Feature and Follow Friday (7)

Hello everyone! It's another Feature & Follow Friday! It's been a blast meeting everyone and following so many blogs. We hope this week will be just as successful as last week! 

Feature and Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee.

This week's question is...

Q: What writing device or trick most irritates you when reading a book? For example, if an author employs an omnipotent narrator that is sometimes considered bad form.


This is a great question. I actually have several things that irritate me:

1. Cheating. Romanticized Cheating. I hate it when a character is put in a position where they have no choice but to cheat. I mean, can't they just break up with their significant other before they do anything?

Irriation Example: Hallowed (UnEarthy #2)

2. Triangles. For the most part, triangles are an epic failure. They always make most or all of the characters look bad. It takes a really, really gifted writer to properly execute ~proper triangle dynamics and so far, I have not found one yet.

Irritation Example: The Vampire Diaries (show and books)

3. Romance Overtakes Characterization. I love romance between characters. I love rooting for a ship. However, I also like individual kick-ass female and male characters. I hate when romance overshadows the character so much that it BECOMES the character. I don't understand this device at all. Why wouldn't the author want the character to stand on their own two legs? Why do they NEED to be ALL about this other person?

Irritation Example: Ten (this was the reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5).

4. Abusive Male Characters Who Are Romanticized As Heroes. It's one thing if the guy is supposed to be bad, but it's a whole other thing when they're bad and it's treated like they're good and always have been. Abuse is wrong and I'm not going to have my kick-ass heroines be dragged down by that BS.

Irritation Example: Hush Hush

5. Unnecessary Cliffhangers/Plot Twists. Now don't get me wrong, I love cliffhangers! I love a good plot twist! I mean this is the point of reading fiction, isn't it? You want to be like wtf?!?!? But in a good way! However, there are some stories that just cannot resist doing completely ridiculous things that not only disservice the characters, but the story as well. I hate when stories seem like they're coming to a natural end, but then they have to throw a very contrived plot twist to keep the story going for another 100 pages! It's called editing peeps! Or when a story is just so awesome and you're getting to the end and you're loving what they're doing and then they throw in a BS cliffhanger to go ON TOP of a really awesome one(s). It just completely taints everything.

Irritation Example: Anna and The French Kiss (read my review) and Starters (read my review; the book is epic though except for one thing).

Let me know what you think in the comments! Or if you want, you can just say hi!

Also, we are hosting our very first giveaway because we hit 100 followers! Please, please participate. There's some awesome prizes! For all the details, check here! :)