Looking Back at 2011

I didn't really have a set goal for the number of books that I wanted to read this year- I just knew that I wanted to read the same number of books, if not more, than I read in 2010 (which was 115 books)- and I accomplished that goal! Over the past year I have read 135 books.

Of the 135 books I read this year:

• I reviewed 130 of them (96%)
• Of those 130 books I reviewed: 
• 62 were review request books (requests either from the publisher or the author) (47%)
• 68 were books that I read/ reviewed for fun (53%)

Of the 135 books I read this year:

• 71 were physical books (53%)
• 64 were E-books (47%)- I cannot stress to you how much an E-reader has changed my life. I was very much one of those people who always said, "I will NEVER own an E-reader- I will FOREVER read only physical books", but then I got a Kindle... And let me tell you, my reading actually increased. Majorly. In having an E-reader I am now able to accept review requests that I would have previously rejected and in doing so I have discovered so many amazing authors, specifically self-published authors such as Derrolyn Anderson, Megan Duncan, Samantha Young and Denise Grover Swank (and I don't know about y'all, but I personally feel that I read books on my Kindle faster than I read the same book in physical copy- though I have no idea why). It is by far the best purchase I have ever made and well worth the money- as you can see 47% of what I have read this year I read on my Kindle- and food for thought, I only got my Kindle in April so I managed to read 68 E-books in less than 8 months. 

Of the 135 books I read this year:

• 49 were self-published/ indie (37%)
• 86 were traditionally published (63%)

Some other silly stats:

• I read the largest number of books in May- 17 to be exact (13%)
• I read the least number of books in October- 6 to be exact (4%)
• I reviewed the largest number of books in July- 12 to be exact (8%)
• I reread 13 books this year (9%)

 But more importantly than any stats...

•  I have learned so much this past year- not only about the world of book blogging, publishing and the likes of, but about myself.

• While I have always loved to read I never thought of doing anything with that love- career-wise specifically. I was fine with the idea of continuing on with my education in bioarchaeological anthropology, eventually getting my masters/ Phd and becoming a professor or a literal working-in-the-trenches-archaeologist, but when I became a blogger and started to learn more of the world of books I came to realize that it is something that I can see myself going for the rest of my life. So last week I followed my passion- instead of applying to grad school for bioarchaeological anthropology as I have intended to do for years, I applied to grad school for a masters program in library and information sciences- when I graduate from the program I will be a qualified librarian (AKA I WILL FOREVER BE SURROUNDED BY BOOKS).
• Not to mention I have made so many amazing friends and contacts over the year- whether it be here through my blog, through their blogs, through Twitter, or through events such as the YA Sisterhood Heroine Tournament (seriously, I love each and every one of you and appreciate your friendship more than you will ever know!).    

Here is to 2012- may it be even better than 2011 (and may we read even more amazing books)!

Vote Tessa: Heroine Tournament Round 3

As many of you probably know by now I am competing in YA Sisterhood's YA Heroine Tournament and I could use YOUR help! I am Tessa's advocate (from Cassie Clare's "Infernal Devices" series) and for the next 24 hours Tessa is going head-to-head with Izzy from Cassie's other book series, "The Mortal Instruments". I would appreciate it more than you could imagine if you could head over to YA Sisterhood's blog and vote for TESSA!

 

 About Her:

Tessa Gray, a sixteen year old American is sent to live with her brother in England after her guardian, her Aunt Harriet, passes away (both of Tessa's parents passed away when she was three years old). Upon arriving in England she learns that things are not what they seem- her life especially.

Her world is turned upside down when she is kidnapped and discovers that she has the ability to shapeshift. Upon being rescued from her kidnappers she befriends the London Institute's Shadowhunters including, but not limited to, Will, Jem, Charlotte, and Henry, alongside the Institute's staff including Thomas, Agatha, and Sophie.

