Have you ever rebelled against an author when you felt that they were leading you to a particular conclusion, but to you, the conclusion was unconvincing or unearned?

I have experienced this multiple times.

One example is the relationship between Juliette and Kingsley in The Original Sinners series by Tiffany Reisz. (I have not read every book in the series yet, and perhaps I do not have all the information, so please forgive any ignorance.) I love Tiffany Reisz fiercely but I do object to one storyline.

For context, Kingsley, one of the main characters in the series, is in a romantic relationship with Juliette, while also pining for his old school friend.

Massive understatement there, my god.

Anyway, there’s so much depth and conflict in the series’ other relationships that this pairing of Kingsley and Juliette is rather… bland. I couldn’t place why until I realised that the character of Juliette was utterly boring to me. Her main characteristic is her jaw-dropping, heart-clutching beauty. When she’s officially introduced in her own book, she fits so neatly in Kingsley’s life that I felt as though Juliette had absolutely no identity of her own. It was like she was created as an appendage, not as her own character. His nickname for her is his jewel, which I know is meant to be flattering but it was so on the nose with how I feel about her. She seems to have no friends of her own, apart from Nora, who is Kingsley’s other lover and friend. She works for him, she lives in his house, she’s completely accepting of everything and anything that the average woman would at least question – like the fact that the man she loves canonically loves someone else more than he loves her. Kingsley does not want to be monogomous. She doesnt mind. Kingsley does not want to be married. Neither does she. It’s all so PERFECT. Too perfect. No compromise or working their way around challenges.

Whenever there is danger, Kingsley sends her away for her own safety so we don’t even see her handle the situation and show her being anything other than supportive over the phone.

Her background is that she was the lover and assistant of a rich older white man in Haiti. She meets French-speaking Kingsley. She leaves her lover for Kingsley…and becomes his secretary and lover. And the mother of his children. She adores him all while being very accepting and understanding and encouraging and so very very beautiful. Everyone else’s life in this series is so dynamic and rich and full of drama, intensity and turmoil. Juliette stands out to me as being just an ornament and an extension of Kingsley. And yet when the author writes about how much Nora the protagonist likes Juliette and how in love Kingsley is with her, and how men around town shower her with gifts to tempt her from Kingsley, all I can think is, apart from her being “exquisite” and perfectly compatible with all of Kingsley’s wants and needs, I don’t see why this woman is so interesting. She’s not funny. There’s no darkness, no duality, no conflict, no bitterness, no resentment, no ambition, no weakness, no wrath, no fear, no insecurity, no imperfection, nothing.

Wait.

She cliff-jumps. And when we meet her, she threw stones at children who were hurting birds. That surprised me.

I feel bad for expressing this because Juliette is the only prominent black character in the series, (as far as I have read) and as a black woman myself, I wanted to fall in love with her so badly but I saw no reason. She’s a bore. She felt like a cutout of a person. Like someone Kingsley would conjure out of his own secret fantasy. She’s so utterly convenient. I hate that about her. I hate how convenient she is to him.

I even started fantasizing about my own version of Juliette where during the time period where she is in Haiti, she gets into quite a bit of trouble. She has hidden scars, physical scars, psychological issues, secrets, and connections that come in handy when there is serious trouble. These issues surface from time to time across the series, threatening the security of the relationship and makes it – and her – more interesting.

However, as it stands, I don’t see what’s so amazing about this woman or why she is Kingsley’s “other half”.

I have other examples with different unconvincing book characters/plot points/endings, however, this is too long already.

Has that ever happened to you? Have you ever rolled your eyes when author is showing you one way but you question them or see it another way?

Sorry for the long post.

by Sure_Advice_2001