Books That Broke the Trope in 2015

Hey guys and welcome back to my blog! I'm Genni and today I'll be continuing on with recaping my 2015 year, one post at a time. This time I am showcasing some books that proved to break the box and actually be original. Instead of following Formula A, these books broke the trope that most novels fall into. 

A Love Trapped In Time by Bree Wolf
The Trope It Broke: Relying on a contrived paranormal/fantasy excuse to explain all the weird things that happened
My Rating: 4 Stars
Throughout this novel, really weird stuff is happening to Jena. When she wakes up, she is shocked to see that four years have passed. Even more strange is that this keeps on happening to her. The common explanation for this sort of ordeal would be that something paranormal is occurring, but I love the twist the Bree Wolf put on it instead. It was so original and I couldn't have guessed it in a million years.

Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer
The Trope it Broke: Having a cliche problem come between the love interests being together
My Rating: 4.4 Stars
Whenever I read a contemporary, the conflict that is separating the two love interests always seems so blown out of proportion. What I liked about this book was that the problems Delilah and Oliver faced were actual issues. Instead of petty jealousy coming between them (as is the case with a lot of contemporaries), Oliver lives in an alternate world from ours. Now that is a problem.

Angelfall by Susan Ee
The Trope it Broke: Having a heroine determined to save the whole world, a weak girl who needs saving, a heroine reliant on others, and so many more!
My Rating: 4.9  Stars
Angelfall is one of my favorite books because it wasn't cookie cutter. There are so many paranormal/apocalyptic novels out there, and this novel broke the mold. Instead of having Penryn "the chosen one" who is going to save the whole world, she's just a normal girl fighting for her sister back. She's strong, mentally and physically, and doens't need the guidance of a male to tell her what to do. Yes, Raffe is there along the way, but only to lead her to her sister. I loved seeing such a strong female lead in a young adult novel.

Boot Camp
The Trope it Broke: Having a heroine that is perfectly beautiful, skimming the issues of weight, fake or shallow friendships between women
My Rating: 3.75 Stars
In young adult, we always see the heroine being a beautiful but not realizing. What I loved about Boot Camp was that Whitney knew she wasn't ugly and didn't go to a workout camp to just lose weight. She went to the camp to gain more confidence in herself. Another thing that was really great in Boot Camp was the real representation of female friendships. Something that unfortunately happens quite regularly in young adult literature is that female friendships are portrayed as petty and fake. Here, we see Whitney's friends really come through and support her.

Book of Ivy by Amy Engel
The Trope it Broke: A main character who is "special", classic boy meets girl, insta love
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
Like Angelfall, the Book of Ivy broke the trope that the main character is special and the key to everything. Granted, she is eventually, but not because she chose to or she was born into it. Instead, she is thrust into the position quite unwillingly and I liked seeing a heroine that was unsure about herself and her goal. The relationship that occurs between Ivy and Bishop isn't cookie cutter at all. I really appreciated how hard it was for them to connect and even have a normal conversation, because love just doesn't appear out of thin air. It takes time.

Future Collection by Beth Revis
The Trope it Broke: A convenient ending
My Rating: 3.75 Stars
None of the short stories that comprise the Future Collection have a happy ending. This does call for some dark reads, but I liked that Beth Revis didn't take the easy and convenient way out of these stories. Even for some of the happier stories, there was always a twinge of something being  bittersweet.

Bon Bons to Yoga Pants by Katie Cross
The Trope it Broke: skinny girl, a girl who doesn't know she's beautiful but is, not focusing on familial relationships, not tackling weight issues
My Rating: 3.65 Stars
Much like Boot Camp, Bon Bons to Yoga Pants doesn't follow a perfect girl who just doesn't realize she is perfect. Lexie, our main character,  is actually overweight (I know! It never happens in YA!) and has a lot of internal and eternal struggles. A great thing about Bon Bons to Yoga Pants is that it doesn't just skim over familial relationships, which I see quite often in YA. Lexie's relationship with her mother and sister plays a really key roll in the novel and I loved the emphasis on family.

That's it for today guys! Have you read any of the books listed above? What are some books you read in 2015 that broke a trope? Also, what is your favorite and least favorite trope?

Thanks for stopping by and I'll see you soon with another post!

Happy Reading!

Genni @ Ready, Set, Read!