BookTok is a place where you can find comfort and commonality in your favorite book tropes, no matter how cringey or cliché it is. Chances are, there are thousands of other people who secretly agree with you too!
Today we are going to be ranking the favorite book tropes according to BookTok!
Enemies to lovers
Coming in at the top of the list is the “enemies to lovers” trope. This trope is pretty self-explanatory, where the two characters hate each other for some reason, but end up becoming lovers by the end of the book. However, this trope comes in many different forms. Sometimes the main character has secretly loved their enemy all along. Other times, their journey has been a treacherously long slow burn sequence of events. In addition, this trope doesn’t always happen in a linear or simple fashion. BookTokers have expressed love for enemies to friends to lovers, enemies to awkward acquaintances to lovers, enemies to lovers to enemies to lovers again, etc.
BookTok loves this trope because it keeps the reader invested in the love story. If they hate each other, there has to be spicy banter or dangerous battles between them. Even though sometimes this trope is predictable, it is a common feel-good trope that reminds us that love is not totally hopeless.
Morally gray villains
Everyone loves a morally gray villain because, well, sometimes we kinda want to like the villain. Morally gray villains are villains that might not be completely evil, but they’re also not completely good either. There is something oddly attractive in a book character that has capabilities of being both evil and good.
Morally gray villains are also incredibly fascinating in determining the direction of the story. The morally grey character may have their moment of redemption at the end by helping the main character, or they could become more sinister than initially thought.
Finally, morally grey villains often require a great deal of character development. Who doesn’t love a complex character who is going to either surprise or disappoint you at the end of the book?!
I hate everyone but you
The “I hate everyone but you” is the trope where one of the characters is completely miserable and needs to let everyone else know that they’re miserable, but they end up meeting someone who they can tolerate. BookTokers love this trope because it has got some ride or die energy to it.
What’s more romantic than being the only person that someone likes? Nothing. The answer is that there is nothing more romantic.
Right person wrong time
Ah, the classic “right person wrong time” trope. Booktokers hate to love this trope. It’s one of the saddest and most unsatisfying book tropes according to BookTok, but it is the perfect trope for when readers want to get into their feels.
For this trope, usually the two main characters are in love, and know that they’re in love, but the timing is keeping them apart. Sadly, this is sometimes one of the more realistic book tropes. Not every relationship has that “race to the airport so they can confess their love to one another” scene. Some relationships just have that star-crossed vibe to them, even though they could be so perfect together.
The One Bed Trope
Two characters, usually secretly crushing on each other or are arch enemies, walk into a situation where there is one bed. Here’s how the conversation goes 90% of the time:
“You’re sleeping on the floor.”
“No way I’m sleeping on the floor. You sleep on the floor.”
“Fine. I guess we’ll have to share.”
Everyone saw that one coming from a mile away. It rarely takes much arguing to get the two characters to sleep in the same bed, and that’s what BookTokers love. The one bed trope is always a catalyst for their love to bloom. Bring on the romance!
Featured image via marie claire