YA Crush Tourney: Team Etienne

As some of y'all may know, I've participated in YA Sisterhood's various tourneys over the last couple of years- and this year is no different! In this year's YA Crush Tourney I am representing Etienne St. Clair, from one of my most favourite novels, "Anna and the French Kiss" by Stephanie Perkins. And guess what? I need your help! Etienne is currently battling it out with Warner from Tahereh Mafi's "Shatter Me" (another one of my most favourite books/ book boys of all time). While I LOVE both boys, I would love it if you could head over to the tournament to vote for Etienne. Need some convincing? Keep reading- you'll learn everything you need to know about this crush-worthy boy! 

Personality

There's no doubt about it, the boy is as charming as they come (if not the most charming YA boy that you'll ever encounter). And what is perchance best about his charm is that it's real- it's not forced by any stretch of the imagination (no matter how little he may like someone). Along with that charm comes draw- people from every walk of life flock to him, he's a chameleon of sorts, able to fit in with (and get along with) everyone, while always staying true to himself. He's almost like a highly exciteable puppy dog, he'll be your best friend, he'll stick by your side no matter what, and you can always depend upon him.

Looks
If there was one word to describe Etienne it would be beautiful. That being said, the boy isn't beautiful in the typical sense, what we've come to expect from our YA boys. First? His hair, messy and long and short at the  same time. Not unlike Beatles hair. Or artist hair. Or musician hair. Olympic winning hair. His eyes are big and brown- the type of eyes that you wouldn't mind falling into. The type of eyes that make your heart stutter when they lock with yours. The type of eyes that convey his every emotion, telling you exactly how he feels. His lovely smile- straight on top and crooked on the bottom, with a touch of an overbite. He's short- perfect for those tiny folk and a match for those who aren't as vertically challenged. The accent (because accents saturate every aspect of a person, no?)- 100% English and 100% ).

Talents
His ability to express his feelings like no other- namely in the form of poetry (in this case, poetry by Pablo Neruda- Google some of his poetry. Though, fair warning, you may injury yourself from the swoonage that you are guaranteed to experience). His ability to 'take one for the team', making himself look like a fool in order to make one of his friends feel better (have you read the deleted socceer scene from the book?). His ability to step out of the limelight, letting you be the center of attention- YOU pick what you do on your adventure, YOU to get whatever it is that is bothering you off of your chest, and so forth). The ability to make the best out of any situation (can't go home for Thanksgiving? That's okay!).

Special Attributes/Best Qualities
Accent + Banana charm + THE HAT + book of poems + crooked smile + confidence + realness = Etienne St. Clair AKA YA Crush Tourney Champion Potential

Anything else?
Special thanks goes out to the wonderful ladies of the YA Sisterhood (and all of their partners) for all of the hard work that they do in the organizing of this tournament- they are truly rockstars!

Oh, and this:

“We are kissing like crazy. Like our lives depend on it. His tongue slips inside my mouth, gentle but demanding, and it’s nothing like I’ve ever experienced, and I suddenly understand why people describe kissing as melting because every square inch of my body dissolves into his. My fingers grip his hair, pulling him closer. My veins throb and my heart explodes. I have never wanted anyone like this before. Ever.

He pushes me backward and we’re lying down, making out in front of the children with their red balloons and the old men with their chess sets and the tourists with their laminated maps and I don’t care, I don’t care about any of that.

All I want is Étienne.

The weight of his body on top of mine is extraordinary. I feel him—all of him—pressed against me, and I inhale his shaving cream, his shampoo, and that extra scent that’s just . . . him. The most delicious smell I could ever imagine.

I want to breathe him, lick him, eat him, drink him. His lips taste like honey. His face has the slightest bit of stubble and it rubs my skin but I don’t care, I don’t care at all. He feels wonderful. His hands are everywhere, and it doesn’t matter that his mouth is already on top of mine, I want him closer closer closer.”

Vote Tessa: YA Sisterhood Heroine Tournament FINAL!

Hey y'all! My name is Avery I review primarily YA paranormal books at my blog Avery's Book Nook. I have been a long time stalker follower of YA Sisterhood and their tournaments so it should come as no surprise that I am super excited to be advocating Tessa from Cassie Clare's Infernal Devices series! 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 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.

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 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.

Why should YOU Vote for Tessa instead of Clary?

When you boil it down, Tessa and Clary have a lot in common (aside from the fact that the are both characters created by Cassandra Clare). Both were quite literally thrust into their supernatural lives (for both girls much of their earlier lives had been a lie). Both girls excel at some things (Clary is creative beyond belief and is able to use her talents to do what no other Shadowhunter has been able to- create runes, whereas Tessa doesn't jump into anything without giving it a lot of thought and is extremely eager to learn of the world around her), but are flawed at others (Tessa is at times too rigid, by following the rule book to a T, whereas sometimes Clary does things with very little thought). Both girls become stronger- mentally, physically, and emotionally- as the stories in which they are a part of unfold.  When it all comes down to it I believe both girls are the epitome of YA Heroines.

