lou's library

I have this annoying habit of very often disliking the protagonist of a book. It happens most often when reading Young Adult fantasy or dystopian novels. There’s something about the ‘chosen one’ trope that makes the protagonist seem annoying and full of themselves that I just can’t stand.That’s not to say I won’t like an intentionally unlikeable character, though. Hence, this list will not consist of characters that I think would make great human beings, necessarily. It’s more about whether they pulled me into their world, kept me curious and engaged and if I thought they were written in a believable way. It’s not a definitive or exhaustive list, and I’m sure I’ve forgotten someone I really love, but these are my favourite characters that I can think of right now (and if I’ve forgotten someone, they didn’t end up being all that memorable anyway, I guess).

Arthur in The House In The Cerulean Sea

Truth be told, I could’ve picked almost any character from this book, because they are all written with so much love and heart. They almost jump out of the page, they are so full of life. Arthur is one of my favourites because he is incredibly wise, but also funny and never looks down on anyone. He’s not perfect either, though. It is very clear that all his actions come out of a place of deep love for those around him, and he is willing to carry heavy burdens to protect them. Basically, the world needs more Arthur’s, and whenever life gets a bit too real, all I want is to live on an island with him and have him tell me I’m gonna be fine.

Katniss in The Hunger Games

As I wrote earlier, I tend to have problems with YA dystopian protagonists. Katniss is the one big exception to this rule. She is anything but likeable (at least at first), but she is one of the most well-written characters I’ve ever encountered. Her behaviour and thoughts are entirely believable considering her upbringing and experiences. Some of her decisions may seem questionable from a moral standpoint at first, but then again, she tries her hardest to survive in a world that would really rather see her dead. After three books of watching her survive, I did end up liking her, although that is besides the point. Katniss is unforgettable in her ruthlessness and capacity to overcome anything to save the ones she loves. Finally a ‘chosen one’ struggling to cope with the consequences of her experiences, that is written realistically and with so much care.

Paul in Im Westen Nichts Neues

Paul is written in a way that makes it impossible not to like him. That’s why the book works, if you ask me. If as a reader you didn’t care about him, the message of the book would fall flat. He’s young and naive at first, and then we watch him realise the horror he has stumbled into, and witness how it changes him. He never loses his humanity, or his sense of humour, though. His character oozes out of every sentence in the book, to me it always feels as though he is the story, if that makes any sense at all. The reader sees everything through his perspective, it is Paul who tells us what is happening. We don’t know this world without Paul, and by the end of the book, you really don’t want to, either.

Percy in The Percy Jackson Series

Rick Riordan is the king of writing amazing characters, if you ask me. I recently reread the Percy Jackson series for the first time in many years, and was delighted that they absolutely held up for me. Percy is one of the funniest characters I know. I kept actually laughing out loud, and I feel like the humour is an integral part of this book series. But I also love that Percy is flawed. He can be stubborn and a bit vain at times, and is always eager to prove himself, which more often than not causes problems. He can be very slow to realise something (particularly when it’s something to do with his feelings). But none of it matters because he is so fun to read about. I could read about him saving the world with his friends until the cows come home, and will defend Percy against anyone. I mean, he’s a son of Poseidon, how cool is that??

Augustus from The Fault In Our Stars

Warning: There are spoilers in this paragraph, so stop reading now if you don’t know the premise of this book (aka, if you lived under a rock in 2016).

The fact that John Green killed off Augustus Waters when my 16 year-old self was foolishly prepared to see Hazel Grace die instead, is something I’m still not over. Not that I would’ve been happy to see Hazel die, not at all. It’s just that I had mentally prepared myself for it while reading the book, and then had to learn that John Green was going to make me witness Augustus witness his own fake funeral, before then dying, which meant I had to endure the funeral twice. Am I making sense? Hard to tell with ALL THOSE TEARS BLURRING MY VISION. Do I need to explain why Augustus is one of the best characters ever? I think it’s obvious, but just in case you disagree (how dare you), here we go: He’s completely unashamed of being himself, which, as a teenager (or any human being, now that I think about it), is astonishing. He’s passionate about so many things, and so excited to be alive. He’s in love and so very good at it. He’s funny and considerate and cheeky and a great friend. He’s philosophical to the point of being pretentious, which only works when you’re a teenager, and he’s so absurdly likeable I’m getting really upset all over again because HE IS DEAD AND THAT IS SO UNFAIR. I’m going to stop now, okay? Okay. (SEE WHAT I DID THERE??)

Mungo from Young Mungo

Douglas Stuart likes to break my heart. He did it with Shuggie Bain, and he did it with Young Mungo. How he does it? He creates characters that I want to protect from harm at all costs, and then makes me watch as he has them experience all sorts of harm. IT IS DEVASTATING. Mungo is so young and naive and yet already so broken, but also so whole in his own way. He knows nothing about lots of things, but also knows a great deal about others. He’s a product of his upbringing, but also can’t be limited to that. He has so much potential, and watching him struggle is heartbreaking. I just couldn’t stop reading, because I had to know what would happen to him. I desperately wanted him to be okay, needed him to make it out of the shit show that are the circumstances he was born into. Seldom have I cared about a character as much as I cared for Mungo, and I will shut up about him now but please read this if you haven’t already!

Scout in To Kill A Mockingbird

This girl, honestly. She’s everything, and in my opinion, one of the main reasons why this book is so brilliant. Telling the story through the eyes of a child is crucial for delivering its message. Scout isn’t just any child though, but an exceptionally bright and passionate young girl. She’s funny, often unintentionally so, and holds such wisdom in her childlike naivety. She’s fun to read about, and watching her grow and learn is one of the pleasures of reading this book. She is written beautifully, and makes me yearn for a younger sister. She’s one of those characters that are unforgettable and to me, she makes our complex and often cruel world seem a little lighter and better.