Top Ten Tuesday: Characters I Just Didn't Click With

The Top Ten Tuesday meme is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. This week's topic is characters that we just didn't click with. I always kinda enjoy ranting about characters I didn't like, so I thought I'd join in this Top Ten Tuesday.

Plus, I just realized I haven't participated in a Top Ten Tuesday post since August 2014... how is that possible??! (Answer: the busy, stressful life of a grad student... but hey, that's over now! I'm done my program. Hopefully that means I can devote a little more time now to blogging.)

Anyway, without further ado (and in no particular order), here are the top ten twelve characters I didn't click with:

*Links are to my reviews of the books, so you can read in more detail about why a character didn't work for me. 

1.) Anna from A Witch in Winter by Ruth Warburton— specifically, the character Anna becomes once she falls in insta-love with Seth. I liked Anna to begin with, but am no fan of insta-love and what it does to characters I had initially liked well enough.

 2.) Dora from Secret Letters by Leah Scheier — she's annoyingly overconfident in her sleuthing abilities (without any reason that she should be, because actually, she kinda sucks at sleuthing) and sometimes when reading it I'd just be sitting there cringing and going, "No, Dora!!!" in my head.

3.) Victor and Eli from Vicious by V. E. Schwab— I think I'm one of the only people who didn't rave about Vicious. Sorry, but I just found the characters so dislikeable! I know that was the point, but partway through the book I was just hoping really hard for both of these guys to die at the end.

4.) Lucy from Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley — this one is perhaps less a case of "not clicking" and more a case of a character being kinda boring and flat. Lucy was a pretty relatable character, but I just didn't really care about what happened to her.

5.) Sage from The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult — I really disliked Sage in the first part of this book. I'm not sure if that's what the author intended, but Sage was involved in an adulterous relationship and that will often turn me off a character. She did redeem herself somewhat towards the end, but overall I'm just not the biggest fan.

6.) London from Forgotten by Cat Patrick — I had issues with pretty much everything about this book, but the characterization was definitely one of them. London is a very flat, forgettable sort of character (I guess the book is aptly titled.) As I wrote in my review, "I'm not sure I could name one activity London enjoys doing in her spare time if I had to (I'm not counting hanging out with her friend or boyfriend)."

7.) Sandinista from The Sharp Time by Mary O'Connell — unlike some of the others on this list, it wasn't that Sandinista was so flat and boring that I couldn't click with her. It was the opposite problem — she was so "edgy" and cynical that I had trouble relating to her.

8.) Jacinda from Firelight by Sophie Jordan — she was one of these wishy-washy characters that keeps flip-flopping around, changing her mind every other page. And she loves to bring the angst.

9.) Sunshine from Sunshine by Robin McKinley — she was too sarcastic and jaded even for me, and I can appreciate sarcasm. Worse, she was self-absorbed and whiny, and the stream-of-consciousness writing style made following along with her thought processes even more tedious.

10.) Libby from Pilgrims Don't Wear Pink by Stephanie Kate Strohm — I liked some aspects of Libby's character, but she was so dense when it came to the two guys in her life. It was so obvious to the reader (in part, because this book relies heavily on tropes/stereotypes and is very predictable) which was the "good" guy and which was just a player. But Libby just blindly ignored what was staring her right in the face.

11.) Celaena from Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas — I know this series has a huge fanbase, but at least in the first book, Celaena and I weren't always on the same page. She comes off as sorta full of herself to start with, and pretty judgmental at times of others. We're told she's Adarlan's greatest assassin, but we really don't see it. Plus, she basically leads on two guys at the same time, and I always lose respect for characters who do that.

 
Did you have trouble connecting with any of these characters?

Vicious: A Panoramic Review (NA/adult)

"A masterful, twisted tale of ambition, jealousy, betrayal, and superpowers, set in a near-future world.

Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong. Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find—aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge—but who will be left alive at the end?

In Vicious, V. E. Schwab brings to life a gritty comic-book-style world in vivid prose: a world where gaining superpowers doesn’t automatically lead to heroism, and a time when allegiances are called into question." (from Goodreads)

Note: This review includes some mild spoilers, as there was just too much I wanted to talk about. Major spoilers about the ending, however, are whited out.

Vicious by V.E. Schwab

My reaction:    

This is the sort of book suited to readers who don't mind completely dislikeable, loathesome, irredeemable characters. Because that is what Vicious gives you. This book has the most vile, sickening characters that I've read about in a long time.

As is obvious from the above description, there are two main characters here, Victor and Eli, and really it's a six-of-one-half-a-dozen-of-the-other situation as far as I'm concerned. Victor specializes in magically torturing people and Eli specializes in killing them the old-fashioned way. If I were forced to pick, I suppose I would choose Victor, simply because he seems to be more sane and stable than Eli. I think that if, heaven forbid, I somehow got in his way, I might be able to reason with Victor if I had something to offer him (like a useful superpower), in order to keep him from killing or torturing me. Whereas if I was an ExtraOrdinary and I ran into Eli I would be just plain out of luck, convinced as he is that he is on a God-given mission to eradicate all ExtraOrdinarys (save himself, of course, because he's "special".) 

