Challenging the Love Triangle in Twenty-First-Century Fantastic Young Adult Literature

Abstract

From Stephenie Meyers’ <em>Twilight</em> (2005-2008) to Suzanne Collins’ <em>The Hunger Games</em> (2008-2010), the love triangle is a controversial but pervasive feature of 21st-century fantastic YA literature. The setup and outcome rarely vary: a female protagonist must risk souring friendships to make a final choice between two eligible boys, inevitably disappointing the alternative suitor and the readers who favoured him. Drawing on theories of triangular desire and reader-response theory, this article considers the factors governing fantastic YA’s continuing use of the love triangle, its adherence to the final choice, and the barriers to alternative polyamorous outcomes which can offer continuity to friendships. Considering YA’s readers, writers, and market, this article argues that this resistance results from general anxiety about polyamory’s effect on the characters’ desirability from the reader’s perspective, and society’s particular aversion to male bisexuality. Meanwhile, constraints on writers include the logistical effort and page space required to develop a satisfying polyamorous relationship. Facilitated through a discussion of two of the few polyamorous triangles in mainstream YA fantasy and science fiction, found in Malinda Lo’s <em>Adaptation</em> series (2012-2013) and Tessa Gratton’s <em>Strange Grace</em> (2018), this article proposes that if popular negative perceptions of polyamory can be overcome, its inclusion can provide freeing possibilities for both readers and the genre itself.