Alongside the British Shadowhunter's Tessa attempts to thwart the Magister, a man hellbent on destroying the Shadowhunters through the use of clockwork creatures.  

Best Attributes: 

Tessa is by far one of the most genuine and modest female YA characters in my opinion, especially when it comes to her looks:

"Nate, with his fair good looks, was the one in the family generally agreed to have inherited her moth's beauty, but Tessa had always been perfectly content with her own smooth brown hair, and steady gray eyes. Jane Eyre had had brown hair, and plenty of other heroines besides. And it wasn't so bad being tall, either..." (Clockwork Angel, pg. 17)

She is inquisitive and open-minded. She loves to read just as much, if not not, than all of us and she can often be found quoting all of her favourite books:

"He didn't know what books meant to her, that books were symbols of truth and meaning..." (Clockwork Angel, pg. 97). 

She is by far one of Cassie's most unique and mysterious characters (In "Clockwork Angel" we are told that she appears to be a warlock, however her true identity- or a better approximation of her identity- is revealed in "Clockwork Prince").

She can outsnark even the snarkiest of characters, Will Herondale included:  

"Perhaps she's a girl who's fallen madly in love with me and persists in following me wherever I go." 
"My talent is shape-shifting, Will, not acting" (Clockwork Prince, pg. 87). 

Speaking of Will Herondale, she has two of the most swoon-worthy YA male characters vying for her attention (and she never lets that knowledge go to her head).

She takes everything in stride. Her clockwork angel pendant is one of the most kick-butt pieces of jewelry in the world of YA books (see "Clockwork Prince").

Let's pretend that the Dirty Sexy Balcony Scene is an attribute ;) 

What Makes Tessa a True Heroine?

 She is genuine and always remains true to her character. She is kind and has a big heart. She's still able to love those who aren't always worthy of being loved. 

She is selfless beyond belief- she is willing to do the right thing even if it means hurting herself in the process. For instance, in the case of her brother: 

"Nate was not like other people... He had a beautiful innocence about him that had to be protected at all costs. And Tessa had tried. She and her aunt had hidden Nate's own weaknesses from him, the consequences of his own flaws and failings. Never telling him of the work Aunt Harriet had had to do to make up the money he had lost gambling, of the taunts Tessa had endured from other children, calling her brother a drunk, a wastrel. They had hidden these things from him from being hurt" (pg. 352).

She is eager to learn about the new world that she is thrown into. She doesn't jump into things without any thought- she isn't careless, nor is she afraid to ask for help.

Why should YOU Vote for Tessa instead of Izzy?

While their is no denying that Izzy is kick-butt and that she could most certainly take Tessa down in a fight, I do believe that Tessa is more of a heroine than Izzy for a number of reasons:

Unlike Izzy who looks down upon people (especially Mundanes and Downworlders), Tessa doesn't look down upon anyone (ie. Sophie occupying a lower social status than herself, Jem being ill)- she gives everyone the benefit of the doubt without doing so in a naive way.

Tessa doesn't pout when things don't go the way that she wants to, furthermore, she is willing to do what needs to be done without complaint, unlike Izzy who has a habit of locking herself in her room, throwing temper tantrums, and throwing things at people when things don't go her way.

Tessa is not dependent upon the males in her life (nor is she careless). She doesn't play on the boy's feelings for her- manipulating them to do what she wants, whereas Izzy has been known a time to two to manipulate the males in her life, Simon especially, to do what she wants (which usually has disastrous consequences).  

Anything You'd Like to Add? 

Letters Inside Out and myself, both being members of Team Cassie, actually teamed up (alongside Stuck in Books, Clary's advocate) at the beginning of the tournament to host a fantabulous giveaway for everyone who votes for one of Cassie Clare's characters- Izzy, Tessa, or Clary. Because in this round of the tournament two of Cassie's characters are going head-to-head it is actually a Win-Win situation for everyone who votes in this round as you ALL qualify to enter the giveaway and win one of four amazing prizes (includes a copy of CP, winner's choice of CC book, a Hebel Design bookmark and a CA angel pendant)! Find out all of the details HERE!

