My Top 10 YA Female Protagonists

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So I wanted to share with you my favourite female protagonists from the YA genre because these women are strong, quick-witted, smart and brave. The qualities they portray inspire people to read and enjoy these books, perhaps even leading them to want to write themselves. Young people also realise that they possess these qualities and when they read about ordinary characters achieving extraordinary things it gives them the courage to do great things in their own lives. 

10. Tris Prior - Divergent by Veronica Roth

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Tris is one of my favourite characters of all time. She has immense bravery and courage to rebel against the norm and her societal system while still valuing family above all else. Tris, despite harsh comments about her small size, trained herself up and worked hard to be one of the best initiates in Dauntless, proving everyone who had doubts in her that they were wrong. She faced her fears and overcame them continually. Tris' ultimate act of selfless bravery in the final book (Allegiant) summed up who Tris was as a person and I couldn't have imagined her choosing a different outcome, despite it breaking my heart. 

9. Cat Hunter - Take Back The Skies by Lucy Saxon

Cat has to make it onto the list because she is an independent girl who runs away from her upper class life, originally for slightly selfish reasons, but uses her new identity and position to help out those in need. She's smart, skilled and caring for those around her. Also, the steampunk-fantasy world that Lucy Saxon created was amazing and the detailed map of Tellus was part of the reason I enjoyed this book so much! 

8. Juliette - Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

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I love Juliette because despite  being timid and a little shy at first, she gains confidence and becomes more outspoken. She possesses a lethal power and learns how to control it, teaching herself not to be afraid of her own capabilities. Juliette is brave, powerful and unafraid to take risks, which are all qualities I definitely admire. 

7. Mare Barrow - Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

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Mare is on the list not just because of her powers but because of her relentless determination. She longs for the day when there is justice and equality among the Reds and Silvers and fights for this cause with admirable resolve. Mare puts her family first and does everything to protect them. She can be a bitter, harsh person but her sense of humour always balances this out. 

6. Emma Carstairs - Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare 

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Like all shadowhunters, Emma is a fierce and skilled warrior. Her fiery temper and sarcastic tongue often land her in conflict, although she is a passionate and loyal friend to those close to her. Emma is faithful to the Blackthorns and aids Julian in bringing up his younger siblings. Her kind and soft side is always brought out by her friends and the Blackthorns, although she often hides her more vulnerable side behind a tough bravado. In battle, her quick remarks combined with incredible fighting skills tear down her opponents in a fashion matchable only by Jace Herondale himself. 

5. Katniss Everdeen - The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

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Katniss is possibly one of my favourite book protagonists of all time. She embodies selflessness and bravery through all of her actions and the causes she stands for. Despite the threat to her own life by doing so, she leads a rebellion against a discriminatory dictatorship, fighting for justice and freedom of all people across Panem. Katniss is widely admired by teen readers not just for her courage but also because Collins paints her as an ordinary teenage girl thrust into an extraordinary, impossible situation. Katniss has a wild temper but her willingness to not stand by and watch the oppressive Capitol ruin the lives of the twelve districts' citizens make her one of the ultimate book heroes. 

4. Hermione Granger - The Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling

 

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Hermione is brave, smart and extremely talented. She works hard at school, pushing herself to succeed and setting herself up for an amazing career in the future. She never makes rash decisions, always calculating the smartest move and planning ahead to make sure that she, Ron and Harry are prepared for any outcome. Her level headedness and intelligence make her stand out among the spontaneous, impulsive and often violent characters in the YA fantasy genre but Hermione is loved by Potterheads for precisely those qualities. 

3. Clary Fray - The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare

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All of Cassandra Clare's readers adore Clary for her stubbornness that often leads to reckless behaviour when she goes to extreme lengths to prove that she is a shadowhunter by nature despite being raised among mundanes. Clary is creative and always has a sketchbook to hand so it goes without saying that her artistic qualities lend to her abilities as a shadowhunter and her powers with runes. She is caring and compassionate towards others, lending good advice to the young Emma Carstairs and always remaining loyal to family and friends.

2. Tessa Gray - The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare

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Tessa is an intelligent and curious person by nature, devouring books and eager to learn about the world of shadowhunters that has existed right under her nose for her whole life without her knowledge. She has a warm heart and seeks happiness for those that she loves, determinedly searching for her brother and pushing away Will and Jem for fear of hurting them. Her character develops immensely over the trilogy but her caring side always remains. 

1. Celaena Sardothien - Throne of Glass by Sara J Maas

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Celaena had to be number one on this list because she is passionate about everything she is involved with, whether that's her job, friends or love interests. She is a skilled fighter and assassin. However, she loathes excessive cruelty and slavery in the kingdom and refuses to tolerate the injustices in Erilea. Celaena is an emotional person who often hides behind a tough bravado to maintain her image as Adarlan's Assassin but is still vulnerable underneath her thick skin. The fantasy world that Maas has created is absolutely mind blowing and I couldn't imagine a better protagonist than Celaena to lead the reader through the vivid land of Erilea. 

