What is it with YA and the number 3? It seems like every recent YA book is the first in a trilogy and then there's all the love triangles springing up. As Dirty Sexy Books said, there's a trend of love-triangle-trilogies.
Is the trilogy trend a nod to the trilogies in fantasy, because it seems to occur in the YA books that are subsets of SF/F e.g. paranormal romance, urban fantasy, dystopian? Is it because the authors have created a world that (they feel) needs more exploration than a stand alone offers? Or are they just riding the gravy train? I don't really have any answers, I'm just asking the questions that have occurred to me since my foray into YA this month. I did my research on trend-setting and recently- and soon-to-be released YA books and the issue I bumped into repeatedly, apart from my library not actually owning copies, was that these books were largely the first in a trilogy. Strangely Twilight is one of the few exceptions. Seriously, there's The Hunger Games, Shiver/Linger/Forever, The Forest of Hands and Teeth, Matched is the first in a planned trilogy, and on and on ad infinitum.
And then there's all the love triangles. All of those mentioned above have love triangles. Maybe that's why they need three books, to resolve all the supposed love issues? I don't know. It would be nice if there were more stand alone books in YA -- and fantasy while we're at it -- so that when deciding to read an interesting sounding book you don't have to weigh up the pros and cons of starting a series which may or may not be concluded. As someone still waiting for 'A Dance with Dragons' to be completed, let alone released, I would like to be able to read a book and not have to wait for a sequel to have the questions raised resolved. Perhaps, subconsciously, that's why I waited till now to read all those intriguing books that were the beginnings of trilogies; I'm not completely immune to the gossip surrounding well received books- The Hunger Games and Shiver, I am looking at you.
What are your thoughts on the preponderance of trilogies and love triangles in YA? Are they pros or cons for you?
Don't forget to check out Y(A)? Cuz We Write!'s 100 Followers Contest! In keeping with the theme of three, I'm hoping to win the 3 YA debut books, aww yeah!
If I love a book, I'm usually excited about a sequel or two, so I don't have a big problem with trilogies. And i tend to be a sucker for a good love triangle, too, though there are so many of them. I guess 3 is a magic number for me, too!
ReplyDeleteI'm burnt out on the love triangles. They're so seldom done well these days. I just got done reading the second book in a series and we now have a four way triangle going. Or maybe one of the originals is dropping out and has been replaced by a new guy. It's all so confusing and unnecessary. But I fear it's what teen girls want these days - a guy that they can completely lose their identity in and another guy on the side just in case it doesn't work out with guy one (or just to boost their ego). So, cons for me, but pros for teen girls.
ReplyDeleteGreat questions. The trilogies make sense to me - first of all, it's a money maker. If you like the first book, you'll come back for more. That explains all the cliffhanger endings, too (cruel Catching Fire and Linger!) The thing I like about trilogies too is allows the books to stay within a easily readable range (300-400 words) without getting super long like many adult fantasies. But, the upcoming books promise that the stories will continue to be developed in more depth. I like that and I'm willing to put up with waiting (for the most part... there's plenty of other good books to fill the gap).
ReplyDeleteIt's the love triangles that I'm wondering about. The last three YA books I've picked up were love triangles! They are interesting and it's fun to pick sides, but really? so many? starting to wear on me. And just for fun I'd like to see a reversed triangle! How 'bout two girls going after one guy! Just for fun.
Hmm, I haven't been reading many books that are part of trilogies. I do enjoy love triangles. My novel might have one in it, haha, but hopefully it's a little different from the classic kind. Love this post! It really brings up some great themes and questions.
ReplyDeleteMeredith- That's true, I really enjoyed The Hunger Games so I don't mind having two more books to read about Katniss!
ReplyDeleteJennie- That's a good point, I'm all for teaching teens not to settle and to take time to make the right choice but some love triangles have the girl (and it is always a girl) so obviously more interested in one of the boys that it's like she's just stringing along the back-up. I hope the four way love triangle you mentioned is one of the love interests with another love interest- how many girls are genuinely equally torn between 3 guys?
Margo- I hadn't thought about the word limit angle. With YA having a lower threshold maybe trilogies really are necessary to tell a tale that could be one book in adult fiction, plus some padding to justify three books. And yes, it is interesting that of all the love triangles they are 99% MMF. I could wonder what that says about girls/women. I'd like to read a MFF love triangle just to see if the emphasis was on the emotional or sexual level since the MMF ones are curiously all about love and never about hormones.
Saumya- I think love triangles are interesting when they are done well, like Carrie Ryan said in a blog post (I linked to it on my review of The Forest of Hands and Teeth) a love triangle reveals more about the personality of the character caught in the middle than it does about the relationship with the love interests. I'm glad you liked this post, the comments have been great food for thought too!
- Sophia.