We love Michelle Krys’s debut novel Hexed around here. It’s pretty much a cross between Bring It On, The Craft and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, so how could we not!
A little bit about the book:
If high school is all about social status, Indigo Blackwood has it made. Sure, her quirky mom owns an occult shop, and a nerd just won’t stop trying to be her friend, but Indie is a popular cheerleader with a football-star boyfriend and a social circle powerful enough to ruin everyone at school. Who wouldn’t want to be her?
Then a guy dies right before her eyes. And the dusty old family Bible her mom is freakishly possessive of is stolen. But when a frustratingly sexy stranger named Bishop enters Indie’s world, she learns her destiny involves a lot more than pom-poms and parties. If she doesn’t get the Bible back, every witch on the planet will die. And that’s seriously bad news for Indie, because according to Bishop, she’s a witch too.
Indie is such a great character, that we asked Michelle for her top five teen characters!
Here’s what she wrote us:
1. Celaena in Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
In Throne of Glass, Celaena is an assassin who is dragged out of prison in order to compete against killers, thieves and warriors to be the king’s hit person.
Here’s the thing I love about Celaena—she’s an assassin, and yet she loves pretty dresses and makeup, has a love interest or two, and she occasionally (gasp!) cries when things get to be too much. In short, she’s human. Ok not technically, but you get the point. Just because she’s an assassin, she doesn’t become this caricature who thinks only of kicking ass and taking names. Slow claps to Sarah J. Maas for creating such a well-realized teen character.
2. Alice in Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy
In Side Effects May Vary, Alice discovers that her terminal cancer has miraculously gone into remission. But the good news comes at a sort of inconvenient time, since Alice has spent the last few months settling scores with all of her enemies.
What really makes Alice stand out from the pack is that she’s not a lovable character. She’s mean and selfish and manipulative, even (maybe even especially?) toward her best friend Harvey, who sticks by her side through thick and thin. Of course, when you look a little closer, you see that the whole tough-girl act is just a ruse to hide how truly scared Alice is—and she has a lot to be scared about—but the fact of the matter is that the ugly parts of Alice aren’t easily overlooked or remedied. And I love that: it’s so authentic. While not often sympathetic, Alice is a fully fleshed out character I could truly see existing in the real world.
3. Samantha in Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
Samantha is a popular high school senior who dies the night of a big party, only to wake up in her bed the next day to discover it’s the morning of her death again.
When we’re first introduced to Sam, she’s not exactly endearing. In fact, some might say she’s shallow, selfish and just plain mean (Where have I heard that before?). But it’s because she’s so unsympathetic to begin with, and because her road to redemption is so bumpy, that her growth over the seven days she relives her death again and again is so incredibly compelling. Simply put: Samantha has one of the best character arcs in YA history.
4. Reagan in Open Road Summer by Emery Lord
Reagan is the rebellious best friend of a country music superstar. Looking for a fresh start after breaking up with a bad-news boyfriend, Reagan joins her friend on tour for the summer.
Reagan is that girl you wish you could be but settle for being around. She’s blunt, levelheaded, and a tough nut to crack in the romance department, all of which I love, but it’s her loyalty to her best friend that really makes her one of my favorites. Reagan is fiercely devoted to Delilah, and she isn’t one to put a burgeoning romance, even with the incomparable Matt Finch, before her best friend.
5. Scarlett in Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
I can already hear you saying it: “that’s not a YA novel!” But Scarlett is a teenager for a large part of the novel so it counts—IT COUNTS, I TELL YOU!
Scarlett O’Hara is my single favorite character—teen or otherwise—of all time. Like my other favorites, Scarlett is complicated. She vain, selfish, spoiled, and hell-bent on revenge, but she’s also charming and smart, and fiercely determined to survive in the face of incredible obstacles. Which brings me to the reason I love Scarlett the most: she’s a survivor. She gets herself into monumental messes, but instead of waiting around for someone to rescue her, she picks herself up and dusts herself off time and time again.
By now, you’ve probably noticed a pattern: I like imperfect characters. Imperfect girls, to be more specific. Not role models, but real, authentic girls who make mistakes and have room to grow.
What do you think of my choices? Who are you favorite teen characters?
The post Michelle Krys Chooses Her Top Five Teen Characters appeared first on Retreat by Random House.
