Do I like Romance Books?
By Ellie Rosch
Many book genres exist in the reading world. It's a way to sort books to fit a style that other people would like. Some genres can overlap. Often books have a main genre, like fantasy, and then have underlying plots that follow other genres. The most popular sub-genre of a book is romance. Books, ever since being written, often end with the main character in a relationship, often with another character that's been with the protagonist during their journey. Although romance is often a sub-plot, recently romance has been taking over as the main genre. Think of those popular books whose covers look drawn in pastel colors and feature the two main characters. Examples of this include Icebreaker, Practice Makes Perfect, The Love Hypothesis, and The Love Game. These types of books have become insanely popular. Not to mention Colleen Hoover's popular books as well that continue to boost romance books' fame. The plot is always a realistic fiction setting, normally in the women's perspective, about the two main characters getting together. They normally start out as enemies or rivals and the book ends with them being in a relationship. This brings back up the question. Do I like romance books?
The short answer is no. Every book I listed as an example up there I haven't read, but it's for good reason. When I was younger I loved books like Percy Jackson, any book by Roald Dahl, Maniac MaGee, and Middle School: Get Me Out of Here. Any book that I've enjoyed reading either hasn't had any romance or it was a small edition to the story rather than a whole story arc about two characters getting together.
I have read a few romance books though. Most of those books I've read take place in a fantasy setting. I chose those books because I really love the worldbuilding and complex characters that develop in fantasy books. Every romance book I've read I didn't know it was a romance book. I thought it was a main genre of fantasy with as usual, romance as a subplot. They were chosen purely for the fantasy setting and not because I knew that they were romance. Books like these include Red Queen, Daughter of No Worlds, and The Selection. While I had heard good things about all of those books, I was disappointed that the characters didn't want to go questing in this new world that they had discovered, but rather describe how handsome the prince of this new world was. The worldbuilding was minimal and the same romance tropes were used over and over again. I'm tired of a love triangle between the best friend and a handsome, mysterious, and hot dude.
To wrap it up, I'm ok with there being romance in the books that I read but I'm not ok with that love taking over the plot of a book. Especially when I read the book because I'm interested in questing, making friends, or fulfilling a prophecy. I have nothing against romance books because some people like them. That's why there's so many genres of books. Like what you like, but I don't enjoy romance books.
I HEAVILY agree with this statement! I swear all books should have romance as a subplot rather than the whole theme of the book. You can only watch people do the same falling in love song and dance so many times before it becomes predictable and overly done. It would be so much better if romance books had a main theme of self growth, while finding love along the way so they can grow with the love interest.
ReplyDeleteRomance books are stupid, and I will never understand the hype. Why read about two people simping for each other when you can read about adventure and killing evil dudes and betrayal and death and murder and-
ReplyDeletethats part of the reason why I like Wings of Fire (spoilers?) while there are romance sub plots, sometimes I completely forget they exist, until its brought back up again and I'm like "oh yeah thats a thing"
my favorite kind of book is "adventure, fantasy, and dragons with a side of gay"