I think that you should vote for the girl who you truly think is worthy of the title- don't let the incentives sway in your decision. If you think that Clary is the stronger heroine, don't vote for Tessa just because you want Cassie to rewrite the Dirty Sexy Bedroom Scene from Jem's POV and vice versa- if you think that Tessa is the stronger female, but you really want to know what Jace was thinking in the greenhouse scene in CoB, don't vote for Clary just for the scene. It's simple- vote for the girl you think is most deserving.

Anything you would like to add?

There are a whole heck of a lot of people I have to thank- Rachel over at Fiktshun for giving me lots of pointers about how the tournament worked, Valerie from Stuck in Books and Amanda from Letters Inside Out for being members of Team Cassie alongside me, @CaitLomas and @chel_c_cam for being amazeballs Tweeters, Cassie Clare herself for being so active in the tournament, and most importantly, the ladies of YA Sisterhood.

I think that in the heat of competition a lot of us (myself included) forget/ don't realize how much time and effort goes into running a tournament such as this- a tournament in which tens of thousands of people participate through voting, a tournament in which there are hundreds upon hundreds of comments to monitor, and a tournament in which there are dozens of advocates to constantly be in touch with. What the YA Sisterhood ladies do is unfathomable and as cheesy as it may sound, they are the true heroines in this tournament.

*Because this final features 2 members of Team Cassie everyone who votes is qualified to enter the Team Cassie Giveaway that Valerie, Amanda, Cassie, and myself created at the beginning of the tournament. To find out all of the giveaway details click HERE.

Vote Tessa: Round Four

About Her:

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 Katniss from Suzanne Collins "The Hunger Games" trilogy. 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.

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 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.

Why should YOU Vote for Tessa instead of Katniss?

While there is no denying that Katniss is physically stronger than Tessa, I think that there is no denying that Tessa is mentally and emotionally stronger than Katniss (though arguably in Clockwork Prince Tessa does start to develop into a physically stronger person due to training, thereby making her an overall strong character/ heroine).

When Katniss is upset by something she has a habit of shutting down, whereas Tessa does not (she isn't afraid to let those around her know exactly what she is thinking/ she isn't afraid to tell it like it is):

"I have dinner that night in my room, ordering an outrageous number of delicacies, eating myself sick, and then taking my anger at the Hunger Games, at every living being in the Capitol by smashing dishes around my room" (The Hunger Games, 118).

"It takes me at least an hour for me to cry myself out. Then I just lie curled up on the bed, stroking the silken sheets, watching the sun set over the artificial candy Capitol" (The Hunger Games, 104).

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 (and she isn't afraid to ask for help), whereas Katniss is oftentimes defiant, unwilling to compromise and, frankly speaking, selfish at times. When Haymitch suggests that Katniss and Peeta pretend to be friends (to gain sympathy/ support from the crowd) she pouts, stalks off to her room and snaps at anyone who gets in her way:

"Don't. Don't let's pretend when there's no one around" (The Hunger Games, 100).

***Contains spoilers from Clockwork Prince***

Also, not only is Tessa willing to put herself at risk for the greater good (see Chapter 16 of Clockwork Prince entitled "Mortal Rage"), but she is also willing to sacrifice the things that she holds dearest to her for the greater good, specifically her brother:

"My brother," Tessa said in a barely controlled voice, is a lying murderer, incapable of feeling. He may have married you, Jessamine, but he does not love you... He will abandon you, if he does not kill you first."
"Liar!" Jessamine screamed, "You don't understand him. You never did! His soul is pure and fine-"
"Pure as ditch water," Tessa said. "I understand him better than you do; you are blinded by his charm. He cares nothing for you" (Clockwork Prince, 307).

I suppose it it up to you to decide- what makes a true heroine? A person who is physically stronger or a person who is emotionally/ mentally stronger?

Anything You'd Like to Add? 

For those who vote for Tessa (or any member of Team Cassie- Clary, Tessa, or Izzy) Letters Inside Out, Stuck in Books, and myself (the girl's advocates) have prizes for you (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!

Furthermore, Cassie has stated that if Tessa were to win the tournament that she would rewrite the a scene from Clockwork Prince (as of right now the Dirty Sexy Bedroom Scene in Jem's POV is in the lead). Let me tell you... THIS IS SUCH AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY! By now we are all quite familiar with Jace's feelings for Clary (Cassie has also stated that if Clary were to win the tournament that she would rewrite the greenhouse scene from City of Bones from Jace's POV) due to there being 4 Mortal Instruments books already out and Cassie having previously rewritten scenes from her MI series in Jace's POV- whereas we do not know exactly what Jem's feelings for Tessa are, with him being a quite enigmatic and quiet character. So if you would like to see an entirely different side of a character we have all grown to love, I suggest that you vote for Tessa!

