Both tropes are commonly used in books these days and I know they can annoy some readers to piece's while others eat them up. To me, the actual problem is that most books don't perform the love triangles and cliffhangers well.
So, what do you think? Do you like one more than the other? Do love triangles and cliff hangers bother you? Or do you enjoy a good off-the-edge ending or engaging triangle?
So, as I said above, I have nothing against these elements of books... as long as I feel the author put time into making the idea actually work.
Love Triangles
There are some good love triangles out there, in my opinion. The Unearthly trilogy is a great example! To me, I never felt like Clara was playing with either of the love interests. That is step one in making a good triangle. Don't let the heroine/hero jump between love interests like a bouncy ball between toddlers! Otherwise, the readers will get annoyed. Fast.
Another love triangle I enjoyed was the one between Tessa, Jem, and Will in the Infernal Devices trilogy. The two guys don't become "mortal enemies" (this aggravates me so much in books!) just because they like the same girl! They still are best friends and are totally considerate of each other's feelings. Woot!
However, a lot of love triangles are less than satisfactory... I will not name them as there is not one right off the top of my head. However, there are lot's I have problems with, from minor to major. (Tiger's Curse, The Elite, Twilight, Switched, Wings, and more. Wow.)
Okay, I guess I lied. I just named quite a few. Some of the books I enjoyed otherwise though. So having a less than satisfactory love triangle does not always affect the rating. However, most of the time it does affect the rating... it just depends if the problems are larger than "minor annoyances".
As a little note, the love triangle in the Hex Hall series might be my all-time favorite love triangle. I am having a hard time justifying this though. Another one is the triangle in the Alanna saga. That triangle, however, is for me, the original.
Cliffhangers
I actually love a good cliffhanger. It's what makes me buy the second book the moment it is released and start reading as soon as I find a place to curl up with hot chocolate. What's life without a little excitement? However, if I read the book and absolutely NOTHING is resolved... I will feel so jipped, and, I won't lie, the fact will big time affect the book's rating.
Here are some recent cliffhanger's I thought were emotion-provoking, unique, and/or thrilling:
I thought Insurgent has a pretty promising cliffhanger! (Me. Want. Allegiant. Now.) The ending resolves some things but opens a whole world of new and previously unthought of possibilities up at the end, which I love!
Another cliffhanger that fits the ticket of "surprising and thought provoking"is Pivot Point. At the end, most things are solved, yet in a different way with new edge-of-your-seat information... leaving an unknown future that we are anxious to find out about in the next novel.
Also, the Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series have those cliffhangers that tear you apart inside. I am known to get very emotional at the end of Mead's books. They normally have me screaming "No! nononono! You can't end the story there! What about this person? And what happens after this thing on the last page that causes a tidal wave of emotion?" When I feel like this, I know that the book was a great one. I care for the characters, and I am definitely picking up the next book. I guess you won another round Richelle Mead...
What is you answer to today's question? Your answers are what BLI is all about!
I don't mind love triangles if they're written well. For example, I think the love triangle in Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas is a good one, partly because the books are about so much more than the love triangle.
ReplyDeleteI don't mind cliffhangers either, but I do get a little frustrated sometimes about how books always have to be part of a trilogy (or more) these days. Although there are some very famous stories told in multiple volumes (Lord of the Rings, Chronicles of Narnia, Discworld), the method seems to have surged recently.
Sarah
Ooh, I agree with your last statement whole heartedly. There are many series that could have been stand-alones. But, instead, the authors choose to DRAG the story into a series, sometimes ruining it in the process. Why? whywhywhy?
DeleteAnd I love the Throne of Glass triangle! How could I have forgotten to mention that above? *smacks forehead* What team are you?
Thanks for commenting Sarah :)
I usually enjoy love triangles because they add conflict to the book, but then again, you can just have one boy and one girl falling in love and have plenty of conflict coming from other sources in the book.
ReplyDeleteAnd I think cliffhangers are important, especially for the first book in the series. If the first book in the series doesn't have a cliffhanger then I'm not excited to read the second book, and then I DON'T read the second book *cough* Soul Screamers *cough*
btw, George or Jon?
Yes! Cliffhangers are pretty important, especially in making me pick up the next book in a series... otherwise, well, if I am not excited for a book I will not read it because I have loads of better books in my hulking TBR pile. :)
DeleteOh, I am team George! <3 (Although in the first book I was definitely Jon!) What about you?
Thanks for commenting Monica!
Ooohhh, I love this! Cliffhangers and love triangles are the two big things that people are always discussing in terms of love or hate. I agree with your love triangle thoughts - If it isn't done well, it can ruin the whole book. I definitely don't want the love triangle to be the main focus. The Unearthly trilogy was great with this! And yesss, I loved Hex Hall and the love triangle was perfectly executed.
ReplyDeleteAs for cliffhangers, I love and hate them. Like you said, I don't want to feel jipped. Some things HAVE to be resolved. As long as some of the big questions are resolved, I'm fine with new questions popping up. At the end of a book with a cliffhanger, I want to be going, "NO! NOOO! Next book! NEXT BOOK NOW!" I don't want to sit there going... "What..? That... didn't answer anything and now I'm more confused and frustrated.."
Great topic! Very interesting, and I agree with a lot of what you said!
I'm glad you enjoyed this post! And I am glad you loved the Hex Hall triangle too! It was just so... perfect! (<3 Archer!) And it wasn't the main focus, like you said, the series has an awesome plot too! I agree, triangles should never be the main focus.
DeleteAnd, for me, cliffhangers are definitely a love/hate thing. I want to lots of good emotion after the cliffhanger or it will ruin the book for me. And I hate feeling like the end doesn't answer anything.
Thanks for sharing your awesome thoughts Meredith!
Im pretty sure that my mind skipped immediately to twighlight when you said the bouncy ball comment. Also the Insurgent cliffhanger literally made me drop the book. Another cliffhanger that was almost the series itself was maze runner. And maximum ride.
ReplyDelete