[Top Ten Tuesday] Favorite Book Tropes

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Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish but is currently being run by That Artsy Reader Girl. A prompt is given each week, and I hope to do it every week so I always have something going up on Tuesdays. This week I am talking about book tropes that I love to read! There are some book tropes that I really don't like, and if you're interested I could do a part two and talk about the tropes I dislike. But in this post I talk about tropes that motivate me even more to pick up the books that include these tropes.

Let's jump in!

The tropes work for a lot of books I've read, but to keep it organized I am going to post the first book that comes to mind with each of the tropes.

 Reign of the Fallen

 Sarah Glenn Marsh

Trope: Found Family

Goodreads 

Odessa, Evander, Jax, Simeon, Danial, Valoria, and even the newer characters that appear in both this book and the next one are apart of this beautiful found family. Especially the first five I specifically named, all growing up together. One thing I would love to know more of is their past because of how interesting it all is to me. This found family of characters makes me so happy, I love them all so much. 

Why I love it: Family is important, but I think that the people you choose to be in your life are also incredibly important. Whether you have a good relationship with your blood family or not. 

Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow

Jessica Townsend

Trope: The Chosen One 

Goodreads

This has been such a fun middle grade story! I have been coming to the conclusion that I really love middle grade stories, and it is something I plan on diving into more for Halloween. However, back on topic. I love the Chosen One trope. Obviously, Harry Potter is one that also comes to mind, but I didn't want to be repetitive since I am using it later. Morrigan is less fleshed out in the first book but I feel like we really get to know her in the second book, Wundersmith. I don't want to give too much away, but this series is great!

Why I love it: I think it goes back to my deep love for Harry Potter, but I love seeing kid characters given the chance to be something more because of a deep strength or power inside of them. Often, chosen one kids are neglected or somehow have a rough life beforehand, and to see someone give them hope fills me with happiness. 

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

J.K. Rowling

Trope: Friends to Lovers 

Goodreads 

There are a lot of great tropes in Harry Potter, and the romance in this series takes a huge back seat. However. when I think of Friends to Lovers trope I cannot help but think of Hermione and Ron. Who I love together, and I think are such a cute couple. They may bicker a lot, but besides the Scabbers/Crookshanks incident, I never saw them as enemies. I have always loved them together, so I had to use them for this one. 

Why I love it: I love the friends to lovers trope because often it's a slow burn, since the friendship needs to be established before the romance happens. I think the build up and seeing the characters have chemistry even before they pursue each other romantically adds to the reading experience. Which is why friends to lovers is by far my favorite romance trope.

Sky in the Deep 

Adrienne Young

Trope: Enemies to Lovers 

Goodreads

Sky in the Deep pleasantly surprised me, honestly. I didn't realize just how much I was going to love it and I desperately need to buy it for myself so I can re-read it whenever I want. I am so due for a re-read. Anyway, this book is heavy on the enemies to lovers, and although I do find that sometimes this trope can be toxic, I think it is executed perfectly in this book. 

Why I love it: Like I said, this trope can be toxic because there is a fine line between "enemies" and "abuse" but I do think when it is handled well, like in Sky in the Deep, it can add to the romance. 

Throne of Glass

Sarah J. Maas

Trope: Lost Princess/Prince/Royalty 

Goodreads

I was going to use a different book for this, but I was worried it was too much of a spoiler so I picked Throne of Glass instead! Since it's such a well loved story and the lost royalty aspect of the book isn't much of a secret. I still need to continue my read of this series. I finished Empire of Storms (which I wasn't the biggest fan of) and I need to read Tower of Dawn. I do enjoy this series, and I don't hate Maas's writing style like a lot of people do. I don't want to talk too much about the lost royalty part just in case it is considered a spoiler, but if you haven't read this series and you're interested I recommend! 

