Every book lover knows that there’s no better feeling than a book that nails a trope, leaving you giggling and kicking your feet or simply sobbing at just how cute the characters are. Is it predictable in some scenarios? Maybe yes. But does it still always hit the spot and make a good fiction book that you can’t stop ranting about? Absolutely! A great trope doesn’t make a good book, but a good book definitely becomes great with well-written tropes. Although it’s pretty easy to overdo tropes and turn them into a cliché, the amazing part about writing books is that writers add their own spin to—either subverting tropes, calling out their ridiculousness at times, only to indulge them or simply adding them. Who doesn’t want to see their favourite characters dance in the rain before one of them realises that they’re in love with the other.
But despite this, there are certain tropes that the readers yearn for that adds nuance to the writing and even offers a fresh take on the genres and storylines. It makes their characters more diverse and layered, making even the unlikely ones relatable.
So, The Bombay Circle Press will delve into the 5 book tropes we want to see more of in books.
- Found Family
The fan favourite! It goes without saying that every fandom is built on the foundation of the found family trope, whether it’s The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune, Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan or Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo.
The found family trope is, as the name suggests, the characters (sometimes even enemies) that aren’t biologically related to each other come together and become an unlikely family. One of the reasons why it’s such a favourite is because it provides a sense of comfort and belief that the characters will be loved and accepted despite their faults and failures.
- Flirty x Flustered
The best romance fiction is built on the flirty x flustered trope. Although one of the most popular tropes in this list, it still isn’t used as much as its popular cousin grumpy x sunshine.
One of the reasons why even writers love this trope is because although you create this dynamic wherein character A is a blushing and babbling mess every time character B flirts with them, there’s absolutely no denying that character B is just as down bad and will do everything to make their feelings known!
- Villain Turned Ally
A good fiction book has a menacing villain that you love to hate or hate to love, but there’s nothing more fans love when the villain switches sides, for whatever reason, and becomes an ally, riding the wave of justice and goodness (even better if they’re still evil in their ways).
But there is also something equally hilarious when said villain is thrust into an environment wherein they are treated nicely, showing their domestic side (wearing an apron and scrubbing pans or yelling about the lumps in the cake batter), especially when they haven’t seen this side of life.
But in the end, the readers love a villain who uses his powers and mind for the right reasons. Not only is it a great way to show the character in a new light, it also adds dimension and provides a redemption arc for the character to make amends.
- Reluctant Hero and the Younger Character He Adopted Along Their Quest
One of most wholesome and funniest tropes in any novel and books is the reluctant hero and the younger character he adopts in their quest. The tired father trying his best to keep the younger at bay only to without missing a beat put his life on the line and save them satisfies, only for the younger one to not pay any attention or giggle, watching the hero fumble around to keep both of them alive.
The reason why this works is because the power dynamic remains more or less equal and creates a beautiful balance between both characters wherein they both respect and look out for each other. More importantly, it is usually built on the platonic, wholesome grumpy x sunshine while treating some of the daddy issues of our dear readers (and we aren’t complaining about it one bit).
- Academic Rivals to Lovers
We almost feel like we don’t need to elaborate more. But we will! An extension of the rivals to the lovers, academic rivals to lovers is the soul-crushing and jawdropping version of the former. The hatred in this trope doesn’t begin because of some bygone argument or misunderstanding, but rather, the epitome. Not only do the characters get on each other’s nerves and heighten the tension, screaming facts and figures in each other’s face, they also push the other character to be their absolute best. And of course, we know how that ends, with either one of them kissing the other or professing their love. The separate fandom this trope has also stems from the desire for academic excellence and particularly seeing female and queer communities being shown in an equal power dynamic with other protagonists.
So, to conclude, tropes, when done right, whether in romance novels or literary fiction books don’t just act as a marketing hook but act as an add on to add dimension to the characters the plot, furthering their motives. But despite the wide variety of tropes across literature and specific ones for particular genres, there are certain genres that readers love a little more dearly than the others and yearn for it the same way they yearn for a cozy read on the weekend!
If you want to read, The Bombay Circle Press has a wide selection of good fiction books in a wide range of genres that every reader will love.