stop because I need to save my energy to give all of these a fair rant* Moving on, folks.

{ when THE ONE appears on your doorstep } 

Okay, so, I get it. You dream about meeting "the one" and how it all will go and where you'll meet and so on and so forth. I get it. I really do.

However... *pulls y'all closer and whispers* He/she isn't going to magically appear on your doorstep seconds after you prayed for God to send them your way. If it's in His plans for you to marry, then yes, that person is out there, and yes, they'll show up when the timing is right.

God isn't some little magician sitting up in the sky, waving a wand at your beck and call. It doesn't work that way—thank goodness.

But I have legit read books where the guy prays for his future wife and then just assumes the first supposedly-eligible girl that appears in his path is The One. (It actually was his doorstep/doorway in one book and I almost died.)

Like, what kind of message does that send? "Hey, dude. Want a girl? Just pray for one. And then the first one you lay eyes on—you'll know because she's so drop-dead gorgeous you'll almost pass out—yup, she's the one. ... What was that? ... Oh, she hates you? No problem. Just keep pursuing her and making an absolute nuisance of yourself. She'll come around."

(This seriously happened. No joke. Quit laughing, Krispy.)

{ perfection overload }

When everything turns out perfectly. They win the game/race/competition, they get the guy/girl, they work out all family relations, they get the dream job... You know what I'm talking about.

Don't get me wrong, I love a happy ending just as much as the next person—maybe more. But again, this can really send a confusing message.

In life, everything doesn't turn out perfect. You may not end up with the guy/girl you were certain was right for you. Your team may not win the game and go to state. Your relations with family and friends may always have rough patches.

Life isn't perfect, y'all. But good, because God is good? Oh my, yes. <3

{ the powerful girl...thingiemajig } 

I don't have a thing against women, y'all. Obviously. Golden starting line, Faith.

But the whole plot/trope/I-don't-even-know-what-to-call-it of a woman who decides she ain't going out with him even if he gets down on his hands and knees and begs... Why? Because "she don't need no man," and he's obviously trying to steal her freedom or implying she's incapable or... *flaps hand* Something like that.

Why does it have to be a need thing? I mean, c'mon. Maybe he just genuinely cares about you. (Not sure why, if you're as awful to him as my description, but...) Maybe he admires your strength and independence and wants to come alongside you to walk through life.

Nothing wrong with a strong, female lead to a story. So long as she doesn't think she's invincible and capable of handling everything on her own—without God or anyone else, be they guy or gal.

{ plain or fancy }

*is cringing* Okay, I like Amish fiction for the most part. I'm pretty sure I've talked about it on her many times before. Y'all know this. I'm not bashing the genre in any way, shape, or form.

But I have to wonder... how many Amish teens/young people actually leave the faith and flee out into the sinful, wicked world just so they can cut their hair and drive cars. And meanwhile, their mother cries over their departure and their father gets mad and shuns them and their siblings and friends (and sometimes a boyfriend/girlfriend) don't know whether to talk to them or not and it's so drawn out and dramatic and... *ahem*

Like...what? Does it really work like that? And, most of all, is it really so common? (Name more than five Amish books that don't deal with this in some way, and I'll give you a cookie.) I'm going to take an uneducated guess and say "no." It's not as common as it is in the books. Why it's such a hyped/used/abused trope, I'm not sure.

(If I'm wrong here, someone feel free to correct me.)

Also—Englishers going Amish. That sounds like it would be awfully darn hard. *spends 47 seconds contemplating giving up my modernization and decides I wouldn't survive*





So, yeah, there's that. Also, I'm up really late. I'll probably re-read this and regret it when I get up in the morning... *pause while Faith realizes it is morning*


Keep having a fabulous life, my humans, and let's chat about these tropes. Like or don't like? 
~Faith