The Akron AWOL

     My favorite literary character is Conner Michael Lassiter, in the novel, "Unwind" (also known as "the Akron AWOL"). In the story, Conner is a troubled sixteen year old boy whose parents have signed him to be unwound (meaning the child from 13 to 18 whose parents have signed them to be unwound will be sent to "harvest camps", having their body parts removed and donated to those in need). Conner found out that he was to be unwound, and went "AWOL", or ran away. I admire his courage to be able to leave his whole life behind and forget the past. He never hesitated when it came to his survival. I believe that Conner and I are not very similar, because I tend to dwell in the past, contrary to Conner. But I believe that we are similar in the way that when it comes to survival, there should be no reluctance or hesitancy. This character first touched my emotions whenever he risks getting caught and sent to a harvest camp by saving a baby. This act of selflessness proved to me that Conner was not just a troublesome teen wreaking havoc wherever he went. It showed me that he did care aboout others. Conner becomes a dynamic character in the story whenever he learns to control his anger (which is why his parents wanted him to be unwound) and not succumb to the temptation of having an engagement. It is because of Conner's journey throught the novel, that he is my choice of literary character.

The Girl With Wings

Do you ever wonder what you would do if you looked up in the sky and saw something more than the clouds and a few birds? Maximum Ride could tell you exactly what you would do, considering she’s a teenage girl that has her very own pair of wings. Yes, she has wings, but no she is not an angel. Imagine the looks she must get when people first see her beautiful grayish-silver wings that spread out fully to eighteen feet. I admire “Max” because of her ability to not care what people think of her and her breath- taking courage that gives her the ability to conquer anything she puts her mind to. Her and her “family” would look like complete hoodlums when looking for leftover food to eat and she could see the people pointing and whispering about her. What did she do about it? Nothing, nada, zip. She could careless what they thought; her worries were herself and her family’s health and safety.  I feel that I am somewhat like Max in some ways but obviously not like her also. I have the confidence in me that gives me to ability to walk into a room and smile as everyone stares at me or completely laugh off awkward moments. What makes me different from her is that she will literally do anything and everything to protect her family. While battling her enemies she never once thought of herself getting hurt, just protecting her family even if it meant the worse for her. She entertained me with her sarcasm which was truly a gift that gave her the ability to make people cry with the simplest comeback. Just like every teenager, she had that “I think I’m better than everyone” attitude about her. This really helped me to better understand and relate to her knowing that she went through normal teenage emotions like love, heartbreak, and happiness at the littlest things. Someday I hope to have the same passion for life and uncaring bravery like she had in all of her stories of adventure.

A Little Change Is All It Took

  My favorite character is Christy form The Christy Miller Series. She moved from a small town in Wisconsin to live in California with her aunt and uncle for the summer. This big transition has its perks but also many problems. Even with her strong faith, she faces many trials. She gets pressured into change, but soon comes to realize, she shouldn't have to change for anybody. She sticks up for what she believes in and gets put in situations where she has to make hard decisions. At the beginning of the story, her parents make her promise that she won't do something she will regret. This promise is what helps her make her hard decisions. I respect her for honoring her parents by keeping her promise. Another thing is throughout the first part of the book she is a shy and not very confident girl, but towards the end she realizes she just has to be herself. She comes out of her shell, makes new friends, and gains confidence. She also realizes how much more she can enjoy life when you are confident, have good friends, and make wise decisions. She has the best summer of her life with her new self. This is why I respect and chose Christy for my favorite character.

Matchmaking, Chick Flicks, and Coffee

     Out of all the books that I’ve read, one of the most fun characters to read about and get to know has to be Lauren Holbrook from Miss Match. Lauren, better known by her nickname Laurie, is a laid back and goofy photographer around the age of twenty-three. I admire Laurie’s character because she is a Christian who is active at her church, not afraid to stand up for herself, and has a friendly and funny personality. I’m like Laurie in many different ways. For one, we are both addicted to chocolate and coffee. We also share a love for classic chick flicks such as “While You Were Sleeping”, the “Princess Bride”, and of course, “Pride and Prejudice”. There are also a number of things different about us. Lauren is a great matchmaker, while I feel I would be horrible at trying to get people together. Another difference is that Laurie’s mother died when she was still young, and I’ve had my mother to care for me my whole life. Laurie is one of those characters that you feel you really know. Her character doesn’t seem made up, but like she could live right down the block. I feel as if she could be one of my best friends with her bubbly personality and constant kidding around.