Top 10 Books I’m Looking Forward To in 2012

1) "City of Lost Souls" by Cassie Clare: I am fairly certain that by now everyone knows how much I am in love with Cassie Clare's "Mortal Instrument" series, so it should be no surprise that this book tops my list. So much craziness went down in "City of Fallen Angels" that I need to know what happens in the next installment of the series- especially with the cliffhanger ending and all of the killer teasers that Cassie has been posting the last month, including, but not limited to:

"I know about parabatai,” said Magnus, his voice rising in pitch. “I’ve known parabatai so close they were almost the same person; do you know what happens, when one of them dies, to the one that’s left —." 

"You have a dark heart in you, Valentine’s daughter,” he said. “You just won’t admit it. And if you want Jace, you had better accept it. Because he belongs to me now. 

2) "Clockwork Princess" by Cassie Clare: "Clockwork Prince" potentially had an even bigger cliffhanger ending than "City of Fallen Angels" did (Will, Jem, Tessa's decision! And Cecily? Oh my!). So much of CP book took me by surprise and after finishing it I was just so emotionally drained- I think that we expect the same of this book, as it is the last book in Cassie's "Infernal Devices" series.

3) "Untitled (Shatter Me Book 2)" by Tahereh Mafi: Okay, so I don't actually know anything about this book- save for the fact that it is most likely going to be released in the fall of 2012 and that it is bound to be bad-ass. I mean,  look at how "Shatter Me" ended- An entirely new world with unlimited possibilities was introduced to us! What do I hope happens in this book: lots of sexy scenes between Adam and Juliette, lots of scenes of Warner being evil (and potentially sexy scenes between Warner and Juliette- what can I say? I am super intrigued by Warner), and Juliette learning more about her abilities/ becoming even more kickass. 

4) "The Golden Lily" by Richelle Mead: For realsies? The last line of "Bloodlines" made me burst out in tears (I admit that when I read it I may have blown the last line of the book out of proportion but... IT MADE ME SO GOSH DARN HAPPY!!!!!!!!)- Don't get me wrong, I understand that this series is all about Sydney/ Adrian/ Jill and that everything should revolve around them, but (as becomes evident) I am excited by the prospect of characters that I LOVED in VA playing a role in this series.

5) "Before I Wake" by Rachel Vincent: Though I would have been a-okay with "If I Die" being the last book in the series (anyone else feel that it had great closure?), I am excited by the prospect of my favourite characters (okay, really just Tod and Kaylee- screw Sabine and Nash) being around for a little longer. Rachel made a list of goals that she had in mind when writing this book that all entirely intriguing/ make for a good book:

"Put Nash and Tod back on speaking terms, and begin the healing.
Show what a powerful force the Hudsons can be, working together.
Put Kaylee and Nash back on speaking terms, and begin the healing.
Show the consequences of Tod's heroics in If I Die
Show the results/consequences of Kaylee's new...everything."

6) "Destined" by Aprilynne Pike: Okay, so I know I have said this multiple times in this list, but this time I mean it (like it's legit)- "Illusions", the third book in the series (the book prior to this book), had the worst (or best?) cliffhanger ending I read in 2011 (if not ever)- seriously, the book just ended when perhaps the biggest secret of the entire series was revealed. HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO US APRILYNNE! And this being the last book in the series? If Laurel doesn't realize how much of a booger she has been in the previous three books and declare her undying love for Tamani I will do something drastic like scream, throw this book around the room, or refuse to read any future books of Aprilynne's (okay not really, BUT I REALLY WANT THEM TO BE TOGETHER! Errrrr.... Well I suppose if Laurel doesn't want him, I will take him).