Why I love it: I think the surprise aspect of a lost princess or prince is so much fun. Maybe it's my love for Tangled/Rapunzel, who knows, but I really like this twist/surprise. Especially if it catches me by surprise but either way even if I figured it out before the reveal I find that I still enjoy it. Maybe it's also the fact that this typically means the lost royalty character has to fight their way to obtain their throne or rightful place, and that often is badass to read. 

Shatter Me

Tahereh Mafi 

Trope: "Bad" Boy/Girl Who Is Actually Good

Goodreads

 This is another trope that can be toxic if not handled correctly. I do think that Tahereh Mafi does execute it well in this series, to the point where when I was reading them a while back I couldn't believe that everyone was so interested in Warner until the story lets us get to know him on a deeper level. If it isn't handled well, the "bad" boy/girl can cross lines from being broody to abusive. It happens with more guy characters, but I would love suggestions where it happens more with girl characters.

Why I love it: Honestly, I haven't got a clue. I think it's just both an attractive thing mixed with me being interested in morally grey characters. 

A Study in Charlotte

Brittany Cavallaro 

Trope: Morally Grey Characters 

Goodreads

Many characters in this series can be considered morally grey, and the two main characters Charlotte and Jamie are definitely on that list. The actions they make on good intentions can definitely be seen as morally grey. I think it is one of the many things that you can draw parallels between this series and the original Sherlock Holmes stories. 

Why I love it: Every human is morally grey, and the fact that this is a "trope" is silly because it should just be a fundamental thing when writing any character. No one is all good or all bad, which is why we are all morally grey. So I love this trope because it makes the characters more realistic. 

A Darker Shade of Magic

V.E. Schwab 

Trope: Villain Redemption 

Goodreads

I don't want to give too much away, because of spoilers. But the way the villain character is redeemed in this trilogy absolutely broke me. I didn't expect it to hit me so hard, but it did and now I am realizing I am due for a re-read. This is another series I need to buy for my collection so I can re-read them whenever. 

Why I love it: Similar to the morally grey trope, villains are often not all bad, but instead morally grey. Despite some examples, I think that if your villain is all bad to just be bad, or sees themselves as the bad guy, they're not written very well. I think the most terrifying villains are ones that you can relate to, you can sympathize with. It makes the reader realize that anyone can be a villain depending on their experiences and circumstances. 

Hex Hall

Rachel Hawkins

Trope: Love Triangles 

Goodreads 

I don't hate love triangles, I hate that they are often executed so poorly. I think if a love triangle is written well, it can come of use to the story and bring light to certain things from the plot to  character development. I think most love triangles aren't done well, which is why they get a bad rep, but from what I remember from this series I liked the way it was handled. 

Why I love it: Honestly, I have a love/hate relationship with love triangles. Depending on how well it's executed. If it's done well, I think I like it because feelings are complicated. I cannot relate too much to this, but I have known and been friends with many people who have feelings for more than one person and not knowing who is the best choice for them. Something that I think happens a lot in young adult books that is unrealistic is that the character meets "the one" when they're sixteen. And although that isn't impossible, it isn't as successful as the books make it seem. So having feelings for more than one person makes sense, especially when you're young and trying to figure out not only who you want to be but the kind of people you want in your life. 

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Theif

Rick Riordan 

Trope: Powerful Children Characters 

Goodreads

I just finished re-reading (I first read it 7-8 years ago and remember almost nothing) the first Percy Jackson book and loved it. There are so many great examples of this trope. So many characters in Harry Potter, Hit Girl (not for young readers, but still badass), Prosper Redding, etc. I love seeing young characters with power and abilities to take care of themselves, especially when before they had the power to do so often they are in situations where they feel powerless and defeated. 

Why I love it: I think young readers often feel like they are powerless, and to read about characters who have power and are able to protect themselves is so empowering for them. I love badass kids who are ready to do good in the world they live in.

Thanks for reading!
 

What are some of your favorite tropes? Do we have any in common?