The Courageous Gemma

          Out of all the books I have read my favorite character is Gemma from the "Wake" series by Amanda Hockings. Gemma is a normal girl from a small town who faces everyday teenage problems.She has a passion for swimming and is on the high school swim team and every night she goes to the local bay to swim. But her life takes a drastic change when three beautiful girls, Penn,Thea,and Lexi, randomly appear in her town. Strange things start happening and Gemma thinks the girls are involved.People are disappearing and Penn insists on Gemma coming for a night swim at the bay with them.Gemma of course refuses but when she goes for her nightly swim a week later she finds herself drifting towards a cove. She finds Penn ,Thea, and Lexi around a fire dancing and they invite her to join them. She refuses but finds herself unwillingly saying yes.The girl force her into drinking out of a flask and its the last thing she remembers before waking up on the beach. She immediately notices her body changing,she becomes more and more beautiful with each passing day and knows that whatever was in the strange flask has something to do with her changes. She soon uncovers the dark secret about Penn,Lexi,and Thea and herself and must make the most important decisions of her life.
        Gemma is a very strong,courageous, and wise teenage girl who is forced to make decisions that will change her life. I am most like this character because she puts her friends and family first and tries to make good decisions.She tries to be responsible and kind and has a passion for sports.

The One and Only Jace Wayland

    Jace Wayland is a character from The Mortal Instruments series, written by Cassandra Clare.  He is a shadow hunter, which is a warrior that has human feelings and looks, but has superhuman abilities. His sole purpose is to protect the mortals, or humans, from dangers they cannot see.  He is an orphan, living with another shadow hunter family in New York.  Jace finds out that everything he thought he knew was a lie and has to fight for his life because of it.  I admire Jace’s bravery; he never backs down or gives up on any problem he finds himself in.  He’s often placed in life or death situations and manages to fight his way through it and survive.  As well as being courageous, Jace is very sarcastic and self-confident.  He always has some sort of come back or insult for anyone who challenges him.  Jace often gets into fights because of his jokes and comments.  He proves that being a strong fighter with a sarcastic attitude can be a good and interesting combination.  Throughout his life, Jace has been taught that love is a weakness; this makes it difficult for anyone to get close to him on a personal level.  It’s even harder to interpret his thoughts and actions because they are so unpredictable.  Throughout the books he makes many mistakes and shows over and over that he isn’t perfect.  Jace is different from any character I have ever read about, and that is why he is my all-time favorite character.

Katniss, the girl on fire!

My favorite literary character is Katniss Everdeen from the Hunger Games.  In the series, Katniss has to participate in the Hunger Games. Katniss and her friend Gale got into many situations where they could have gotten into major trouble. I consider her to be a very brave. When her sister, Prim, was originally picked to be in the Hunger Games she showed bravery by taking her place to save her younger sister. Katniss is also strong. She wins the Hunger Games with the help of her friend Peeta. She climbs trees to stay away from the danger and stays alive for the time period that they are in the Hunger Games. I believe that I am like Katniss in some ways. If I were in some of the situations she was in I would not have been as brave and as bold as she was. I have the same motivation as she does. When I need to get something done or win something I am going to do whatever it takes to get it done and do my best. I admire Katniss for her bravery and how she handles situations.