7) "Onyx" by Jennifer L. Armetrout: HAVE YOU SEEN THE COVER FOR THIS BOOK?!? DO YOU SEE THAT? THAT DAEMON AND KATY ARE ALMOST HOLDING HANDS? *Swoon* And, and have you read Daemon's POV from "Obsidian" yet (not that it really has anything to do with "Onyx", I just have to plug it because it makes me really happy)? What I expect from this book: lots of snark, sexytimes, and secrets. 

8) "Isla and the Happily Ever After" by Stephanie Perkins: My opinion? Anything that Stephanie writes is FLIPPIN' AMAZING (the characters especially- I mean, Etienne and Cricket? Pure genius!) and therefore this is bound to be amazing (and it is bound to make you smile- smile so much that your face will hurt after you finish reading it and your chest will feel all bubbly/ giddy, kinda like after you drink pop).

9) "Insurgent" by Veronia Roth: Believe it or not, but I only read "Divergent" yesterday- I started in late Wednesday night, about an hour or two before I went to bed, woke up early on Thursday to continue reading it and finished it before noon. And let me tell you, I have been kicking myself since I finished it for not having read it earlier (I found the receipt for the book inside it, I bought it on July 5th, 2011- almost six months ago. IT TOOK ME SIX FLIPPIN' MONTHS TO PICK THE BOOK UP AND READ IT? THAT IS LIKE A LIFETIME TO ME- seriously though, I am *typically* the type of person to get the book on the release date and finish it on the same day). As I am sure becomes evident from this little description here, I LOVED "Divergent" and I need "Insurgent" NOW! Seriously, I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS TO FOUR AND TRIS!

10) "The Soul" by Stephanie Meyers: I am pretty sure that this book hasn't been confirmed before, but when I came across it on Goodreads I had to include it on this list. I cannot express to you how much I enjoyed "The Host"- if you have yet to read it I highly recommend that you do so (and frankly, you don't have a viable excuse as to why you have yet to read this book because it came out like 7527350827035012 years ago- or more like 4ish).

Top 10 Characters in 2011

1) Juliette ("Shatter Me" by Tahereh Mafi): As has become evident over the last couple of days I adore Tahereh Mafi's "Shatter Me". It is very rare that I actually like a female YA character- I feel that in the large majority of cases there is little focus on them, that they are not well developed whatsoever and that they take the back seat to their male counterpart. That wasn't the case whatsoever for me with Juliette. As I said in my review of the book: "From the  first page of this book I was captivated- Juliette is unlike any character I have ever had the pleasure of reading about before, aside from being badass, resilient, and unyielding, she was, best of all, real."

2) Adam ("Shatter Me" by Tahereh Mafi): I think that I sum up my feelings for Adam best when I state: "As for Adam? All I can say is Edward Cullen Dimitri Belikov Jace Wayland who?" Aside from being utterly swoon-worthy he was just so gosh darn real and selfless. He is very much one of those male characters who will give you unrealistic expectations of how IRL males should act. 

3) Warner ("Shatter Me" by Tahereh Mafi): I don't like bad guys- Errrrr... Or at least I don't typically like them, but there is just something about Warner that is so gosh darn appealing (perhaps it is because he is just so hopeful? Legitimately thinking that Juliette is his soulmate and will complete his life? Or that he doesn't do things half-assed? He puts his everything into what his does- I mean, how many years did he spend researching Juliette?). I am expecting great (albeit terrible) things from him and I am quite excited to read all of the skeletons in his closet.

4) Jonathan ("City of Fallen Angels" by Cassandra Clare): Now that I think about it (forgive me, it's been a while since I last read this book)- did Jonathan legitimately talk in this book? I don't think that he did- I think that Jace and him just communicated via their minds. Regardless, I choose him because he has completely and utterly changed the direction of my favourite book series, TMI, forever. Plus, I am really intrigued by this spoiler/ teaser from CoLS (WTF is Jonathan/ Sebastian doing hanging out with Jace and Clary?):

“Do you want to go home? Or dance some more?” 
“Dance some more,” she said, breathlessly. “Is that all right?”
“Go ahead.” Sebastian leaned back, his hands braced behind him on the fountain’s edge, his smile like the edge of a straight razor. “I don’t mind watching.” 

