Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Most Frustrating Characters
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. It’s awesome. Every Tuesday, the lovely folks over at The Broke and the Bookish post a top ten list topic so that book lovers like you and me can pour over our shelves and make our own lists. You can check out all the other Top Ten Tuesday‘s on their site!
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This is some list, friends. I feel like I’ve been waiting to get these feels off my chest for a while now, hence, as you will see, my deep dive into the archives. And also the fact that I couldn’t stop myself at 10. Again. But I want to point out that some of these characters come from books I LOVE and are, in fact, CHARACTERS I love. It’s just that they sometimes make me want to rip my hair out of my head and beat them stupid with it. Of course, there are a few on here who I still want to smack down out of straight dislike. Who knew, friends, that frustration would be such fertile ground?!
Peter Pan from TIGER LILY by Jodi Lynn Anderson
Oh, Peter. Peter! You broke my heart. I saw that you were a young, feral, wild thing who didn’t know his own heart until it was too late. But I also saw that you were jealous, vicious, and short-tempered, even with the people who were the most important to you. How could you leave Tiger Lily for freaking WENDY?! How could you not want Tiger Lily to be her best, most awesome self?! GRRRR…I love you.
The Darkling from SHADOW AND BONE by Leigh Bardugo
Dude, you play with my feelings, Darkling. You’re mysterious and smexy and complicated. You’re powerful and strong. You have A PAST that sometimes makes me want to hug you. But then. THEN! You’re all cruel and evil and cold. You’re manipulative and HORRIBLE. UGH! I was Team Darkling for sooooo long and now I don’t know anymore! Should I like you? Will you redeem yourself? I hope so, because I could still maybe see there being something good in you. DON’T EFF IT UP.
Cecily d’Edgeley and Gwynhyfar from THE WICKED AND THE JUST by J. Anderson Coats
So listen, girls. I understand that there was never going to be any way for you two to be friends. Too much kindling on the fire. Cecily, you’re kind of a spoiled, entitled brat. But you know, the whole “the English are taking over Wales” thing isn’t YOUR fault. I get it. I’d miss my home, too, if I were you. And Gwynhyfar, I feel you too. I completely understand your rage and fear and hate–“WTF are all these conceited English people doing to MY HOME?” But really, I don’t think the two of you could have been more annoying. Frustrating in a BAD way, ladies. I wish I could just tell you both to get over it already.
Sage from THE FALSE PRINCE by Jennifer A. Nielsen
SAGE! You’re killer. I LOVE your humor and spunk and fearlessness. You are, not to put too fine a point on it, BADASS and I love you. Now that I got all that out of the way, let me say this: QUIT BEING SUCH A PEST. What a freaking instigator! Why do you have to have an answer to EVERYTHING?! No one likes a smartass ALL THE TIME, Sage. Honestly. Love you, but quit it, weisenheimer.
June Iparis from LEGEND and PRODIGY by Marie Lu
June, you’re my girl, you know that, right? My heart BROKE for you when Metias was killed, and I love how you’re so fierce and loyal and strong. You’re smarter at 15 than I ever was at the height of my intellectual powers (not sure when this was exactly, but rest assured, it’s behind me now). You’re brave and a BAMF. I love that you see the truth of Day and that, even with your loyalties, you don’t hesitate when you see what the Republic truly is. But, you know, take that stick out of your bum. Let yourself have a little daydream now and again or something. LOOSEN UP. LAUGH, for crying out loud! Things are funny sometimes! Take a chill pill. They’re good for you.
Maura Cahill from BORN WICKED by Jessica Spotswood
YOU. I don’t know where to being with you, Miss Thang. I can’t imagine what it must be like to have to live in your world with the secret you and your sisters bear, all without your mother to guide you. But can’t you cut your sister just ONE break?! She’s trying to keep a promise and keep you all safe! It’s like you can’t wait to pick fights and be a nudge! UGH!! I shake my fist at you, Maura. WHAT A PAIN.
Tris from DIVERGENT and INSURGENT by Veronica Roth
So. Tris. I have some issues with you. Straight up? I sometimes flat-out don’t like you. There. I said it. I think you’re hard and cold and unforgiving and self-centered. It’s makes me cringey. But I can’t say that I don’t admire your guts, or your strength, or the fact that you were brave enough to leave everything you knew behind to go and do you. And you stand by Four when he needs you, and are willing to fight to be with him. Props, girl. I mean, sometimes I want to smack you, but props.
Etienne St. Clair/Lola from ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS and LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR by Stephanie Perkins
This one is easy, you two. I ADORE YOU TO PIECES. Both of you. But Etienne, Ellie < Anna. Times infinity. No need to drag out that crumbling relationship for as long as you did. Poorly done. And Lola? Are you telling me that Max > than EFFING CRICKET BELL?! No. False. Wrong. I’m glad you both eventually opened your eyes to the truth but seriously: nobody likes a big doody-head who can’t move on from a bad relationship.
Asa from ICEFALL by Matthew J. Kirby
UGH. ASA. I wish you could see my face right now, Asa, because it’s all scrunched up with distate. You’re probably one of the only characters on this list that I really have no warmth for at all. You whined WITHOUT END. You lied. You conspired against your family and friends. You were selfish and stupid. I can’t believe how any of them could deal with your emo BS for even one SECOND. And for what? What is worth all of that trouble and danger? NOTHING. NO, not even him. Nothing is worth that kind of treachery. UGH.