Review: Maximum Ride Manga by James Patterson and NaRae Lee

Fourteen-year-old Maximum Ride, better known as Max, knows what it's like to soar above the world. She and all the members of the 'Flock' - Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman and Angel - are just like ordinary kids - only they have wings and can fly. It may seem like a dream come true to some, but their lives can morph into a living nightmare at any time - like when Angel, the youngest member of the 'Flock', is kidnapped and taken back to the 'School' where she and the others were genetically engineered by sinister scientists. Her friends brave a journey to blazing hot Death Valley, California, to save Angel, but soon enough, they find themselves in yet another nightmare - this one involving fighting off the half-human, half-wolf 'Erasers' in New York City. Whether in the treetops of Central Park or in the bowels of the Manhattan subway system, Max and her adopted family take the ride of their lives. 

I have never read the books that inspired the manga, however, after reading this, I'd really like to pick them up sometime! Lee's artwork and visuals are fantastic and captured the characters perfectly and this blended amazingly well with the gripping action throughout the story created by Patterson. I've only recently started reading manga but this has made me want to read more! The details of every scene were so intricate and every page looked fantastic. I was instantly captivated by the dramatic fantasy world that was created. 

I loved how the sci-fi fantasy element of their ability to fly and where that came from really added to the plot and weaved into the action-packed, tense and suspense filled story. I really enjoyed reading about Max as she was a feisty teenager who was simultaneously a mother figure to Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman and Angel. Her adventures along with the rest of her family were full of suspense but broken up with quick-witted remarks and side-dramas. Iggy and Gasman were pretty funny together and provided some much needed comedic relief when the story was getting too intense. I loved the ongoing mystery throughout the book as to why Angel had been kidnapped and I was desperate for her to be found as in the few pages she featured in she was just so likeable!

All of the characters in the book and their relationships with each other were so relatable and yet unique at the same time. The teenagers felt ordinary despite being quite extraordinary! This made it easier to empathise with the characters and understand their experiences. However, I would have liked a better introduction of the characters as I was often quite confused having never previously read the books. I also found it hard to keep up with the changing perspectives at times as there were many different plot lines running alongside each other and intertwining. 

I'm not sure how close the manga was to the book series but obviously it's only an interpretation so it won't be a carbon copy anyway. I would recommend this to someone who's maybe still just discovering manga and graphic novels as although I found the plot confusing, it was pretty short, easy to get into and the characters were well developed on the whole. Graphic novels, manga and comics are great to read between books if you don't have the time to read a whole novel. They are also great to encourage those who are a little reluctant to read to pick up a book. But I love them because I enjoy how the visuals combine with the action and create an amazing end product.
7/10 stars 

Review: Dreamland by Robert L Anderson

Dea Donahue has been able to travel through people's dreams since she was six years old. Her mother taught her the three rules of walking: Never interfere. Never be seen. Never walk the same person's dream more than once. Dea has never questioned her mother, not about the rules, not about the clocks or the mirrors, not about moving from place to place to be one step ahead of the unseen monsters that Dea's mother is certain are right behind them. Then a mysterious new boy, Connor, comes to town and Dea finally starts to feel normal. As Connor breaks down the walls that she's had up for so long, he gets closer to learning her secret. For the first time she wonders if that's so bad. But when Dea breaks the rules, the boundary between worlds begins to deteriorate. How can she know what's real and what's not?

I was excited to read this book from the moment I picked it up! The idea of walking through other people's dreams intrigued me as it seemed similar to the movie Inception which I really enjoyed. Dreamland perfectly weaves together themes of loyalty to family and teen friendship into a fantasy world parallel to our own. It was so cleverly written that despite the intricate layers to this world, nothing was so outlandish it can't be imagined.

The countless plot twists and revelations throughout the entire story kept me gripped and the mystery of everyone's true identities meant that this book was never boring. With every new piece of information revealed to us as readers, there's always something else just out of our reach that keeps us guessing and turning another page. I equally love mystery and fantasy novels so luckily Anderson has combined these two  genres into an incredible YA book. The mystery of what really happened to Connor's mother and brother kept me hooked for the whole book.

The ever present question of what reality is and whether the world we live in is any more real than our dreams definitely gave me food for thought. The rules of the dream world were so realistic and ingrained in the book that I still shivered for a few days after finishing the book every time I glanced at a mirror or heard a ticking clock!

Every character in the book was well developed with many sides and all seemed relatable enough that you either know someone like them or could picture them in your own neighbourhood. Dea was an interesting protagonist and I really enjoyed watching her character develop from someone with a lack of friendship and many difficulties to a loyal, caring person who makes decisions independently yet selflessly. It was refreshing to have a female protagonist who was the right mix of self-sufficient and strong willed but realistic enough to be vulnerable and possess the ability to show emotions and break down as well, which was completely understandable considering the roller coaster of events Dea experiences. I think other teen readers like myself will find Dea quite likeable as she's got a fun personality thrown in with her signature sarcasm and dry remarks. However, she's also got an ounce of realism that many YA characters occasionally lack, particularly in the fantasy genre. Her passion for doing the right thing not only for those she cares about but also for herself was quite inspiring.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it's definitely worth a read. If you loved Mind Games by Terri Terry, I'd recommend this book to you.
8/10 stars