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My Opinions on Book Tropes – Part 2

Alright let’s get right into this!

Grumpy x Sunshine

I think this is a very great trope but I will admit there is a way this is done right and a way it’s done wrong. If it’s used as someone leeching the other’s spirit, or being toxically positive, then that’s when the relationship is unhealthy and I would ‘nope’ out of a book. Also I don’t like seeing the sunshiney character being babied or being patronized, treated like they’re inferior or inadequate because of their optimism.

The way it’s done right is when the grumpy has a tough exterior but a soft and caring and charismatic interior, and the sunshiney one has more value as a character, and is more defined and has more depth than just being a happy-go-lucky character. Of course this is one way it can be done right and I’m sure there are many more, but overall I’d give this trope a 7/10. Maybe an 8.

Enemies to Lovers

There’s a big divide on the internet about Enemies to Lovers versus Friends to Lovers, and I am definitely on the Enemies to Lovers side.

I love the idea of meeting someone new, starting off maybe on the wrong foot, and then figuring out where you stand with each other (pun sort of intended?) and making things up to each other in the end, figuring out everyone’s true selves despite the bad first start, and the drama and tension that comes with Enemies to Lovers is so perfect and intriguing!

This is a 10/10 trope, but there is a problem with it when it condones toxic behaviour, or is controlling, or any other bad behaviour is glorified with the label of “Enemies To Lovers”. Generally, though, awesome trope.

Right Person, Wrong Time

I’ll be completely honest, I haven’t read very many books with this, or really come into contact with this trope much, but I love the idea, but not in the moment, I love when it comes back to haunt the characters later. Say, they bump into their old love when they’re older, in different stages of life, etc.

I recently watched “Almost, Maine”, a play by my local theatre, and it was mostly made of small romantic vignettes, and it was so cute! This one scene that I think featured this trope was when there was this one woman and she was proposed to when she was younger, and then she went out into the world without answering, and then she came back years later to accept the proposal, and then the man she loved was already married to another woman, it was so cute and so sad.

9/10 trope only because of “Almost, Maine”, you guys did amazing and I have a new love for the trope.

Friends to Lovers

As mentioned before, I am on the Enemies to Lovers side of this debate. However, I can appreciate the Friend to Lovers trope, with the pining, and the wondering “where is the line, how do I be careful so as not to ruin the relationship, do they feel the same”, etc.

However since the relationship of friends is already established, it brings it a couple points down. I like when you have to establish the relationship throughout the book.

I’ve read some Friends to Lovers books and they were really good, but it’s not my trope of choice to write or read.

6/10 trope, very good, I get the appeal, but not my vibe.

Slow Burn

Who doesn’t like a slow burn? Gotta be careful that it’s not too slow or it gets boring, there needs to be PROGRESS over the course of the book. I haven’t read a very good slow burn in a long time but I love this trope, and while I don’t write it very much, I think it definitely works to build tension.

8.5/10 trope.

Age Gap

…no. Sorry.

0/10.

Tragic Past

Yes. Very much so yes. Not so much that I love the trauma that these characters endure but I love how it makes me empathise and it’s very effective as a trope. I use it a lot, I read a lot of authors who use this trope, and it’s very much used in fantasy or in sci-fi and it’s beautiful.

9.5/10 trope because I don’t like when people hurt characters. Me as a writer? Sure, I’ll give my characters a tragic past. Me as a reader? Don’t hurt that character or I will come for your bones (this is a joke, for legal reasons).

We’re done! Part 3 to come, I just don’t know when.

Do you agree with my opinions? Disagree? Let me know in the comments!

Subscribe so you can see future posts as they come out!

Life is a story. How will you write yours?

Until next time,

Catherine Khaperska

Posted on by Catherine

My Opinions On Book Tropes – Part 1

If you’ve been on the book-ternet for long enough, you’ll hear ‘tropes’ being discussed a lot. If you don’t know what a trope is, essentially it’s a literary device (such as figure of speech, character dynamic, etc) that’s used so much that it becomes recognizable.

This is a post I’ve been wanting to make for a while because I think it’s going to be both really fun and a tad bit controversial. Let’s begin, shall we?

