Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. Each week a new theme is suggested for bloggers to participate in. This week’s prompt is Unlikable Characters You Can’t Help but Love (These are villains, criminals, jerks, etc. that make you fall in love with them anyway, perhaps because they evolve by the end or they’re secretly wonderful and have been all along.)
Hello Readers! November has arrived! Which also means Nanowrimo (National Novel Writing Month) has arrived. I love participating in Nanowrimo, but I’m feeling very underprepared this year. I’ll be a rebel again, working on an existing project that I’m determined to finish. Let me know if you’re participating, too, and we can be ‘buddies’ on Nano. You can find me under abookwanderer!
I was excited to see today’s prompt. Unlikeable characters may be my favorite of all types of characters. I love to watch them evolve throughout the book(s), and it gives me hope for all of mankind. 😉
Let’s see who I included!
(Link to Goodreads synopsis through book title.)
1
Snape from Harry Potter
One of my favorite unlikeable characters to love is Severus Snape from the Harry Potter books. Even before I knew all his secrets, I had a soft spot for this character. Alan Rickman’s portrayal definitely helped.
2
Ronan from The Raven Cycle and Dreamer Trilogy
When we first meet Ronan in The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater, we don’t get much back story, but his story was front and center in The Dream Thieves. I have to admit, it took me two reads to fully take in the book, but once I did, Ronan’s story became one I couldn’t stop thinking about.
3
Kaz from Six of Crows
Kaz Brekker from the Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo is one of my all-time favorite characters. He’s hard to love at first, but by the end I wanted only the best for this tortured soul.
4
Will from The Infernal Devices
And Will Herondale from The Infernal Devices. 😥 He puts up quite the wall, but behind that wall is someone who desperately wants and needs love. I think he will forever be my favorite character created by the prolific Cassandra Clare.
5
Effie Trinket from The Hunger Games
I so wanted to hate Effie in The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, but under all that glam is someone with a heart. And much like Snape, Elizabeth Banks brought the character to life on screen.
6
Darcy from Pride and Prejudice
Oh Darcy. The OG romantic grump from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen we want to hate but can’t help loving.
7
Declan from Dreamer Trilogy
I was not a fan of Declan in The Raven Cycle, but Stiefvater being the great writer she is, showed us the person behind all that animosity in Call Down the Hawk.
8
Carrie Soto from Carrie Soto is Back
When Carrie Soto is introduced in Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid, she is an easy character to hate, but we get to see what lies behind her drive to win in Carrie Soto is Back.
9
Reiner Kulti from Kulti
2022 is the year I discovered Mariana Zapata and all her grumpy, angsty male character leads. Reiner Kulti from Kulti is one of my favorites so far. In the beginning, I wanted to give him a piece of my mind, but he slooowly won me over.
10
Edward from Twilight
I tried so hard to leave Edward off this list, but he wouldn’t let me. Edward from The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer is possessive, rude, and strange. But we also discover he’s kind, loyal, and selfless. And just writing this makes me want to reread Midnight Sun. 😉
Do we share any unlikeable characters we can’t help but love? Let me know in the comments!
Happy Wandering!
I have Carrie Soto on my list as well. And I always thought that Snape was better than he let on. Fun post today!
Yay! I thought this was a really fun prompt, too. I’m excited to see how everyone interprets it.
So many great characters on this list. And I love the corresponding pictures too!
I wish that I had remembered some of them for my list!
Have a great week!
Emily @ Budget Tales Book Blog
My post:
https://budgettalesblog.wordpress.com/2022/11/01/top-ten-tuesday-unlikable-characters-you-cant-help-but-love/
This one was fun! But I did have to scroll through my Goodreads to jog my memory. 😉
Ah yes, I always use Goodreads. Wouldn’t be able to participate without it 😂
Great list, Dedra. I also included Snape on my list. I didn’t think of Effie, but she fits. I saw Haymitch on a lot of lists as well. I haven’t read many of these books, but I do like your reasoning.
Oooh, Haymitch is also a good one!
I personally had no problems with Carrie, but so many readers did. I think readers are hard on women who are driven, and they didn’t give her any credit for her personal evolution either.
If I’m remember correctly, Carrie Soto was your first TJR book, right? If you haven’t read Malibu Rising, she didn’t get a very favorable introduction in that book. That may be why some readers are harder on her. But I think you’re absolutely right about strong women getting a bad rap. I loved her character in Carrie Soto!
Maybe. That part of her was mentioned in the book, but it made me feel empathy towards her, for some reason.
Yeah, it did me too in Carrie Soto. In Malibu Rising you read it from the POV of the person cheated on which made me have more sympathy for her instead of Carrie Soto. But I think it’s a great reminder of how everything is not black and white. There are gray areas sometimes. 🙂
Darcy made my list too. And Effie’s such a good choice! Totally fits.
Yay for another Darcy! <3
Effie is a good choice! I didn’t think about her at all when I was trying to come up with characters for this list. I *did* consider Snape, but then the only reason I liked him is Alan Rickman, and I didn’t feel I could use that as a reason to put him on my list. 😉
My TTT (a day late): https://bookwyrmknits.com/2022/11/01/top-ten-tuesday-more-free-short-fiction/
Haha! I think Alan Rickman helped, but I do remember liking his character in the books, as well. I always felt there was something we didn’t know. I never felt that way about Umbridge, though. 😂
I do remember feeling like Snape had a backstory, but I didn’t really care about him one way or the other until Alan Rickman portrayed him onscreen… 😉