The Last Rider

   In the thrilling Inheritance Cycle series of books (written by Christopher Paolini), a character like no other is brought up. Eragon, an orphaned child living with his uncle (a bit cliche), has to fight an evil that plagues his kingdom. This fictional character fascinates me so because of his abilities to overcome many obstacles. His bravery was tested relentlessly, but he prevailed it all. His transformation from a boy from a farmstead to a man in a war is an amazing feat. He is the last of the Riders, a group of men intent on keeping order and peace within the kingdom. His whole setup, whole background, sets him up to be an amazing character. His unkown past, his conflicts, his romances, they all set up a scenario for an awe-inspiring character. Though I won't spoil it, the way in which he deals with his final enemy gives you a whole new respect for his personality. He also has a noble aura about him that just makes you want to respect him. Loyalty is also a perk shown in his personality, demonstrated in the end of the series. I don't believe that there will ever be another character like Eragon, and I certainly hope his uniqueness stays right where it's at.

Courageous in the Real and Folktale World

           Out of all of the characters I have met in the books I read in the past few years, I would have to say the the character, Eragon, from the Inheitance series is my favorite. He is just a plain farmboy in a small village in the northen corner of the kingdom, Alagasia. His entire destiny changes when he finds what he believes is a shiny rock, but it turns out that it is the first dragon egg to be seen in years. The most important thing about Eragon is that he is confident. I admire his confidence because he is not afraid to do what is right. He is confident, courages, and patient in the biggest journey he will ever take.
          Out of all of Eragon's traits, I admire his confidence the most because it relates to me, but his confidence is for a much higher cause. I have confidence in all of the work that I complete and turn in for school, and in different work i do in my community. He has the confidence that he can learn the ways of the Dragon Riders to defeat his enemy. I am not very alike this character, though. I can only relate to him through confidence. His actions throughout the series, however, have taught me how to logically think about situations. This is why I admire this character, his confidence and way of thinking.     

The Heroine to Inspire Us All

   

       My favorite literary character is Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series, by J.K. Rowling . In the series, she attends Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and with the help of her two best friends, Harry and Ron, gets herself in many difficult situations. No matter the nature of the things she faces, she always handles it with tremendous grace. Another thing I admire about Hermione is how loyal she is to her best friends. She would do anything for them, and in many cases did. Hermione, I believe, is rather selfless.  She puts others before herself, and that is a quality that anyone should be proud to possess. One important thing that we can all learn from Hermione is that you don’t have to be a “Pure-blood”, or in everyday standards, popular or rich, to accomplish great things. That is the message her character conveys to me. She, in my opinion, possesses many of the greatest qualities a human can possess. I am like Hermione in that I am a perfectionist, and very driven, but I feel that in many of the situations she was put in, I would not have been half as brave. We should all be inspired by her kindness, bravery, and grace. I genuinely believe that we could all be a little more like Hermione Granger.  

When a Flaw is a Great Thing

                  I would have to say that out of all of the characters I've meet through books my favorite must be Augustus Waters from John Green's The Fault in our Stars. Augustus Waters is a college student that has gone through an amputation due to a tumor in his leg. Although I do enjoy his personality, I don't believe that's what's so special about Augustus Waters or any characters in John Green's works. The unique trait he has is that he has flaws. He has flaws like people do. Augustus is not portrayed as your run of the mill Prince Charming, but as a human being with their imperfections. These imperfections aren't unnaturally evident though. He is a smart and nice person who respects everything around him. All of these elements blend together to make this character believable and not a copied and pasted role model. All in all Augustus Waters is an amazing work of literature as a character. Not because he's perfect but because  he's imperfect. I would suggest that everybody goes and picks up this book and sees that its better for a character to be a person, rather than a supermodel of a person.

The Pressure's On!

Spencer Hastings is one of the four main characters in The Pretty Little Liars. Spencer is a determined teenager with high expectations to achieve and struggling to be perfect at everything.  In The Pretty Little Liars, Spencer goes to extremes such as turning in her sister’s essay as her own. She felt that she had too much on her plate, yet she could not give up her image of perfection. At first, all is well, and she is progressing in her school work and extracurricular activities. By the end of the story, however, the guilt sinks in, leaving Spencer with no choice but to confess. Everyone is truly shocked when she admits that it was not her paper. Spencer punishes herself more harshly than what her original punishment was. I know what it is like to let people who have trusted me down and can see why she was so hard on herself. It is difficult to build up a self image for yourself and have it ruined by one mistake. I admire Spencer for owning up to her mistakes. She is my favorite literary character due to her responsibility and her determination. For Spencer Hastings, the pressure was on. Unfortunately, she couldn’t handle it.