“I Hate Everyone But You”

Starting off strong! This trope is often featured in fantasy, with the main character’s love interest having a mean disposition and having a hard time getting attached to people, but finally falling for the main character, while at the same time still despising everybody else.

I can see why this is appealing. The main character is now someone even more special, and because this is often tied to moments of vulnerability when the love interest explains why they’re always so mean/rude, the emotional aspect of this is very obvious.

For me, this trope only works if written well. I think there are things that can really bog down this trope and make it not work as much, like for example if the love interest says/does something really bad and the main character forgives way too fast just so that the romance can move forward.

All in all, this trope is a solid 5/10 because it’s exactly half and half. I don’t hate it, but it’s not my favourite, and I’m pretty picky considering this trope.

Academic Rivals

I LOVE this trope. This is the perfect set up for banter, competition, tension (romantic or not), and a story that keeps you on your toes as well as keeping the characters on theirs. Works great with really any genre: sci-fi, fantasy, realistic fiction, dystopia, romance, you name it!

It also more-or-less requires there to be some sort of academia vibes, whether it be in a historical period, a science lab, a library, or anything else of that sort.

I don’t think I can say much more. I love this trope to no end. 10/10.

Forbidden Love

Ah yes, the classic Romeo-and-Juliet situation where they’re in love but there’s something stopping them from being together. This is a beautiful trope. The determination, the tension, the secrecy, the way it makes the reader feel smart because they know something that some of the characters don’t… it’s a beautifully crafted trope that tugs at the heartstrings.

This one also works in almost any genre, which is great!

I love this trope because it brings about slow-burn romance and the burning question throughout that is ‘Will they end up together?’.

This is a beautiful trope, and while it’s not my ultimate favourite, it’s a great one. 8/10.

First Love

I like this trope. It’s the trope where one character is falling in love with someone for the first time, and they have to navigate the feelings and troubles associated with that.

I think the intrigue of it comes with the feelings of getting to experience new feelings that you haven’t before, and explore a new side of yourself, which for a teenager/young adult would be a very interesting topic to read about.

I think it’s a great trope but it doesn’t hold a special place in my heart. I’d give it a 6.5/10.

Miscommunication

I hate this trope with a burning passion.

I know it adds tension. I know it causes conflict. But it seems like the ‘easy way out’, and it can be avoided SO EASILY just by talking about it. Maybe the ‘talking about it’ includes the main character admitting they were eavesdropping, and they don’t want to admit it because it’ll make things worse. But still, at least there won’t be any bottling up of negativity ruining relationships.

Basically the miscommunication trope is just a bunch of easily avoided problems haphazardly thrown in to make conflict that did not need to be there.

0/10.

Love At First Sight

In all honesty, this trope feels unrealistic.

I get having a crush at first sight (‘oh, I just saw this person and I think they’re really cute/hot/beautiful, etc) but I think that true love at first sight doesn’t exist and more often than not does not work out for the long run.

I do love romance, but I prefer a little bit of believability when it comes to relationships, and it doesn’t even matter the genre I’m in.

It’s a good start, but I don’t think it can sustain a whole book.

I’ll give it a 5/10.

Childhood Friends to Lovers

This one is a hit or miss for me. I like reading romance when there’s a stage of ‘getting to know one another’ and if the two characters have been childhood friends, never separated and know everything about each other, then one falls in love with the other, that stage is missing. The feelings and conflict is more about ‘what if they don’t like me and the friendship is ruined’ and for me that doesn’t pack as much of a punch for me.

But for example, if they’ve been friends when they were children, then grew up and went their own way before bumping into each other again… THAT just hits different.

So while this is a 50/50 hit-or-miss trope for me, I’m ranking it pretty high since the V2 of this trope is such a beautiful chef’s-kiss type trope. 7/10.

And there we have it for our Part 1 of my opinions on book tropes! I will have part 2 sometime soon. Thanks for reading, and if you’ve gotten this far, don’t forget to leave a like and comment down below what your opinions are! Do you agree? Disagree?

Do you agree? Disagree? Let me know in the comments!

Subscribe so you can see future posts as they come out!

Life is a story. How will you write yours?

Until next time,

Catherine Khaperska