The Pet Peeve List

It seems to be that the more I read the more things I find that inherently annoy me. Some things I can deal with, but others make me want to throw the book across the room (I'm looking at you, The Elite). I don't know if I'm just overly pedantic, but these pet peeves can make or break a book for me if they're not executed well.

THE ILLOGICAL DECISION MAKER

Don't get me wrong, I do get that some characters are just illogical, and that in certain situations people don't think straight. But I'm sorry if you have to choose between saving your girlfriend (who, lets face it, you probably met three days ago) or the world, wouldn't it cross your mind that she'll die if the world implodes? The book in question shall remain nameless. Seriously, it seems like these decisions are made just to create tension and show how selfish 'caring' the love interest is, not because the story warrants it.

SHE ISN'T LIKE MOST GIRLS

How many books have you read where the love interest says that line to the heroine (or vice versa)? What are 'most girls' like? Is this sentence sexist, implying all girls are bitchy, slutty and gossipy? I don't understand how the heroine is different from most girls because everyone is different and unique. Excuse me, but girls can be smart, strong, sexy and kind. I am like most girls, and do you know what? I'm proud of that. 

HEY, I JUST MET YOU, AND THIS IS CRAZY

... but I hate insta-love, so stop it maybe? Unless you're Marius and Cosette, please stop. I get that you can be attracted to someone straight away, and yeah after speaking to them you might develop a small crush on them, but love? I haven't been in love myself, but to me love is appreciating someone's quirks and flaws. It's knowing someone better than you know yourself. How can that happen in the space of four, half hour long meetings?

ANGSTY SECOND BOOK SYNDROME

This mostly applies to the trilogies which are three books long not when the story warrants it, but because the story has been dragged out to fill that many volumes. Has anyone else noticed that in a lot of second books, the main character gets very whiney, illogical and angsty? This normally goes hand in hand with a love triangle (another annoying thing). But please, don't lose your head just because book one ended with a cliffhanger (spoiler: they live). 

BADASSERY = PHYSICAL STRENGTH

This one is mainly prevalent in fantasy/sci-fi, but it's basically where the author worked out that people want strong female characters and they take that very literally, creating sword fighting and strong women who are still as two dimensional as your average damsel in distress. Yeah, characters such as Celaena Sardothien are both physically strong and three dimensional, but physical strength does not make a character human. There are plenty of characters who couldn't even pick up a sword yet are still wonderful characters. I want more strong female characters in fantasy, and giving them a shield and armour is not the solution. I think George RR Martin said that he writes women well because he always considered women to be people. Round of applause, guys. 

Those were just a few of my pet peeves and I hope I don't sound like a heap of negativity now. Most of these rules have exceptions. Take Les Miserables. I haven't read the book, but I've seen both the movie and the show and I LOVE it. I sing it all the time which isn't a good thing because I sound like a dying mongoose when I sing. The show/film (I'm not sure how faithful it is) has a love triangle and insta love but it just works. What are your pet peeves?