Today, I want to devote my blog post to all my favorite heroes and heroines in all the books I’ve ever read. Er, actually, that’s probably not a good idea. If I did that, then I’d be here all week...so maybe I’ll limit it to the top ten of each.
My top ten favorite heroines, in no particular order:
Bryn—Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
DJ Schwenk—Dairy Queen by Catherine Murdock
Raine Benares—Magic Lost, Trouble Found by Lisa Shearin
Theodosia—Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos by R.L. LaFevers
Nya—The Shifter by Janice Hardy
Nastasya—Immortal Beloved by Cate Tiernan
Aislinn—Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
Cammie Morgan—Gallagher Girls by Ally Carter
Jenna—The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson
Calpurnia Tate—The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
Frankie—The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
My top ten favorite heroes, in no particular order:
Oscar Banks—Candor by Pam Bachorz
Bo Marsten—Rash by Pete Hautman
Connor—Unwind by Neal Shusterman
Marcus—Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
Titus—Feed by M.T. Anderson
Chris—Shift by Jennifer Bradbury
Marcelo—Marcelo In The Real World by Francisco X. Stork
Seth—Fragile Eternity by Melissa Marr
Jerome Foxworthy—The Moves Make the Man by Bruce Brooks
Enzo (I know, he’s a dog...but he’s a *male* dog, so it counts)—The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
Putting this list together started out as a fun thing to do, and the only goal was to see what it looked like in the end. But, once it was done, I noticed something. I relate to all these characters on a very deep and fundamental level. See, I’m very much an explorer-type—external or internal. I’m all about trying to find what else is out there, or what else is within myself.
Many of these characters are the same way. Whether it’s taking your identity by the horns, as in Jenna’s case, or learning how to step back and see the big picture, as in Marcelo’s case, all of these characters have stepped into the unknown. Either by choice, circumstance, or necessity. Dealing with the unknown requires courage and determination, and I have a healthy respect for those qualities.
These are the kinds of characters I endeavor to write. I want my own characters to have as many layers as these do, and I want them to have to deal with the discomfort and fear that comes with the unknown. After all, that’s when you’re true colors shine...
So, what about you? Who are your favorite characters? Are they the ones that you want your own characters to live up to?
8 comments:
great lists! It would take me a while to really figure out my favorites, but I love characters like Katniss in the Hunger Games, and Allie in Everlost. Flawed characters with strong wills and redeemable characteristics seem to grab my heart. That's the kind of character that I try to write.
great post!
I like Katniss and Allie, too. I'm all about the strong-willed character. :) But I didn't like Mary in Everlost. Her strong will plus her closed-mindedness made her very annoying. :)
I love characters that having stuff going on in the inside but pretend everything's okay on the outside. You just know by the middle of the book they're going to explode and have to finally deal with their issues.
Awesome list! I think for a female, my fav she-hero would be Katniss from The Hunger Games. I just love her more than words. I think of her as roping herself into a tree to hide and rest--that girl was resourceful.
For my fave male he-hero, I'd say Percy Jackson from The Lighning Thief. He tackled everything with humor, sarcasm and a strong sense of right and wrong. I admire that!
Angela @ The Bookshelf Muse
I really like Calpurnia. She appeals to my sense of independance, curiostiy, fearlessness. As for other characters I'm old fashioned. Eloise is a strong one...such a rotten kid, just like me.
What is eerie is that I was going to post something on heroes (in general, not MG/YA) just a few days ago.
I really liked Winnie in Tuck Everlasting. And, off the top of my head, Aysha in Elizabeth Lutzeier's Lost for Words.
Excellent list. I also like it because it is a reminder of some books I still need to get to!!
Wow. I CANNOT believe I haven't read any of these. WTH? I will now be looking into rectifying that.
Thanks Tabitha!
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