The Boy Who Lived, and Touched Our Hearts

“I’m Harry. Harry Potter.” These are the words that started the most well-loved and treasured adventure of the twentieth and twenty-first century. The story of the young wizard named Harry is considered to be a classic, despite it being only fourteen years old. I chose Harry as my favorite literary character because he’s brave, adventurous, compassionate, and bold. Although he is not a real person, he is an undeniable inspiration. He manages to defeat the so-called “Dark Lord,” all the while battling the demons of his past that insist upon haunting him. Not to mention his massive load of homework from the Wizarding School known as Hogwarts. Even though he has help from other characters such as Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Dumbledore and Sirius Black, he still practically raised himself after the cold-blooded murder of his parents, Lily and James, when he was only a year old. He was orphaned at such a young age, and I find him even more relatable because he was like every other child going through a hard time. Though I’ll admit, I don’t think anyone’s struggle could compare to his.  I like to believe that I am like Harry in some ways. I am unwaveringly loyal to my friends, and will try my best to protect them from anything that threatens them, physically or emotionally. I am also quite bold, though not quite as much as him. I definitely would not have the guts to yell at a teacher straight on in the middle of a lesson, like he did with Professor Umbridge.  After all, we’re not all the Chosen Ones. His story touched my heart, and made my pulse race in anticipation every time I opened the books.  He is truly my absolute favorite literary character.

Lena: the Girl Who Was Infected With Love

Lena: the Girl who was infected with Love

    Delirium by Lauren Oliver perfectly illustrates the idea of forbidden love and the way this one rule-abiding citizen, Lena Haloway will do whatever it takes to be with the one she loves even if it means being diagnosed with “amor deliria nervosa.” There are three ways in which I admire Lena Haloway, the first being that she has the bravery to stand up for what she believes in, even if it means a certain death. Second being that she has a great deal of perseverance, she won’t give up on trying to find her mother. Third being that she is willing to be ridiculed, persecuted, and threatened for the one she loves. I feel like I am not like Lena in some ways, but alike in others. I am the type of girl who is easy going and naïve. I’m easily persuaded and not brave enough to stand up to authority. On the other hand, I will question whether something is right or wrong. I will do whatever it takes to be there for my friends. Lena really touched my emotions when she began falling in love with Alex. Their relationship would make anyone appreciate more the fact that we can choose who we love, and that it is not decided for us. Lena made me think in a new, innovative, interesting way I have never thought before. She made me question society, family, and the government. She also gave me a new perspective on how bad society could be for us on a daily basis. Lena gave me a new appreciation for where I live today. This book was a glimpse into a world with no feeling and certainly no love.

The One and Only Unique Katniss Everdeen

        You know how after you read your favorite book, you wish you were like that character? Well I do, and it is Katniss from “ The Hunger Games “  trilogy. I’m sure your familar with her because they recently last year made the movie about the book. Katniss Everdeen is a girl from sector 12 that is growing up poor but has care for others before herself, responsibility, and love for her sister. She lost her dad in a mine explosion that killed him and a hundred others. Katniss’ mom is still depressed from the death of her husband and her sister Primrose Everdeen is very shy and young. Primrose loves Katniss because not only is she her sister but Katniss makes sure her sister has everything she needs and wants. The responsibilty and care she has for Primrose is very sweet and puts an impact on my emotions toward Katniss. Every year there is a male and female chosen by Effie Trinkcet to support their sector the annual Hunger Games no matter how old you are. Peeta Melark is chosen as male tribute and Primrose Everdeen is chosen as female tribute. Katniss objects this and volunteers as tribute for her little sister. Love and sacrifice is a major role of why I chose Katniss as my favorite character and that is why I admire her.