Rosie and Silas from SISTERS RED by Jackson Pearce
I seriously can’t even look at the two of you right now. Just thinking about you makes me angry. I CAN’T BELIEVE what you did to Scarlet. It’s HORRIBLE. You are HORRIBLE. I think you are weird together. There are few things I dislike more than a liar, but TWO?! Worse. Especially because you both knew what you were doing, and you did it anyway. TO YOUR BEST FRIEND AND YOUR SISTER. That’s steaming garbage. And what a crock, running off at the end like that. Eew. You can leave now. I don’t have anything else to say to you….OMG YOU SUCK FOREVER! Ok, now I’m done.
Mia from WHERE SHE WENT by Gayle Forman
Sigh. Mia. I feel like I’m on thin ice, putting you on here. I mean, you almost DIED. You lost your little Teddy! WAAAH! But I don’t know how I feel, still, about you leaving Adam. Like, LEAVING him. It’s so hard for me to get my head around. And then even when you find each other again, what was up with your aloofness? Hmm? I want to understand it, Mia. But you broke his heart! I AM SO CONFLICTED.
Jon EFFING Snow from ASoIaF by George R.R. Martin
JON!! SIGH. I love you more than just about any character in the whole world. I do. If I even started to list the reasons why, we’d all still be here days from know. But you know why you frustrate me sometimes? Here’s the rub: I don’t think I can explain it. You’ve gotten better, but you whine. Sometimes you’re so noble that it’s harmful to you, although I can’t really fault you for that. But I love you and worry for you and get angry at you all the time. DON’T DIE ON ME. OKAY?!?
A lot of these characters are from books I’m really looking forward to! Haha, hopefully I won’t be annoyed by them 🙂
My TTT
haha…oops! I hope so too! 🙂
I cracked up when you talked to June about chilling out. Girl could stand to do that, couldn’t she? Mercy.
Also, I just can’t get on the Tris wagon. Or the Four wagon. (Don’t hit me.) Yes, that means I didn’t like Divergent. And I haven’t even read Insurgent. But I’m gonna give Divergent another go, and this time I’m gonna try with audiobook when my it is my turn at the library – but that’s because I want to care more about it so I will care more about the movie. But, yes, I agree with your frustration with Tris. Sigh sigh sigh.
This list made me laugh!
Thanks Asheley! Glad I gave you the funnies. I had no idea you were no fan of Tris! We are on this bandwagon together for sure. I mean, sometimes I admire her, but mostly I find her unlikable for one thing or another. I DO like Four, though. Something about the tortured past just makes me all mushy.
I hope you do give Insurgent a try. It was good!
We both have Peter Pan! I didn’t expect anyone else to have him, but alas! I also agree with Etienne. Ohmygosh he was so annoying. I mean, I loved him, but he could’ve ended that relationship WAYYYY sooner.
Isn’t Peter just the biggest heartbreaker? I sometimes felt really emotional about him, and about how he doesn’t know or remember anything other than Neverland. But other times? UGH. He makes me hate him and then feel bad for hating him.
And seriously. Etienne dragged that relationship ON AND ON! Be done with it, honey! ANNA FOREVER!
Hahaha, I laughed at your comment to Lola– “nobody likes a big doody-head who can’t move on from a bad relationship.” So true, I’d forgotten how frustrating it was to watch her act like things were SO awesome with Max, when he was clearly a huge tool.
And Tris also made my list… she can be a bit self-centered and her angstiness in Insurgent drove me nuts!
She really frustrated me with Max. He was so bad for her and she totally forced it, I thought. UGH.
And Tris. BLERGH. It’s hard to like her sometimes. I’m glad I’m not alone!
Now I want to read every single one of these books that I haven’t yet read!!! Also I totally agree with the Silas/Rosie thing BUT I think it was more Silas (still kinda swooned…a little) because he was all “Follow your dream, ROSIE” but then “No, Scarlet! Be more meek and stop listening to your heart!” I like that they are together BUT not the way it happened.
I can’t even think or talk about Peter right now.
RAGE.
haha…I know. Peter. I will mention his name no more.
I guess you have a point about Silas. He was very supportive of Rosie. But I don’t know…something about them being together always felt so underhanded and that bothered me like WHOA. I had such a bad reaction to that book!
Amen on Etienne!!!!! Enough said right there!
Check out my TTT.
Sandy @ Somewhere Only We Know
SERIOUSLY. I mean, I love him to the ends of the earth. I really, really do. I die every time I remember how long he hung onto Ellie.
I was similarly conflicted regarding Mia. On the one hand, she needed to make a break to survive, on the other hand, poor Adam.
You know, I almost didn’t put Mia on here, and I was sure NOT to say that I thought she was frustrating in If I Stay. Because NO. But Where She Went? Definitely. I hated her for leaving Adam high and dry like that, but I was like, “OMG I totally understand that you almost DIED and you need to do this for yourself.” So many feelings!
Reading your list made me crack up AND made me nod in agreement with the characters I’m familiar with. The reasons you gave for being frustrated with each character were so sound and so interesting! It was definitely entertaining (and intriguing in the case of the characters I haven’t met yet!)
I wish I knew which ones you weren’t familiar with! Probably Asa is one. I feel like not many people have read Icefall. WHICH YOU SHOULD DO. But thanks, my dear! Always glad to make others chuckle!
Haha I’m cracking up at your list, Amy! I haven’t read all of these books, but I love what you say about Peter Pan, Tris, Etienne and Lola. You’re right on in your frustrations (in love) with all four of those characters. Great picks!