Booking Through Thursday 03/10/13

Booking Through Thursday is a weekly meme hosted by Booking Through Thursday and a different question is posted every week.

Which is better (or preferred) … stories with multiple character points of view? Or stories that stick to just one or two at most? And, why?

This was really intersting to think about, and as with most things, it falls somewhere in the middle for me.
Multiple character perspective can be really helpful, and bring a lot to the story- it makes the story more well rounded as you're not only seeing one person's point of view, you're getting more insight not only on more than one character's perspective, but you see MORE of what's happening outside of what only one person is seeing.
But I find multiple points of view can realy drag a story down.  'Too many cooks...' and all that.  For example in a recent read, Faithful by Kelly Elliot, this was supposed to be Heather and Josh's stpry, and yet we eneded up with about 6 perspective, that just wasn't necessary and actually detracted from Josh and Heather.  That's an example of when multiple perspective just didn't work out.
However there are times when it's fantastic.  For example Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes is a YA fantasy novel that's about different kingdoms, and different charcters ranging from peasants to princesses- and the differences in the kingdoms leading to possible war.  This was necessary!  But it didn't slow the story down, and everyone 'felt' very different. You were never confused as to whose POV you were curretly reading.
I LOVE to have alternating chapters in YA/NA contemporary novels.  Having both points of view is just fantastic- for example Echo and Noah in Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry.