I don't know about you, but I find it really frustrating sometimes when you get the stereotypical 'come save me, I'm the damsel in distress' perception of female characters in books, or the ones that are so obsessed over a guy that they don't think straight. Personally, I like to see strong young women in YA books who are brave and don't get overly distracted if there is a love interest. So here's the list of some of my top female protagonists:
Katniss Everdeen – The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
This is probably the most obvious one, but apart from the whole love triangle going on, Katniss is a pretty brave person. She goes to defy the society that she was brought up in and leads a revolution. Being able to shoot some arrows is pretty cool too. I like how she isn't afraid to take the lead and stay strong in the face of danger.
Rosie Black – The Rosie Black Chronicles by Lara Morgan
I mentioned Rosie before in my Friday Couple. In a futuristic world, she is a girl that has been ready for anything since she could remember. She's a witty character, straight-talker and a girl that you definitely don't want to mess with. She's still got feelings though, and along with her ability to kick-but she still has room to care about Pip.
Katniss Everdeen – The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
This is probably the most obvious one, but apart from the whole love triangle going on, Katniss is a pretty brave person. She goes to defy the society that she was brought up in and leads a revolution. Being able to shoot some arrows is pretty cool too. I like how she isn't afraid to take the lead and stay strong in the face of danger.
Rosie Black – The Rosie Black Chronicles by Lara Morgan
I mentioned Rosie before in my Friday Couple. In a futuristic world, she is a girl that has been ready for anything since she could remember. She's a witty character, straight-talker and a girl that you definitely don't want to mess with. She's still got feelings though, and along with her ability to kick-but she still has room to care about Pip.
Tris Prior – Divergent by Veronica Roth
Another well-known female character is Tris from the Divergent trilogy. She's broken out of her family tradition by going dauntless and soon begins to live up to her faction. Starting out as soft and innocent, she soon develops a hard edge and willingness to fight. Her choices might be questioned in the other books, but for the most part she still has a great deal of inner strength.
Another well-known female character is Tris from the Divergent trilogy. She's broken out of her family tradition by going dauntless and soon begins to live up to her faction. Starting out as soft and innocent, she soon develops a hard edge and willingness to fight. Her choices might be questioned in the other books, but for the most part she still has a great deal of inner strength.
Mena – Exalted by Tara Elizabeth
Following the dystopian trend, Mena has always been a tough shell to crack. Driven, ambitious and focused on being at the top of her game, she is one strong young woman. She doesn't need to rely on a guy to do the hard work and fighting for her, because she can do that quite well on her own, thank you very much.
Following the dystopian trend, Mena has always been a tough shell to crack. Driven, ambitious and focused on being at the top of her game, she is one strong young woman. She doesn't need to rely on a guy to do the hard work and fighting for her, because she can do that quite well on her own, thank you very much.
Matilda - A Waltz for Matilda
On the totally opposite side of the spectrum is Matilda from the Australian historical novel 'A Waltz for Matilda'. She's not strong because she can fight to protect herself, but because she can live independently on her own and prove that a young woman can be successful and run a property. People may have doubted her ability at first, but with her determination and will to succeed she soon proves everyone wrong.
I'm sure there are many more out there who I haven't mentioned in this list - Who do you think are some top female protagonists in YA literature?
I've read A Waltz for Matilda! I didn't think many people had even heard of it :P great list, and I totally agree with you about Katniss :)
ReplyDeleteYay! Finally someone else who has read it - I didn't know of a lot of people who knew about it either. Thanks for stopping by :)
DeleteI haven't read all of these, but Katniss is definitely a kick-ass protagonist! I love it when the leading ladies are all strong and tough instead of whiny and helpless. Great list, Eugenia!
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