5) Daemon ("Obsidian" by Jennifer L. Armentrout): I think that I perfectly summed up Daemon in yesterday's post- that he is a douchebag, albeit a smouldering douchebag who on occasion can exhibit actual emotions. He is very much one of those larger than life characters who will develop a cult following (a cult of YAs who will faint whenever "Daemon" and "kissing" or "objects shorting out around him" are mentioned in a single sentence).

6) Merit ("Chicagoland Vampires" series by Chloe McNeil): As I mentioned in yesterday's post I love the name Cricket, I also LOVE the name Merit (seriously, I think that if you were to name a little girl this she would be GUARANTEED to be badass when she grew up). Merit has basically everything going for her- intelligence, confidence, connections, strength (emotional and physical)- I cannot get enough of these books, nor of her (and yes, this is an adult series but I don't think that any older YAs will have any trouble reading it).

7) Dru ("Strange Angels" series by Lili St. Crow): Dru and I have been BFFs for ages so I obviously had to include her in this list (I tried so gosh darn hard to get her in the top 32 of the YA Sisterhood Heroine Tournament. Alas...). I can't recall seeing a YA character grow so much in a series as she did. She is by far the most kickass YA female in my opinion.

8) Cole ("Forever" by Maggie Stiefvater): Not going to lie, I didn't like Cole in "Linger". Whatsoever. But then I read this book (which is more so Cole and Isabel's story than Grace and Sam's) and I feel completely head-over-heels for him. I think that he brought a lot of much needed humor to this book. I demand a Cole spin-off right now!

9) Adrian ("Bloodlines" by Richelle Mead): Like Cole, Adrian didn't do much for me in Richelle's "Vampire Academy" series)- in fact, I couldn't stand him (I hated the fact that he stood between Dimitri and Rose AKA ONE OF THE MOST PERFECT YA COUPLES OF ALL TIME). Therefore, imagine my surprise when I read this book and fall for him! It was so refreshing (and unexpected) to see a different side of him- I cannot wait to see what he has in store for us in the next 5 books in this series.

10) Will/ Jem ("Clockwork Prince" by Cassandra Clare): Okay, so this is kinda cheating by having two boys occupy the same spot (but I am okay with it)- seriously, how can you choose between these two boys? I sure as heck can't! As if one DSBS wasn't enough, we get two of them (the Dirty Sexy Balcony Scene and the Dirty Sexy Bedroom Scene). This book (and these boys) made me so happy.

Top 10 Book Boyfriends in 2011

1) Jace Wayland ("City of Fallen Angels" by Casssandra Clare): Anyone who knows me knows how much I love Jace Wayland- in my opinion he is one of the greatest things to happen to the world of YA. I loved that in this book we saw an entirely different side of Jace- a softer/ bordering on gushy (from being in love side)- rather than the brooding, angsty side that we have all become so familiar with in the first three books of TMI books.

2) Adam ("Shatter Me" by Tahereh Mafi): I cannot tell you the number of times while I read this book Adam's actions brought tears to my eyes- what he did for Juliette well before he "knew" her, it is unfathomable. He was just so good (and bonus! Swoon-worthy). 

3) Reese ("Here" by Denise Grover Swank): While Reese was actually only a secondary character in this book I couldn't help but fall for him. The best comparison that I can make to Reese is "The Vampire Diaries" (the TV show, not the books). Evan, the main character of this book is like Stefan- very much a hopeless romantic, sappy, and the likes of, whereas Reese, like Damon Salvatore, very much has a 'devil-may-care' attitude (and he gets bonus points for being a computer geek).

