This is different from the rest because I do actually like it sometimes, but that's only to a point. I can't be reading all these books that are exactly the same.
I understand the awkward girl trope, I mean, us bookworms are a lot of the time, awkward. So I can see where that comes in, but I feel like oftentimes authors forget that there are actually some confident people out there in the world. I don't mind having awkward main characters, but when it's always about an awkward girl meeting a hot popular guy and her life getting better because of that, it just bugs me.
To me, the entire idea seems wrong. Most of the time when a book has this trope it's as if they re saying, "Oh look how much of a special snowflake my character is! She isn't like all those other popular girls and yet she can still get the guy!" Now while I have enjoyed books with this trope, I just don't appreciate the actual trope. It makes it out to be like we are shaming those other girls for being extroverts in the same way society seems to shame introverts. And making it as if an awkward girl should feel lucky for being able to snag some guy who's really hot and extroverted seems wrong to me.
I wouldn't mind it all that much if it wasn't so overdramatic like "Why does he like me? Of all those beautiful popular girls he could have? Why would he choose me?" and then they actually go on to ask him why he chose her. Why does he have to have a reason other than he likes you more than them? I don't get it. Why does there need to be some life-altering reason as to why he likes you more than them. Seems pretty ridiculous to me.
While I'm at it, let's just discuss the Manic Pixie Dream Girl trope. I don't think it's healthy for the readers to be reading about how someone is putting someone else on such a high pedestal building them up to be like a god to them. It isn't healthy for the reader to want to become that unattainable MPDG or the Hot Popular Guy. I feel like it sends the wrong message to the readers. As most of this is in YA there are a lot of younger readers who are still really impressionable and may not understand that this isn't how real life works.
My point, I like when it isn't used as a tropy plot device. If that's just who the characters are, the bookworm and the sports star, then that's who they are. I just hate when it's made to be this huge deal where characters feel like they are unworthy of being with that other person.
Anyway, thoughts on the topic?
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