Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists at The Broke and the Bookish. They’d love to share their lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!
Today I want to talk about some powerful girls in books and this week on Top Ten Tuesday I can 😀 This week’s topic is “Top Ten Books Which Feature Characters Who _____ (are musically inclined, have lost someone, have depression, who grow up poor, etc.).” I love a good book with a strong female lead, and since a majority of what I read is young adult dystopian these girls are usually the heroine of the book as well. My list is in no particular order and as always titles/covers link to Goodreads.
Top Ten Books With Female Heroines
Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games is probably my all-time favorite heroine 😀 She is kick-butt, loves her family, and very rarely thinks about herself. Instead she focuses solely on what will save her family and when she is thrown into the arena, yes she focuses on what will keep her alive but only because of what winning will bring to her district. Honestly she’s awesome!!!
Tris Prior from Divergent another all-time favorite, she stays true to herself even when that means leaving everyone and everything she’s ever known. I love her 🙂
Cassia Reyes from Matched was the start of my obsession with young adult dystopian. Matched to her best friend and in love with someone else, she fights the very broken system in an effort to gain back the freedom that they’ve all lost to their tyrannical government. She’s smart, follows her gut and her heart. What’s not to love?!
Hermione Granger from Harry Potter is one that cannot be left off this list. She’s the smartest wizard of her age and let’s think about it for a minute shall we. Would Harry have really ever been able to beat Voldemort without her? I’ll let you stew on that for a bit 😉
Meira from Snow Like Ashes is perhaps my most favorite find of the year! She is smart, quick-witted, a bit stubborn, and does whatever is necessary to help save the Winterians. I loved the book from start to finish but without Meira there wouldn’t have been a story!
Lucy Pevensie from the Chronicles of Narnia is all grown up in Voyage of the Dawn Treader and I just love her! She is cunning, smart, brave, and does her best to keep up with the boys! She’s more mature and easily relatable as the series continues and you’ve just got to love that.
Aria from Under the Never Sky is another all-time favorite of mine. After being tossed into the unknown where she faces certain death, she doesn’t give up! She keeps going. She’s brave, courageous, and up to every challenge she comes across including Perry!
Cinder from The Lunar Chronicles is a new favorite. I didn’t start the series until this year and let me tell you I love it! Who knew that a cyborg Cinderella would be so good?! I love the mythology and Cinder herself is just amazing. She’s snarky, cunning, and ready to get her freedom!
Rebecca Dane from The Legacy is one of those characters I won’t soon forget. Here she is, married to the president of the New United States, working for the rebellion in an effort to assassinate said president for the last three years!!!! She’s got some balls on her that’s for sure 😉 She’s smart, kicks butt, and does whatever she needs too to survive and save her family.
Adele from The Moon Dwellers is another new favorite of mine. We first meet her in prison where she is being held as a traitor because of her parents. She’s smart, fast, snarky (which I love), and determined to save her family, but in the process she winds up doing so much more than that! She’s absolutely amazing 😀
What female heroines would make your list? Personally I had a really hard time keeping it to only ten! There are so many more I wanted to add.
I really love your post! I’ve read a few of them up there (less than a few really lol), but I totally agree with the ones I’ve read. I’m only just getting into the dystopian genre really but Divergent blew me away! It was fantastic! The problem is I now want more 🙁 lol.
Amy x
Amy recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books Which Feature Characters Who Use Magic!
Divergent is great 😀 One of my all-time favorites. If you’re looking for something along the same lines you won’t find it, but there are some great young adult dystopians out there. Matched by Ally Condie is fun, The Hunger Games (obviously), Under the Never Sky is perhaps my favorite young adult dystopian above them all 😉 The Dwellers series by David Estes is really good too! I’d better stop, I could go all day 😆
Such an awesome list! Some favourite girls and books are on this list! I love a bit of girl power, and I went with a similar theme for my top ten.
My TTT
Rosy @ The Review Diaries recently posted…Top Ten Books that Feature Girls that are Headstrong and Epic
What’s not to love about a strong female lead 😀
Hermione would have to be #1 on my list! There’s nothing like books and brains to completely kick-ass. I haven’t read quite a few of these — can you believe I still haven’t read UNDER THE NEVER SKY?! — but I adored Meira from SNOW LIKE ASHES. <3 Great list.
Kara @ Diary of a Teen Writer recently posted…The Darkest Part of the Forest || Folk, Fairytales, and Beautiful Writing
I don’t think anyone can beat Hermione! She’s amazing 😀 YOU MUST GET UTNS!!!!! It’s a must! I will harp you until you do 😉 I promise you’ll enjoy it!
You have picked some amazingly awesome characters this month. Cinder is probably my favourite (Katniss close second). If you haven’t read it yet I think you might like Celaena from Throne of Glass. Happy readings!
Jazz @ Jazmin Jade Reviews recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday – Childrens Books Featuring Death
I cannot believe I forgot Celaena on my list!!! I just started reading the series and I’m already in love with her. Got book two from the library last week and plan to start it very soon 😉
I agree, there are so many that could be added. I’m with you on most of these, and would add
Evie from Paranormalcy, Alison and Tori from Ultraviolet and its follow up, Quicksilver, oooh like you said. Too many to mention.
Leia Ann recently posted…Top Ten Tuesdays: 10 Quirky Characters
Ooo….I’ve not read those books….must add to TBR list 😉
I love Adele in the Moon Dwellers series and of course Hermione and Katniss HAVE to be on an list of kickass females!
chucklesthescot recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Amusing Sidekicks!
Instead of Adele I almost put Tawni. I love her just as much and she’s kick butt in her own way.
What a great selection! Love books with amazing female MCs. 😀
Christina @ Christina Writes recently posted…ten characters I would totally share a library with
What’s not to love about a strong female heroine 😉
Personally, I prefer Luna, but Hermione is great! I also love Cinder and all of the other girls from The Lunar Chronicles! Great list!
Lizzie the Sarcastic Blonde recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday #16
I Luna! She’s a great side character!!
Excellent choices! I think the things you like most about these characters say a lot about what a hero/heroine truly is — loyal, selfless, true to him/herself, etc.
Happy TTT!
Susan (Bloggin’ ’bout Books) recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday: Caught Red-Handed (Haired?)
We went for a similar theme this week, although the only one of yours on my list is Hermione. I do love Tris, Katniss and Lucy though. If I’d had more space I might have put them on my list.
Here’s my top ten strong female characters:
https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2015/04/28/top-ten-tuesdays-2/
JJ recently posted…Top Ten Tuesdays #2