Joining their ruthless ranks is Serena, Eli's sort-of girlfriend, who specializes in compelling everyone around her to do what she wants. She sometimes sickened me more than the others because she was so slick in manipulating people. We're told she is unable to "turn it off" and likes it when people resist her; perhaps that was supposed to make us sympathize with her but it didn't really work. Personally I thought she quite liked getting her way and twisting Eli around her little finger. Add to that her betrayal of her younger sister Sydney and let's face it, she was not about to win me over.

The only characters I actually liked were Sydney, Mitch, and the dog Dol. Sydney was a sweet, relatively innocent young girl who, despite the many obstacles she'd faced, had not turned all brutal the way Victor, Eli and Serena had. She was gutsy and had a quiet inner strength – sort of an "old soul." It was kind of sad and pathetic the way she saw Victor as her "safe place," given that the reader is well aware of his less-than-friendly attitude towards anyone who gets in the way of his plans. Mitch really seemed to care about Sydney and acted protective of her. And the dog, well, his loyalty to and bond with Sydney was admittedly adorable.

Best aspect: the complex, thought-provoking nature of Victor's and Eli's relationship and views of each other, both in college when this whole mess began as well as ten years later. While they may see themselves as vastly different (and they make every attempt to repeatedly tell themselves that) they are really two sides of the same coin. 

For Eli, there is a good dose of religious fanaticism motivating his "mission", whereas Victor is all about the cold hard facts. Eli's more impulsive and passionate, Victor more clinical, clever and exacting. In college, Eli was the charismatic one, naturally claiming the spotlight, easily charming the girl, whereas Victor lurked in his shadow, always a step behind. Victor has a glint of humanity left, evidenced by his befriending of Sydney and Mitch, while Eli appears to care for no one.

Yet their similarities are far more striking than their differences. Each determined to prove himself — Victor to Eli, who he seems to hero-worship; Eli to the world, and perhaps God. Each willing to take risks, to be utterly ruthless, to get a step closer to their ultimate goal. Each with a cruel sadistic streak that only widens when they become ExtraOrdinary. Each fascinated with pushing the boundaries of science and ethics. It is the height of irony that they both consider themselves to be on the side of "right" and the other on the side of "wrong" when from the reader's perspective it is easy to put both firmly in the category of "villain." (In fact, to underscore this point — the story primarily alternates between Victor's and Eli's perspectives, and I had a lot of trouble remembering which character I was reading about at any given time. Their mindsets just seemed so similar to me.)

If I could change something... I would tighten up the middle section plot-wise. The story dragged in the middle; things were getting repetitive ("ho hum, who's going to get tortured or killed next?") and I started to get bored. Mainly I just loathed both characters so much that I wanted to get to the part where they died (a not improbable prediction given that each of them wants to take out the other). 

I would also introduce a couple more characters who were not as despicable as the rest. It was disheartening to read over 300 pages about sadistic people with no hope for redemption. A few characters with some humanity left in their hearts would have brought a better balance to this book. 

As well, I would have liked more insight into Serena's motives. We don't get a very strong read on her character or much information on her backstory, particularly regarding her relationship with her sister.

If you haven't read it: and you like reading books about horrible people doing horrible things, well then...Vicious is your book.

If you have read it: did you find it as darkly harrowing and disturbing as I did?

Just one more thing I wanted to mention: I found the end of the book disappointingly anti-climactic, perhaps because it was not quite the ending I was hoping for. Spoilers, highlight to read: well, I was kind of hoping that Victor, Eli and Serena would all perish in a pyre of flames, as I said to my sister on Skype chat when I was partway through reading the book. Sadly, that did not come to pass. Serena did, in a manner of speaking, make it to the pyre, but Eli just ended up getting arrested (seriously, how long until he breaks out?) and Victor "died" but was conveniently resurrected by Sydney a couple days later. I would have appreciated more conversation between Victor and Eli at the end, hashing out what had gone wrong between them all those years ago at college, rather than simple physical battle.

Final verdict: This book is the antithesis of warm fuzzies. If you are looking for a book that delves into the inhuman lengths that super-humans will go to in satisfying their own ends, look no further. Vicious is aptly titled. 

 

Rating: 3.5 shooting stars. I struggled with what rating to give this book, simply because in all honesty I cannot say I liked it, but at the same time I cannot really say it is badly written. I will say that I think some of the violence was gratuitous, and overall I was left feeling sort of gross and tainted when I finished the book. I feel like perhaps Vicious tries too hard to be "edgy" without delving as deeply as it could into the real philosophical, ethical and psychological issues underlying Victor's and Eli's choices. 

 

Note: This book is only appropriate for mature readers (NA or adult), as it contains graphic violent content. 

Top Ten Tuesday: Guys Who Are Jerks

This fabulous meme is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish, and this week's topic is guys in books who are real jerks. Note: these are kind of spoilery because I explain why the guys are total scumbags. So you have been warned!

1.) Baron Debegri in Crown Duel – Oh, he is just loathsome. King Galdran is the most important villain in this book, but I think Debegri irritated me even more because he is such a low-down bully.

