My Top 10 Characters of 2011!

My Top 10 Characters of 2011

So it is time to post my Top 10 characters and I decided to break things up. Instead of doing all 10 characters from one category, I'll be showcasing my Top 2 favorite villains, my Top 3 favorite supporting characters, and my Top 5 favorite protagonists. I wanted to list a variety of characters and thought this was the best way to do it. So here they are:

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My Top 2 Villains

*~Warner~*

My Thoughts:
From the very beginning, there was something I liked about Warner. Well, as much as you can like an evil villain. He's bad, that's for sure, and twisted and sick but I got the feeling that somewhere, deep down in the darkest recesses of his stone cold heart, he really did start to love Juliette in his own perverse way. I also found his attitude and way of putting things very amusing. I can't wait to see where Mafi takes his character from here.


*~Luke~*

From My Review:
"Luke is a massive, blazing ball of pure smoldering evil. The dude is seriously wicked and I can't even begin to express how glad I am to see a villain who actually emanates the evil he's meant too. Not sure what the deal is with some of these pansies I've been coming across lately."

Noteworthy Passage from Luke:
"Just because I don't know how to work a toy, doesn't mean I don't want it in my toy box. She's shiny."


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Top 3 Supporting Characters

*~Deacon~*

From My Review:
"Then we have Deacon, Oona's tried and true wizard's companion, as well as her rival for my favorite character. Did I mention he's a talking raven? Yep, that's him on her shoulder in the cover. Deacon is a little know-it-all; I say this in the most adoring way possible since he really does know it all, thanks to a little magic. He also has this dry, matter-of-fact style of humor that I absolutely loved, rounding him off as a most memorable and unique character."


*~Ruby~*

From My Review:
"My brain tells me she's a manipulative, heart breaker who will do whatever it takes to accomplish what she wants and who takes advantage of her sister's loyalty. On the other hand, my heart tells me this girl is somehow special and it's obvious she loves her sister with all her heart. From the moment she was born Ruby saw Chloe as her's and she knew that she was the only person in the world she could really trust and count on. As much as Ruby worked her 'magic' to get people to do her own bidding, she would do anything for her little sister. Part of me couldn't help feeling that I should dislike these two girls, but I found myself loving and caring for them, wanting things to work out in the end. Their relationship was somewhat twisted, but it was also one of the strongest and truest bonds of sisterhood I've ever seen, a bond where blood really is thicker than water."

Noteworthy Passage from Ruby/Chloe:
"Hmmmph. What happened to that girl could never ever happen to you. Like I said, I wouldn't let it."
I'd turned away from her here, somehow, on that narrow bed stuffed up over the wheel, the compartment so small our four feet were hanging off the end. But she wasn't letting me stay turned away; she wasn't letting me not face her. She wanted me to look at her, to see her mouth as she spoke. She climbed over me, she rolled into me, she did a series of swift jujitsu moves on me that tangled me up in her arms and locked me to her, elbow-to-elbow, one bare foot held fast in the crook of my neck, and then, calmly, hardly even breathing heavy, she said:
"I wouldn't. Let it happen. To you."


*~Kristen~*

From My Review:
" Then we have Kristen, who, quite frankly, is a bitch with some serious attitude, not to mention she's a bit wacko. However, I actually really loved her character, especially when her and Eden were around each other. Listening to the two of them go at it could be quite amusing."

Noteworthy Passage from Kristen & Gabe:
"I know how much you hate doing things out of the kindness of your heart...." He trailed off, waiting.
"It's not that I don't like to. It's just there's not much kindness in there. I save it for special occasions."


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Top 5 Protagonists

*~Rhine~*

From My Review:
"Rhine is a strong and determined heroine with an authentic, gripping voice. At times, it felt as though Rhine had escaped from the pages and was, instead, sitting right next to me, telling me her story. Her emotions and motives were tangible and her personality admirable. I connected with her character immediately and that connection only grew as I turned the pages."

Noteworthy Passages from Rhine:
She seems like a wild bird that has been tamed and is surveying its captivity in a daze in which captivity doesn't seem so bad.


*~Lena~*

From My Review:
"I can't seem to recall ever having connected with a character as completely as I did with Lena. Despite living in a dystopian society, there is so much about this remarkable heroine that I think many teen girls out there will be able to resonate with. Lena has spent her whole life longing for the day when she will be cured. Then she meets Alex and he helps to open her eyes to all the lies surrounding her. I loved watching Lena grow in strength, bravery, and wisdom throughout the book and how it wasn't a sudden development but gradual, detailed, and realistic. Her emotions were so genuine and relatable, something that only brought me even closer to her as a character."

Noteworthy Passage from Lena:
My stomach gets that hollowed out feeling. It's amazing how words can do that, just shred your insides apart. Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me--such bullshit.


*~Emerson~*

From My Review:
"To start with, I absolutely loved and adored Emerson. Here are just a couple of brief reasons why. She has a rock awesome name. She's short. Girlfriend has got some serious spunk. As a fellow short person in arms, I'm always delighted to see a strong, feisty heroine with a less than average height. Em has also been through a lot and one of the things that I loved about her was that she didn't simply tough it out and persevere. No, she fell apart first, lost it, and had a long road of pain and healing to get through before she could even begin to feel whole again. After all, isn't that how this stuff is supposed to work? For this, Emerson felt so real and her emotions raw and tangible, a character anyone who's suffered loss, or even a brush with crazy, could relate too. Don't get me wrong, she had her flaws too, such as being stubborn and impulsive, but she was all the better for it."

Noteworthy Passage from Emerson:
"First of all, no one is the boss of me but me. Secondly, if you ever reference 'my chain' again, I will kick your ass." I jabbed him in the chest with my finger. Possibly breaking it. "And thirdly, don't call me Shorty."


*~Cas~*

From My Review:
"Cas was a lovable male protagonist that I really enjoyed getting to read from the point of view of. His dry, witty humor and strength of character really appealed to me and I thought he developed quite well throughout the story as far as knowing what he wanted and learning that some things aren't what he thought."

Noteworthy Passage from Cas & Anna:
"What was that?" I ask.
She shakes her head. I can't tell whether she's embarrassed or frightened. It looks like both.
"Do you remember what I showed you in the basement?" she asks.
"The tower of dead bodies? No, that slipped my mind. Are you kidding me?"


*~Blake~*

From My Review:
"Blake was a blunt, realistic, and hilarious riot of a character who's personality rang brilliantly true. I connected with him immediately and even when he would make some not-so-wise decisions, I still couldn't help hoping everything would turn out alright for him in the end."

Noteworthy Passage from Blake:
I think of Gus's angel tattoo, a constant reminder of his loss. I don't need something etched into my skin to remind me. I've got tattoos on my heart.


Honorable Mentions


Sophie (The Pace Series) / Wren (Cold Kiss)

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That's my Top 10 characters everyone. Hopefully you discovered someone new here today, like any of us actually need more books on our wish lists. Tomorrow I'll be posting My Top 10 Most Wanted of 2012, so stay tuned for that. And now to return you to your regularly scheduled programming...