I've been reviewing stories on Wattpad for a while now and, boy, has that been a journey. Your stories have made me gasp and squeal. Your stories have made me laugh and cry.
But, from time to time, your stories have made me cringe.
In commemoratio...
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ONE STAR: A "I DIDN'T EVEN FINISH THE BOOK" LOVE TRIANGLE.
I don't want to linger on this one too much, mostly because I don't think I've ever not finished a book—
Oh wait. The Selection.
Never mind.
That being said, I'm not going to talk about The Selection. I'm going to talk about another love triangle that nearly made me stop reading.
New Moon, the second book in the Twilight Series.
Because, here is the thing: the relationships were so ridiculously toxic that it was painful to read. Bella literally used Jacob so that she could get into near-death experiences so she could hear Edward's voice, and yet claimed she loved both of them. Jacob forced Bella to kiss him, to the point where she had to hit him to make him stop. Edward abandoned Bella in the middle of a forest after breaking her heart and left her, more or less, because of a papercut.
And don't get me started on how, later on, Edward becomes a doormat and does everything for Bella. And how Bella pressures Edward into making love to her. Like, what if the genders were reversed and Edward pressured Bella? People would revolt. But it's 'fine' when Bella pressures him.
In other words, I have no problems with love triangles.
But, please, please, do not romanticise toxic relationships. Please.
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TWO STARS: A "I WISH THE PROTAGONIST JUDT STAYED SINGLE" LOVE TRIANGLE.
Basically, the characters aren't even developed is the main issue with this love triangle.
In this sort of love triangle, the pace is too quick, and none of the characters are truly thought-out and developed. Or, worse yet, they are developed into perfect little Mary Sues/Gary Sues. Some characters are neglected, and everything about them is clichéd and predictable. The characters lack depth.
How do you add that depth, both my dog and I hear you ask?
Your character motivations. They should be kept in the centre of it all. The 'why'. Why are they where they are? Why do they have a story written about them?
