Faves of 2011 (so far): The Characters

1. Best Female POV: Cisco and the Bean (otherwise known as Isabelle and Annie), from Flirt Club. I count these two as a package deal as they're just so great together. I love their friendship and their unique outlook and take on everything that happens to them and the people they know. This book is written as notes between the two girls and their voices are just so, so, so great. LOVE!

2. Best Male POV: Adam, from Where She Went. The brilliant thing about this POV is that because it's a sequel we already know what happened three years earlier but getting the story and its aftermath from Adam is so incredibly, insanely powerful. I can't say enough good things about this book, how it's told, or Adam himself. 

3. Best Couple: Anna and Etienne St. Claire, obviously. I mean really. <3

4. Who I So Want to Be Best Friends With: This is a difficult category as I have a whole list of characters here (including the inspiring Kurt Brodsky and sad-faced Ari), but in the end I have to go with the package deal once again -- Cisco and the Bean (Flirt Club) are my kind of people and exactly the girls I would have loved to meet and be besties with back in junior high. 

5. Who I Fell Completely in Love With: This category is actually for literary crushes, but my answer here seems a bit off-base. Leverage isn't one anyone would consider a swoon-worthy type of book... and yet... KURT BRODSKY. I absolutely love him. He is the best of humanity -- strong, humble, honest, kick-ass, and just a little off-beat.

6. Worst (Best) Villain: The captains from Leverage. UGH. I hate choosing them for anything, even this. THEY ARE HORRIBLE. HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE. AWFUL AWFUL AWFUL. They are scum. They are everything horrible and bad. I hate them so much there aren't even words. 

7. Best Character Twist: Hamilton Best, from Popular. Just. Omg. Just read this one, you guys, and you'll see what I mean. I loved her and hated her and then OMGWTH. Twisty all over the place.

8. Best Kick-Ass Female: Mel, from Rain. You kind of have to actually read the book to get Mel, but she's definitely one of the fiercest, most loyal, most bad-ass characters out there. Smart, bitingly witty, and absolutely determined. Love her. (Plus, you know, she's a spy.)

9. Best Kick-Ass Male: Obviously Kurt Brodsky, from Leverage. I mean, come on. No contest. Kurt's whole life is basically about weight training so that he can kick people's asses if the need arises. 

10. Broke My Heart the Most: Once again I have to go with Adam, from Where She Went. Adam's pain is so real, so palpable, so obvious and aching. Just brilliantly written.

11. Best/Worst Character Names: 

BEST: Rhine Ellery, from Wither. Just... so... pretty. Loooove it. 

WORST: Ginny Blackstone, from The Last Little Blue Envelope. I don't know why, but her name has always rubbed me the wrong way. Gin or Ginny is fine on its own, but with Blackstone it just... isn't.

12. *Character That Reminds Me of Me: (*Note that I added this EXTRA category for my own list.) Ari, from Other Words for Love. She's just so out-of-step and different and awkward and something in all of that really reminds me of myself and my own eternal weird/awkwardness. I love her, of course.

((BONUS)) Five Favorite Covers: These are in no sort of order. I tried to arrange them at first but Blogger kept giving me guff so I had to just let it be.

Part 3 of this "faves of 2011" will be coming soon.