4) Jay ("Desires of the Dead" by Kimberly Derting): The way in which Jay and Violet's relationship develops is probably my most favourite out of every YA book I have ever read. Jay is the epitome of selfless YA male character. These books made me squeal so much while reading them (and I admit that while reading them I shed quite a few happy tears)- almost exclusively because of Jay.

5) Daemon ("Obsidian" by Jennifer L. Armentrout): I am going to be honest with you, when I first read this book I thought that Daemon was a douchebag, albeit a totally smoldering hot douchebag. But then I read the little snippet of "Obsidian" that Jennifer wrote in Daemon's POV for the YA Sisterhood Heroine Tournament (you haven't read it yet? OMG! Go HERE and do so ASAP) and I read it and realized that there is a lot more to Daemon- that he actually has feelings. I didn't think it possible for me to fall in love with him even more than I already do. I learned that it is in fact possible.

6) Cricket ("Lola and the Boy Next Door" by Stephanie Perkins): First off I gotta say, Cricket is the cutest name of all time- if I don't end up being a crazy cat lady for all of my days and actually have kids, I am going to name one of them (preferably a son) Cricket. Cricket was just so awkward and innocent that you couldn't help but love him and root for him the entire book.

7) Tod ("If I Die" by Rachel Vincent): Like Cassie Clare, most people who know me know how much I love Rachel Vincent- therefore it should come as no surprise that I included the latest installment of her "Soul Screamers" is on this list. From the get-go I have been Team Tod (Nash who?), so as you can imagine I was SO FLIPPING HAPPY about the outcome of this book. Tod is by far the bestest dead character of all time.

8) Dev (Altered by Kimberly Montague): I think that if you were to take all of the best characteristics from all of the male characters on this list and mash them together you would get Dev. As I said in my review of the book, "I think that Dev possess all of the best characteristics of all of my favourite book boys- Jay Heaton's super caring nature (from Kimberly Derting's "The Body Finder" series), Marc Ramos' over-protectiveness (from Rachel Vincent's "Shifters" series), and Jace Lightwood's arrogance/ cockiness (from Cassie Clare's "Mortal Instruments" series)."

9) Beck (The Demon Trapper's Daughter by Jana Oliver): I don't know if I have ever wanted two characters in a book to get together as much as I did Beck and Riley. Seriously, the age gap between them is nothing compared to some other YA books (or heck, even MG books- anyone recall Numair and Diane in Tamora Pierce's "The Immortals" series? There was like a 7203496023860183 year age gap between the two of them and they still ended up together- so why can't Beck and Riley?).

10) Tamani (Illusions by Aprilynne Pike): Much like I have been Team Tod since the beginning of Rachel Vincent's "Soul Screamers" series I have been Team Tamani since the beginning of this series by Aprilynne Pike. Let's be honest, TAMANI IS THE ONE FOR LAUREL AND DAVID IS JUST KIDDING HIMSELF BY THINKING THAT HE IS. In the previous books I was so annoyed by Laurel continuously running back to David so I was obviously pleased by the outcome of this book.

Top 10 Book Covers of 2011

 

1) "Exiled" by RaShelle Workman: I haven't read this book yet but I soooooo want to- look at that cover? Isn't it the most gorgeous thing EVER? I didn't think that anything could top Andrea Cremer's "Nightshade". I was wrong. So, so wrong. And hey! This book is about aliens so it is guaranteed to be awesome (since the other alien book that I read this year, "Obsidian" by Jennifer L. Armentrout, was amazing).


2) "Smokeless Fire" by Samantha Young: This is one of the few books on this list that I have actually had the chance to read. Let me tell you, not only is the cover amazing, but so is the story! Because of this cover I stalk the artist's (Claudia at Phatpuppy Art) gallery ALL THE TIME.  And I love the fact that the author, Samantha, was able to find the stock image used on her book cover on a t-shirt! How awesome is that?

