"It's Complicated": The Trials And Triumphs Of Love Triangles

“Love Triangle

COUNTABLE NOUN [usu sing]

A love triangle is a relationship in which three people are each in love with at least one other person in the relationship”

— Collins Dictionary

It’s a trope we all know. Some readers hate them, some readers love them.

Some of the most recognizable books with love triangles that come to my mind are To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, The Hunger Games, Twilight, and Red Queen. In these stories, a conflicted heart serves to challenge the main character's emotions and stir up drama. In realistic fiction, loving multiple people can definitely lead to a slippery slope of not wanting anyone to know that a character's emotions are wavering. It can certainly draw in readers and give them second hand “feels”. Love triangles can feel cheesy at times, but they can also add a level of complexity to the story. In books such as "An Ember In The Ashes"(2015) by Sabaa Tahir, choosing between two people you love is the choice to continue the life you’ve always known or venture into an unknown. Beyond the surface of a simple lovesick heart, the main character, Elias, must also explore his identity and choices through these relationships. In “On The Come Up”(2019) by Angie Thomas, Brie’s conflict in who she might have a crush on shows her change in character, as well as how her actions change the people around her.

Something you may have noticed by this point is that most of these books contain one character who loves two different people, or who is chasing after someone while also being chased. So wouldn’t that be more of a “Love V”? Or a “love >”?

If you want a REAL love triangle then may I present to you (drum roll) Odd One Out by Nic Stone. Coop, Rae, and Jupiter will steal your heart as they deal with hard crushes and broken hearts, as they explore their sexuality and identity. Taken directly from the back cover, this is what the book is about.

“Courtney Cooper and Jupiter Charity-Sanchez (Coop and Jupe!) have been next-door neighbors and best friends since they were seven years old. She’s his partner in crime and other half. But lately, Coop can’t ignore the fact that he might want something more than friendship from Jupiter.

When Rae Chin moves to town, she can’t believe how lucky she is to find Coop and Jupe. Being the new kid is usually synonymous with “pariah,” but around these two, she finally feels like she belongs. She’s so grateful she wants to kiss him . . . and her.

Jupiter has always liked girls. But when Coop starts dating Rae, Jupe realizes that the only girl she ever really imagined by his side was her.

One story. Three sides. No easy answers.”

Beyond the true love triangle of Odd One Out, I really liked this book because of the way the author, Nic Stone, discusses sexuality and how a person decides to identify. I don’t want to spoil too much, but if you read this book I highly encourage that you also read the notes from the author at the end in order to understand how this book was influenced by Nic Stone’s own experiences.

Here is a picture from when I met the goddess herself with a halo of hair, Nic Stone, at the Y'all Fest book festival.