11 YA Authors Share Their Favorite Love Triangles
By Valerie Tejeda
Oh, love triangles! They're something many YA readers still can’t get enough of, but at the same time, they also get a lot of slack.
A recent article by the New York Daily News compared YA triangles to threesomes, saying that the "Twilight" series opened the floodgates for more complicated romantic situations in YA.
Well, okay. But "threesomes" or not, many readers and writers still crave a good love triangle -- so here are 11 YA authors sharing some of their favorites!
Edgar, Cathy, Heathcliff, from “Wuthering Heights”
Who: Gretchen McNeil, “Don’t Get Mad,” series
Why: "Cathy must decide whether to marry for love (her soul mate Heathcliff) or for status (wealthy boy next door Edgar), and the consequences of that choice lead all three of them down a dark road of regret, revenge, and ruination. When I first read this book as a teen, I just gobbled it up!"
Ren, Calla, Shay, from the "Nightshade" series
Who: Julie Murphy, “Dumplin”
Why: "It's one of the few times I remember truly believing that both choices were good and viable options with equal pros and cons. That, for me, is what always makes a good love triangle."
Jack, Avery, Stellan, from “The Conspiracy of Us”
Who: Eric Smith, “Inked”
Why: "If you're unfamiliar with the novel, it's a bit of a Young Adult 'Da Vinci Code,' only infinitely better. Conspiracy theories abound, taking Hall's bold protagonist, Avery West, across the globe in search of clues to expose a secret that could thrust the world into World War 3. And in the midst of all the thrills and excitement... are two boys, Jack and Stellan. The stakes are incredibly high in this novel, and Avery still finds time to swoon and fret over the boys vying for her affections, and I love that. Avery's story continues with 'Map of Fates' next year, and I can't wait."
Adam Wilde, Mia Hall, Death from "If I Stay" and "Where She Went"
Who: Trisha Leigh, “The Historians” series
Why: "So, I know this probably a weird choice but Adam and Mia are my favorite YA couple (and Adam is one of my favorite boys). It totally counts as a love triangle because Adam and Mia are in danger of not being together because Mia's also considering giving up on life after losing her family to tragic accident. There's love on one side, family and relief on the other, and a heartbreaking choice either way for a girl who has been through too much. And it is perfect. *sigh*"
Dorian, Celaena, Chaol, from “Throne of Glass” series
Who: Heather Demetrios, “Exquisite Captive” series
Why: "This is a really hard question because I fall so hard for love triangles. The first that comes to mind is what is actually a love rhombus in Sarah J. Maas' 'Throne of Glass' series. I really have no idea who Celaena will end up with when it's all said and done. What makes this a great device for her novels is that I don't feel manipulated and there is no clear 'good' choice. None of these guys are bad, but they all have the capacity to be, so she's never on solid ground."
Richard Gansey, Blue Sargent, Adam Parrish from “The Raven Cycle”
Who: I.W. Gregorio, “None of the Above”
Why: "What I love so much about this triangle is how fraught it is (I'm not spoiling it to say that Blue Sargent knows that she'll kill her true love - it's in the first line of the book!) and how poignantly and honestly it address issues of socioeconomic status & abuse. Add into this a neat LGBT twist (making it a bit of a love parallelogram) further onto the story, and I cannot wait for the next book in this incredible series."
Peeta, Katniss, Gale, from “The Hunger Games”
Who: Nicola Yoon, "Everything, Everything"
Why: "I love it because the choice between them isn’t simple; it feels profound and true. The decision isn’t so much between Peeta and Gale, as it is between Katniss’s childhood idea of herself versus who she becomes over the course of The Games. By the way, I’m team Peeta all the way!"
The Prince, Lia, The Assassin, from “The Kiss of Deception”
Who: Zoraida Cordova, “Vicious Deep” series
Why: "Not only is this the best fantasy I've read in a long time, but there's an element of secrecy that keeps the reader guessing. The love triangle is between Lia, The Prince, and The Assassin. She's facing two men who have reasons to hate her, but along the way their relationship grows. I thought I had it figured out who The Prince was and who The Assassin was, but at the end I was totally blown away when I was wrong. Brilliant writing and a lot of heart makes it hard to pick a team."
Edward, Bella, Jacob, “Twilight” series
Who: Kim Liggett, “Blood and Salt”
Why: "You can't talk about love triangles in YA without giving props to 'Twilight.' Say what you will, but Stephanie Meyers killed it with the Bella-Edward-Jacob triangle of angst. It was excruciating…and awesome."
Anna, Tate, Elise, “Dangerous Girls”
Who: Dahlia Adler, “Daylight Falls” series
Why: "It's so stealthily crafted and has such blurry lines, you're sort of rooting for nobody and everybody all at the same time. This book totally blew my mind, and the relationship dynamics between the three of them, including both their truths and their secrets, was a huge part of that."
Jace, Clary, Simon, “The Mortal Instruments” series
Who: Tonya Kuper, “Anomaly”
Why: "I enjoyed this love triangle because it eventually ends in a happily ever after, and the males involved are complete opposites, one is a sweet nerd and the other is a total badass."