3) "Entangled" by Cat Clarke: I actually have no idea what this book is about- but what I do know is that this cover is absolutely breathtaking. I can;t look at it too long because I know that if I do so I will convince myself that it would be a good idea to dye my hair fire-engine red (red has been my least favourite color for basically forever, this book makes me actually like the color).

4) "Bad Taste in Boys" by Carrie Harris: Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am not a girly-girl whatsoever, but for some reason whenever there are sparkles on a book cover I am sold. And this cover has a whole lot of 'em! I also really love the font on the cover- I can't recall ever seeing a font like it used on a YA book.

5) "Die For Me" by Amy Plum: Like sparkles, I am totally sold on a book if it has curlicues on it (for some reason whenever I stop paying attention to whatever is happening in class I start drawing curlicues in the margins of all of my pages?). Typically I am not a fan of when books are re-released with a new cover, but I totally prefer this cover over the original.



6) "Darkest Mercy" by Melissa Marr: See my little speel about sparkles. I love ALL of the covers in Melissa's book series, but this is BY FAR my most favourite of all of her covers.

7) "Delirium" by Lauren Oliver: For some crazy reason I held off on buying this book for a long time. When I finally decided to buy it I got the original cover (the robin egg blue one with "Delirium" written in the cover, with a female's face being in the font) and then a month later this beauty was released. I really, really, really, REALLY wish that I had held off even longer to have bought the book. I much prefer this cover over the original (even though it admittedly has little to do with the plot of the book). Anyone else think that the model on the cover looks like a younger version of Anne Hathaway?

8) "Shattered Souls" by Mary Lindsey: I recently won a copy of this book (thanks to Rachel over at Fiktshun) and while I have yet to read it (I am hoping to be able to do so sometime over this break from school) and don't know how the cover plays into the storyline of the book I know that I love it! It is the epitome of haunting beauty.

9) "Teeth" by Ellen Datlow: So I didn't pick this book for the sole fact that it contains short stories written by some of my most favourite authors- I picked it for the cover. Isn't she so innocent looking- even though you know that she is a killer (and as such probably SUPER kick-ass)?  If I became a vampire, I would want to look like her.

10) "Eden" by Keary Taylor: I don't even know what to say about this cover. I am speechless. I honest to goodness cannot say enough good things about this cover. It almost makes me want to live in this dystopian world. Errrrr...  Robot zombies? Maybe not...

Vote Tessa: YA Heroine Tournament Round 2

As many of you probably know by now I am competing in YA Sisterhood's YA Heroine Tournament and I could use YOUR help! I am Tessa's advocate (from Cassie Clare's "Infernal Devices" series) and for the next 24 hours Tessa is going head-to-head with Kaylee from Rachel Vincent's "Soul Screamers" series. I would appreciate it more than you could imagine if you could head over to YA Sisterhood's blog and vote for TESSA! You can follow me during the tournament at:

BLOG/ TWITTER/ FACEBOOK 

About Her:

Tessa Gray, a sixteen year old American is sent to live with her brother in England after her guardian, her Aunt Harriet, passes away (both of Tessa's parents passed away when she was three years old). Upon arriving in England she learns that things are not what they seem- her life especially.

Her world is turned upside down when she is kidnapped and discovers that she has the ability to shapeshift. Upon being rescued from her kidnappers she befriends the London Institute's Shadowhunters including, but not limited to, Will, Jem, Charlotte, and Henry, alongside the Institute's staff including Thomas, Agatha, and Sophie.

Alongside the British Shadowhunter's Tessa attempts to thwart the Magister, a man hellbent on destroying the Shadowhunters through the use of clockwork creatures.  

