So, it’s been a few weeks since I went to the Girls Kick Butt panel at New York Comic Con, but I’ve been doing a lot of thinking since then about what it means to be a YA heroine – a good YA heroine.
While I don’t only read books with female leads, I still think it’s nice to read a book once in a while with an admirable, butt kicking, take-no-prisoners heroine. Sometimes people don’t take me seriously because of my age or my gender – or both! – so I appreciate when an author brings a memorable girl to life, one who doesn’t just fade into the background or mope about, simpering after some boy who doesn’t know she’s there.
I think YA is great for the female character. The readers are more open and authors are willing to take a bit more risks and be more “out there” in their plots, stories, and world building, which opens more situations and scenarios for girls to kick butt! Characters like Beka Cooper and Katniss hail from very YA oriented books. The steampunk genre has introduced me to a lot of plucky heroines!
So what makes a heroine special to me? It’s always great to see some physical butt kicking, but I like to read about smart girls too. My heroines don’t have to be perfect goody two-shoes – after all, it’s the character flaws and the inner struggles that make a character real. My heroines don’t actually have to be on the side of good either, because villains are also interesting to read about.
In short? I want to see more girls! I want to read more about real girls, kicking butt! Keep them coming!
Some of my favorite heroines:
Sabriel from Sabriel by Garth Nix
Meg Murray from A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Katniss from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Katsa from Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Beka Cooper from The Provost’s Dog series by Tamora Pierce
Deryn Sharp from Leviathan by Scott Westerfield
Tris from Divergent by Veronica Roth
Who are some of your favorite YA heroines?
Tusora: my favorite ya heroines is Sophie from Howl's Moving Castle! She takes her curse as a positive thing and turns her life into an adventure!
edgarallenpoe43: Nefertiti from the Sphinx's Queen. I actually just finished it two days ago, and I got it from this site! Thank you, Random Buzzers, for giving me so many opportunities and free books!
emilyjg: You seriously nailed almost all of my favorite kick-butt female characters. :)
JazmynR: Katniss all the way! (I think Jennifer Lawrence will make an awesome Katniss in the movie! I can't wait!) Bryn from Raised by Wolves. She's the only human in a pack of werewolves, but that didn't stop her from becoming pack leader. Clary from the Mortal Instruments series. Rose Hathaway from the Vampire Academy series. Look up the word "Hardcore" in the dictionairy, and you'll find Rose's picture there!
jomarch17: A Wrinkle in Time was one of my favorite books when I was little! Pamela from Dearly, Departed is pretty kick-butt, too, and so is Helen from Nobody's Princess. (:
godpinklover: I don't know my heroine.
JessDay: Katniss is just a must. She is the most kick-butt heroine out there. I'd have to say Deryn Sharp as well and please let me add Yelena from Poison Study to my list!
Addictedtolife: Katsa is always the first person I think of when I hear heroine. :)
SusieBookworm:
All of Tamora Pierce's characters! My favorites are Daine and Beka, though. :)
Also, the girl from The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley and the main character from Shadows on the Moon by Zoe Marriott.
inthebestworlds: I love Katsa from Graceling and Tris from Divergent. They're awesome! I also love Calla from Nightshade and Ashline from Wildefire. They have incredible presence and they're so fiery in the best way possible.
EmeraldSun: I love Tris from Divergent, she's such a capable, intelligent and confident heroine!
LydiaM: Love your examples! I am also exited that I've read every single one of them! Great post!
weheartya: You have named a lot of them already… We would like to add that Carrie Ryan writes great heroines. It's not so much that we identify with them, so much as we believe that they are real, with flaws and desires and fears.
WildBunnies: Katniss!
Books_Rule: Definitely Katniss Everdeen! Katsa is also amazing! Dru Anderson from Strange Angels is also one of my favorites. Maerad from the Pellinor series is also a really strong heroine!
Arya-shadeslayer: where is hermione??????
Arya-shadeslayer: what about clary from mortal instruments??
KaityW: I love Katniss, Katsa, and Tris! But I also like Fire from FIRE and Meghan from The Iron King.
dreamingnow:
I wanted to make a comment about how there are so many more strong heroines now, but then I remembered all of the weak ones (not naming names). Is it possible for them to get stronger and weaker and the same time?
masquerade1:
I love love LOVE any heroine of Tamora Pierce! Katsa from Graceling is amazing!! I love her! I also think Gemma Doyle is a great heroine; even though her kick-butt style is a little subtle at first, the last book in that series really shows off her strengths. Plus, she fights the constraints of society every day ;). I think Melanie/Wanda from The Host by Stephenie Meyer is super kick-butt; maybe more Melanie than Wanda, but Wanda is kick-butt in her own pacifist sort of way.
girlwizabook33: Katsa! She is amazing!
Luseride:
Meg Murray was one of my first favorites. She has so many faults, is aware of them and just keeps plugging along. Her faults often are her saving grace too.
My favorite is Lessa of Pern. She breaks rules for all the right reasons, takes control of her life, has a little revenge but not to much. She is also physical tiny but mentally super strong. Of course it also helps that she is a dragonrider.
masquerade1:
Ha, I walked in my room last night and saw my bookshelf and thought, How could I forget them!? So here's a couple more: I think Saba from Blood Red Road deffinately deserves a place on this list; she's tough and loving (wheather she'll admit it or not) and she'd do anything for her family.
I also loved Vivian from Blood And Chocolate; she's spunky and could take anyone down, but she's still very much a teenage girl :)
BooksRGr8: I loved a Wrinkle in Time, and Leviathan!!!!!!!!! I also like Violet Baudelaire from A series of Unfortunate Events! Also the Obvious Hermione from Harry Potter! She can totally be considered a Heroine.
Tiffasaurus: Sabriel all the way! Best series ever!
Harryandginny: Gotta love butt kicking girls!
CandiceJ: Tris is an amazing heroine. Divergent definitely knocked my socks off. I also love Kristin Cashore's characters, they always stay true to themselves and kick some major butt.
BookItToMe: wow those are a great set, I loved Diana, and Alanna from Tamora Pierce and then there was the Black Jewels series. I loved the Dragonriders of Pern and their strong female leaders also.
TypingTiara: I agree with a lot of the heroines on your list but I have to add Karou of Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor AND Aly from Trickster's Choice and Queen by Tamora Pierce.
karadidomizio: I agree. Tris from Divergent is probably one of my top 5 of all time now. I really admired her courage!
Raina Parikh i love Katsa and Tris! They embody everything i hope to ever be (key word: hope)!