all-time favorite book characters

book characters (or characters in general) are my FAVORITE THING. some people love reading about the plot twists or seeing the writing styles, but me? the character and relationships are the star of the show. if i find a character flat and/or two-dimensional? chances are i didn’t like that book/show/movie/thing.

if you look at all my favorite books, you’ll see a common case. meaning: the characters are probably fan-freakin’-tastic. these people are my CHILDREN. (okay, not reeeaaally my children. but i treat them as i would treat my children because they’re just that precious to me.) without further ado, here are some of my children favorite bookish characters of all-time.

ruby elizabeth daly (from the darkest minds)

i’m going to start off with the reason why i wrote this post in the first place. i was considering titling the post “reasons why i love ruby daly” or “a love letter to the darkest minds” but that seemed a bit extra – even for me. if you don’t know, ruby elizabeth daly is the main character of THE DARKEST MINDS, by alexandra bracken. the main reason why i love her so much is because of her development. through the entirety of the trilogy, she grows SO MUCH. ruby starts off as a scared, meek, traumatized girl after spending too many years in an internment camp, but she progresses into someone who fights for her friends and so much more. i feel so proud for her, even though i did nothing to contribute to her change. her development was so subtle and natural that you wouldn’t even notice until you think back. i find her to be truly inspiring; her story shows that YES, you are capable of becoming who you dream of being and YES, you can control your future and YES, you are strong enough to empower change – no matter who you are or what you’ve been through. *gets emotional*

ALSO, i’m participating in Book Madness, which is like the Oscars for all our favorite characters. we vote through a series of rounds and ultimately someone gets chosen! i’m representing ruby for obvious reasons. GO VOTE FOR MY CHILD. please.

click here to vote!!

inej ghafa (from six of crows)

i think everyone loves inej because she is SO FLIPPIN’ COOL. she’s also been through some tough stuff, and you know what they say: what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. inej is… out of this world (and so cool – did i mention how cool she is?!). if you haven’t read SIX OF CROWS, by leigh bardugo, you must get to it soon because it is one of my favorite books of all-time (next to TDM). the entire cast of the series is amazing but inej is probably my favorite.

henry cheng (from the raven king)

henry cheng didn’t even APPEAR in THE RAVEN BOYS series until the last book (THE RAVEN KING). okay, he was there for maybe two pages, but he wasn’t part of the crew™ until the last book which is how i can see why so many people dislike him. also he could be a dick horrible person at times BUT. but, he is so precious to me. i don’t even particularly remember why i liked him so much, just that i like him a lot. maybe it was because he was so unexpected, or maybe it was because he made a spiel about feeling jeong with our crew. :”) either way, i love henry cheng and have very VERY strong urges to reread this entire series. ALL THE CHARACTERS ARE FANTASTIC. THEY MAKE ME EMOTIONAL.

will herondale (from the infernal devices)

i’m a sucker for the “narcissistic bad boy with a troubled past.” these guys could be AWFUL CREATURES and grade-A douchebags, but i still kinda love them. i read THE INFERNAL DEVICES ages ago and remember falling in love with its story, world, and characters – ALL the characters. i was going to choose tessa, or henry, or charlotte, or… anyone. all the characters in the infernal devices are fantastic. however, will herondale was my favorite thanks to his charm and love for jem (THE BROMANCE). but i’m curious to see if my thoughts will change when i reread the trilogy. my friend recently reread it and remarked on how horrible of a person he is but…. for the time being, i still love will.

gia (from the fill-in boyfriend)

i feel like it’s rare to see a contemporary character on a “favorite characters” list, mostly because the characters can be “too flawed” or “real” and they’re no longer the epic-monster-slaying-KWEENS we’ve come to love. (just me?) that’s why i was happily surprised to meet gia from THE FILL-IN BOYFRIEND. she is probably the main reason as to why i love this book. gia starts off as a superficial popular girl who grows to be SO MUCH MORE. i love it. she’s also a genuinely nice person, and in a way, reminds me of a female-contemporary version of richard gansey iii from THE RAVEN BOYS.

this list doesn’t do my favorite characters justice. mostly because there are so many more characters i love but cannot share or else this post will be far too long. who are your favorite characters? let me know in the comments!