Best Attributes: 

Tessa is by far one of the most genuine and modest female YA characters in my opinion, especially when it comes to her looks:

"Nate, with his fair good looks, was the one in the family generally agreed to have inherited her moth's beauty, but Tessa had always been perfectly content with her own smooth brown hair, and steady gray eyes. Jane Eyre had had brown hair, and plenty of other heroines besides. And it wasn't so bad being tall, either..." (Clockwork Angel, pg. 17)

She is inquisitive and open-minded. She loves to read just as much, if not not, than all of us and she can often be found quoting all of her favourite books:

"He didn't know what books meant to her, that books were symbols of truth and meaning..." (Clockwork Angel, pg. 97). 

She is by far one of Cassie's most unique and mysterious characters (In "Clockwork Angel" we are told that she appears to be a warlock, however her true identity- or a better approximation of her identity- is revealed in "Clockwork Prince").

She can outsnark even the snarkiest of characters, Will Herondale included:  

"Perhaps she's a girl who's fallen madly in love with me and persists in following me wherever I go." 
"My talent is shape-shifting, Will, not acting" (Clockwork Prince, pg. 87). 

Speaking of Will Herondale, she has two of the most swoon-worthy YA male characters vying for her attention (and she never lets that knowledge go to her head).

She takes everything in stride. Her clockwork angel pendant is one of the most kick-butt pieces of jewelry in the world of YA books (see "Clockwork Prince").

Let's pretend that the Dirty Sexy Balcony Scene is an attribute ;)

What Makes Tessa a True Heroine?

 She is genuine and always remains true to her character. She is kind and has a big heart. She's still able to love those who aren't always worthy of being loved. 

She is selfless beyond belief- she is willing to do the right thing even if it means hurting herself in the process. For instance, in the case of her brother: 

"Nate was not like other people... He had a beautiful innocence about him that had to be protected at all costs. And Tessa had tried. She and her aunt had hidden Nate's own weaknesses from him, the consequences of his own flaws and failings. Never telling him of the work Aunt Harriet had had to do to make up the money he had lost gambling, of the taunts Tessa had endured from other children, calling her brother a drunk, a wastrel. They had hidden these things from him from being hurt" (pg. 352).

She doesn't look down upon anyone (ie. Sophie occupying a lower social status than herself, Jem being ill)- she gives everyone the benefit of the doubt without doing so in a naive way. She is brave and willing to do what she needs to do without complaint. 

She is not dependent upon the males in her life. She doesn't play on the boy's feelings for her- manipulating them to do what she wants. 

She is eager to learn about the new world that she is thrown into. She doesn't jump into things without any thought- she isn't careless, nor is she afraid to ask for help.   

Why Should YOU Vote For Tessa Instead of Kaylee? 

I know, I know, this is where I am supposed to convince you why Tessa is a better heroine than Tessa, but I am not going to. I cannot tell you how much it pains me to see these two girls go head-to-head- both Cassie Clare and Rachel Vincent have been my top favourite authors for years and I love both of these girls so much and I truly believe them to both be heroines and legitimate role models for young adults (especially young females). 

If you really think about it, both girls have so much in common- both are selfless beyond belief (especially when dealing with the drug addicts in their lives), both haven't had the easiest of lives (losing loved ones and discovering that their lives have essentially been lies), both make those around them better people (case in point, the bad boys in their lives) and both are willing to put others well being before their own. 

I think that you should vote for the female character who you believe to be the strongest heroine (and even if you vote for Kaylee, I will wholeheartedly support your decision)!  

Anything You'd Like to Add? 

For those of you who do intend to vote for Tessa I just wanted to let you know that Stuck in Books, Letters Inside Out, Cassie Claire, and myself (the girl's advocates) have some incentives for you. Find out all of the details HERE!

Furthermore, Cassie has stated that if Tessa were to win the tournament that: "If Tessa wins, I’ll put up a number of options from the Clockwork world and write whichever wins the poll. :) For every mini-round that one of the girls wins, I’ll share a spoiler from an upcoming book. If Clary or Iz: ColS, if Tessa, Clockwork Princess." (see the details HERE).