2011 Favorites: Favorite Main Characters

For the last week of 2011, I'm not going to post any of my normal reviews, etc. but do some lists of my favorite books of 2011. You can check out the earlier posts in the series here.

Today, I'm making a list of my favorite main characters.

The links will take you to my reviews.

Bianca from The DUFF by Kody Keplinger


Bianca is one of my favorite female MCs ever. She's really different from the girls I normally read about, and she's not the kind of girl I think I'd be friends with in real life, but being inside her head and knowing her insecurities made me love her.


Lily from The Absolute Value of -1 by Steve Brezenoff


Even though she's not really the main character, Lily was my favorite part of The Absolute Value of -1. I loved her quirks and her realistic voice, and there's just something about the way she thinks that made me love her.


Tara from North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley


Tara is really insecure and self-conscious, which is something that often annoys me in books. There are so many MCs who go on and on about how ugly and unworthy of love they are, and it's gotten pretty old. But Tara, despite her low self-confidence, is different. There's a real reason for her insecurities - her birthmark - and even though she complains about her situation, it's not all she does; she takes charge of her life. Her amazing character growth is what makes her one of my favorite protagonists of 2011.




Anna from Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins


There's just something special about Anna that makes her so easy to relate to. Her voice and her way of thinking are unique and realistic and just so much fun.


Harper from Saving June by Hannah Harrington


Harper is such a refreshing character. Her older sister just committed suicide, so she has every right to be wallowing in grief, but for the most part, she's sarcastic, quirky and entertaining. Her emotional are realistic too. Harper is what makes Saving June such a hopeful, life-affirming novel.

Keek from And Then Things Fall Apart by Arlaina Tibensky


Keek is one of the realest characters I've ever read. I felt like I was reading about my best friend, not just a fictional character. She's unique, blunt and quirky, and so much fun to read about. The honest way she sees herself is refreshing.


Kiara from Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles

Even though I liked Perfect Chemistry a little better than Rules of Attraction, I really loved Kiara. There are definitely not enough tomboys in YA, and how different Kiara is from the characters I normally read about is what made me love her so much.

So these are my favorite characters of 2011. If you've read these books, did you love the protagonists as much as I did? What are some of your favorite MCs?