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!

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).

Vote Tessa: YA Heroine Tournament

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 Luce from Lauren Kate's "Fallen" series. 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:

• As mentioned, Tessa is from Cassie Clare's "Infernal Devices" series which includes "Clockwork Angel" and the recently released "Clockwork Prince"
• She is a sixteen-year old American 
• She has brown hair, grey eyes, and is tall
• She moves to Victoria-Era England to live with her brother Nate after her guardian, her Aunt Harriet, passes away
• Upon arriving in England she learns that things are not what they seem- 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

Best Attributes: 

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

Why Should YOU Vote For Tessa Instead of Luce?

• Like Luce, Tessa has two amazingly swoon-worthy boys vying for her attention but Tessa is not dependent upon the males in her life. When one of the males in her life does something to upset her she doesn't do something rash, nor wallow in self-pity, she keeps her chin held high and continues on with the task in front of her
• Furthermore, she doesn't play on the boy's feelings for her- manipulating them to do what she wants and she doesn't pout when she doesn't get her way 
• She is eager to learn about the new world that she is thrown into and she doesn't assume that she knows everything about said new world from the get-go
• She doesn't jump into things without any thought- she isn't careless nor is she afraid to ask for help

Anything You'd Like to Add?

Did you vote for Tessa or are you planning on voting for Clary, or Izzy in YA Sisterhood's Tournament of Heroines? If so Stuck in Books, Letters Inside Out, Cassie Claire, and myself (the girl's advocates) have some AMAZING PRIZES FOR YOU! Includes a copy of CP, Winner's Choice of Cassie Clare book, Hebel Design bookmark and a CA Angel Pendant! Find out all of the giveaway details HERE!

In My Mailbox: The Sisterwives and Automans Edition

In My Mailbox is a weekly post hosted by Kirsti at The Story Siren as a chance to share the books we've bought or received over the past week.
~~~~~~~~~~~

I sound kinda crazy. I blame all of the essays and exams I have had to do over the last week or so. My brain is officially fried. So no worries if you don't understand me. I barely understand myself. ;)

Bought

"Shatter Me" by Tahereh Mafi 

"Clockwork Prince" by Cassie Claire

"Wither" by Lauren DeStefano 

For Review

"Partials" by Dan Wells (Special thanks to HarperCollins Canada and Shannon)

Won

"Guardian of the Gate" by Michelle Zink (Thanks Michelle!)

Don't forget that Tessa and I will be going against Luce from Lauren Kate's "Fallen" series this WEDNESDAY in the YA Sisterhood Heroine Tournament! And if you planning on voting for Tessa, Clary, or Izzy in YA Sisterhood's Tournament of Heroines Stuck in Books, Letters Inside Out, Cassie Claire, and myself (the girl's advocates) have some AMAZING PRIZES FOR YOU! Includes a copy of CP, Winner's Choice of Cassie Clare book, Hebel Design bookmark and a CA Angel Pendant! Find out all of the giveaway details HERE!

UPDATED YA Heroine Tournament: Team Cassie GIVEAWAY!

If you have been following the YA Heroine Tournament over at YA Sisterhood you probably will have noticed that 3 of the 32 competitors are characters created by the amazing Cassie Clare- Isabelle Lightwood, Clary Fray and Tessa Gray.

Therefore Letters Inside Out (Team Izzy advocate), StuckInBooks (Team Clary advocate), and myself (Team Tessa advocate) have decided to join together to ensure that one of Team Cassie's girls takes the title!

What the three of us and our girls need is YOUR support and to get it we are offering up some incentives!

Whenever you Tweet, blog, FB (anything social media-wise) to promote voting for one of our girls to you qualified to win one of three FOUR prizes (1st place winner will get first choice of prize, 2nd place winner will get second choice, 3rd place winner will get their choice, Fourth place winner will receive remaining prize):

UPDATE: Clockwork Angel Pendant from Hebel Designs (supplied by Cassie Clare)

A copy of "Clockwork Prince" (supplied by StuckInBooks)

 A Nephilim-Facilis Descensus Averno bookmark from Hebel Design (supplied by Letters Inside Out)

Winners choice of "City of Bones", "City of Ashes", "City of Glass" or "Clockwork Angel" (supplied by myself)

We hope to add prizes as we go along (if anyone would like to contribute to the prize pile please contact one of the three of us! Either by our emails- which are all found on our blogs- or on Twitter).

You can also gain entries for adding Team buttons to your blog (you can find different Team buttons than the ones shown in this post on each of the individual blogs or at THIS POST where I have complied all of the various character buttons I have made).

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*Please read over Terms and Conditions of giveaway prior to entering it!*

YA Heroine Tournament Team Buttons

I thought that it would be helpful to post all of the YA Heroine buttons that I have made in one place so that all participants and advocates can easily grab them! 

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