YA Superlative Blogfest 2012: Popularity Contest

And we're back again for Day 2 of the YA Superlatives Blogfest!

About the blogfest: The Class of 2012: YA Superlative Blogfest will run Monday, December 17th – Thursday, December 20th and will highlight our favorite books of 2012. This year, the lovely hosts Jessica Love, Tracey Neithercott, Alison Miller, and Katy Upperman will also be giving away books to bloggers who participate in all 4 days of the fest. Click the banner for more info!

And if you do join in, don't forget to link up at one of our hosts blogs.

Yesterday's post is here: Head of Class

Today's theme is Popularity Contest, in which we pick characters from any of our 2012 YA reads (not just ones published this year) for the categories we think they most exemplify.

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Class Clown: LEO from The Mark of Athena - So this book is more MG than YA, but Leo is definitely a clown of his own volition and statement.  He's always one for a joke and smart remarks are born ready on his tongue, but at his heart he's a good kid who hides his nervousness and secret fears of inferiority beneath a jester exterior.

Honorable Mention: (Krispy's reading this now) the CAST of Sarah Rees Brennan's Unspoken because while not exactly "class clownish," they are laugh-out-loud hilarious. My Sister thinks I'm crazy because I keep snarking at lines like this gem from JARED...

• "My body is a gift from God. Except for my hips, which are clearly a gift from the devil."

Most Likely to Start a Riot: RONAN from The Raven Boys - Goodness me oh my, where do we even begin?  Ronan Lynch is one of those boys who doesn't so much have a chip on his shoulder as a chunk torn out of his heart, and he fills that void with acid anger and violence.  Boy can start a fight, this one, especially if it involves defending his friends or fighting with his own brother.

Honorable Mention: FIRE from Fire - She's a human monster, which means she's brightly colored and irresistibly beautiful. Her mere presence around people is enough to literally incite a riot.

Biggest Flirt: VERITY from Code Name Verity - Verity is a charmer and a master storyteller, so of course, she's a natural at this flirting game. She does it because she's good at it and it's a way to pass the time.

HOLLY from Unspoken - Holly is hot and she knows it. So she flirts with boys because it's fun and it's an excellent way of wheedling information in her pursuit of journalistic truth on Kami's behalf.

Honorable Mention: Po from Graceling - He's not a flirt per se, but he does have a sort of charming, personable, flirty personality. And he definitely flirts at Katsa.

Fashion Queen: CELAENA from Throne of Glass - This girl is an assassin first and foremost, or so we are told--but from the novel and its prequel novellas, it's quite clear that Celaena is a fashionista to the highest degree, wearing brocade and silk, bustiers and corsets, skirts and gowns of the highest caliber; paragraphs of text are lavished on her wardrobe.  If she ever decides to stop being an assassin, she could pursue a career as a designer.  Or a model.

The Assassin and the Empire by Sarah J. Maas - "She couldn't help a
flicker of smugness as  they took in her dark blue tunic with its exquisite
gold embroidery along the lapels and cuffs..." Source: Uploaded by user
via Sarah J. Maas on Pinterest

Honorable Mention: KAMI from Unspoken - This sassy girl reporter is also a fashionista. Kitten heels, polka dot dresses, red tights! When Kami's not in her burglary-for-journalistic-truth outfit (all black), she's stylin'.


Girl You'd Most Want for Your BFF: SOPHIE from Hex Hall (Alz's pick) - Sophie is smart, snarky, good-natured and self-aware.  She takes good care of her friends and the fact that she has magical powers doesn't hurt, though it might hurt since she's not very good at controlling them.

KAMI from Unspoken (Krispy's pick) - Kami is spontaneous and a force to be reckoned with. Plus, she's guaranteed to make me laugh. She'd also get me in questionable situations, but it'd be fun! Can I just be part of her Scooby gang already?!

Honorable Mention: VERITY or MADDIE from Code Name Verity (Krispy's pick) - Both of these girls are so remarkable that I'd be honored and thrilled to have either of them as my BFF. Verity's personality shines; she's smart, capable, and she loves a good story. Maddie is earnest, brave, and caring. Both of them are fiercely loyal to their friends and family.



Boy You Wish You'd Dated in High School: KIT from Team Human - This kid is just endearingly adorable to no end. He's sweet and funny and a little socially awkward in that my-family-is-weird-so-I-don't-get-all-social-conventions-because-TV-is-my-main-reference-point way. We just want to squish him.  Even if he does come with vampire baggage.

Honorable Mention: ADAM from The Raven Boys - We like him a lot. He's smart and hard-working and he's aware of his own potential and ability to do better. He aspires for more and is loyal to his friends, despite their tumultuous relationships. Unfortunately, he comes with a lot of baggage too.


Most Likely to Become President: GANSEY from The Raven Boys - He has the pedigree to become president of something, if not the United States.  If he ever gets his act together.  And learns to watch his tongue.  And stop obsessing over dead Welsh kings.

Alternate choice: VERONICA from The FitzOsbornes in Exile - I (Krispy) picked her last year too. Veronica Fitzosborne is more than capable of leading a country because she's smart, stubborn, and eloquent. She's the Girl Who Would Be Queen if it weren't for her country's pesky rule about girls not being able to inherit the throne. I mean, she practically already ran the place.

Created by: aline  Source: rowleybel.tumblr.com

Villain You Love to Hate: THE NAZIS from both Code Name Verity and The Fitzosbornes in Exile - Yep, both of these books are set in World War II and the Nazis are bastards to everyone in both! You especially get a taste for their chilling cruelty in Code Name Verity in the form of SS-Hauptsturmführer von Linden.

Villian(s) We Love to Love: THE DARKLING from Shadow & Bone (Krispy's pick) - I just love him. He's tall, dark, and hot. He's mysterious and powerful, and starts off deliciously ambiguous as well.

LINAY from Plain Kate (Alz's pick) - This guy is tall, albino, and if not hot, starts off creepily ambiguous.  He gains complexity and unexpected facets as his story emerges a hint at a time, and when his actions seem at odds with his ultimate intentions.

Favorite Parental Figure: ORMA from Seraphina - We thought we loved Brimstone from Daughter of Smoke and Bone, but oh my goodness do we LOVE Orma! He's logical and matter-of-fact as dragons are, and though he doesn't show Seraphina his regard for her in obviously human ways, he does so with his actions. He loves her in the ways he knows how, unspoken ways, and it's even more touching because of this.

Coolest Nerd: THOMAS from Girl of Nightmares - Every ghosthunting story needs a Thomas--an endearingly nerdy, very knowledgeable, slightly nervous but very brave boy who's willing to go into the blackest pit for his friends as long as he can strobelight a flashlight around at the same time to look for monsters in the darkness.

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We had a hard time picking this year, if you couldn't tell from all the honorable mentions. We just loved too many characters, even if we didn't necessarily love their books, haha.

Q4U: Where would you put YOUR favorite YA characters?

The Superlative Blogfest continues tomorrow! The topic is Elements of Fiction.