2.) Iago in Othello – arguably Shakespeare's sneakiest villain. He delights in spreading lies, tormenting Othello into believing his wife is unfaithful.

3.) Grima Wormtongue in Lord of the Rings – he's so very slimy.

4.) Paul in the Mediator series – he ties Suze up and gags her, and then still expects her to fall for him? So full of himself.

5.) Paul in The Year of Secret Assignments – what is up with all the Pauls being jerks? Anyway, this guy is a real scumbag who only pretends to care for Cassie.

6.) Prince Bryan in Summers at Castle Auburn – he's crude, arrogant, unfaithful, and has a sadistic streak. I honestly never understood why the main character liked him, but thankfully she eventually wises up and sees his true colours.

7.) Willoughby in Sense & Sensibility – because I had to include some Austen on here! Willoughby chooses money over love, breaking Marianne's heart with a hurtful letter. Not to mention his sordid past involving a woman he impregnated and then abandoned...

8.) Alex in the Song of the Lioness series – because he betrays Alanna and goes over to the dark side.

9.) Reeve in The Voice on the Radio – he spills someone else's secrets all over the airwaves, because he's in love with the sound of his own voice.

10.) Reyad in Poison Study – well, technically he's dead when the story begins, but we still see him in memories (and his ghost at times) so I'm counting him. Basically, he's a despicably sadistic creepy pervert. Enough said.

Dislikeable Characters: When Do You Call It Quits?

Characters and their relatability are very critical for me as a reader. I appreciate a blend of admirable qualities and flaws, and I enjoy seeing the character grow and learn from their mistakes. Nothing is worse than a Mary Sue (or Gary Stu) that is as perfect at the beginning as they are at the end.

However, I was wondering...are there any qualities in a character that make it impossible for you to root for them? Have you come across any characters so reprehensible that you've put the book down in dismay before you've reached the end? Admittedly, it takes time to show that the character has genuinely changed, yes...but is there ever a point at which you give up on them entirely?

There are a couple books that I've enjoyed where the protagonist starts out as dislikeable. One is a very popular 2010 debut, Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver (my review here), where the main character Sam Kingston is lacking in self-awareness and compassion at the beginning. The point of the whole book is to show how she gradually changes as she is forced to repeat the same day over and over and evaluate her actions and their consequences. As readers we can see her realizing her faults and trying to become a better person...and she does, but it takes a while. Yet Oliver manages to take Sam from a character I would not have hung out with to one I might have been friends with, and that's quite an accomplishment.

Another is The Murder of Bindy Mackenzie by Jaclyn Moriarty. Bindy is a Type A overachiever who believes she's a cut above the rest of the school, but throughout the novel she discovers that she may have been viewing herself and others through a very distorted lens. She is the kind of protagonist you want to shake really hard at the beginning, but I actually ended up feeling a bit sorry for her partway through, and it is gratifying to see her loosen up a little and make some friends.

Both of these books I definitely read to the end, and I enjoyed seeing the character's journey. Yes, they were frustrating at the beginning, but I think the authors both managed to plant the seed of possibility for change in the protagonist...and that is essential. I have to see some tiny speck of goodness in their personality (or on the flip side, sympathy-inducing aspect of their situation) that leads me to have hope that they will become more likeable.


Because frankly, I don't like to read about totally despicable people. I know some readers like Wuthering Heights, but though I'm pretty sure I read to the bitter end, the characters turned me off. What's there to enjoy about characters that start out as selfish, twisted and vengeful...and never learn? Catherine and Heathcliff spend the whole novel tormenting each other! Also, I like to see some growth within a certain number of pages...it doesn't have to be major, but it has to be something. For instance, I disliked Crime and Punishment partly because Raskolnikov takes so long to change; after committing a crime he spends about 400 pages hemming and hawing before he "sees the light" and makes an important decision. I'm sorry, but I would have probably given up about 200 pages in — if not sooner — if I hadn't been assigned it in school.

Couldn't resist posting this cover! This must be his 'revelation' scene...a pity you have to slog through 400 pages to get there.

I've found myself having a similar reaction to the Luxe series by Anna Godbersen. Gorgeous covers and setting, of course, and a few of the characters are decent, but most of them are extremely egotistical, self-serving liars and they have stayed that way through the 3 books I have read! I *want* to have some characters to root for, but they're not giving me much to work with...or much potential for future growth.

So, what about the rest of you? Do you guys prefer to read about characters that are considerably flawed, but make a large improvement by the end? Or ones that are mostly likeable but still screw up now and then? How important is the development of the character vs. their qualities? And do you ever like to read books about characters that are completely unlikeable and don't change?

Top Ten Tuesday: Most Dislikeable Characters

The "Top Ten Tuesday" meme is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. I surprisingly had some difficulty coming up with these! And okay, they probably aren't the top ten most hateable characters ever, but I wanted to pick some that were a little less well known. So, in no particular order...

1.) Pechorin from A Hero of Our Time

We had to read this for English class back in high school, and Pechorin was the protagonist. Which is bizarre, because he has no morals, so the reader is rooting against him for most of the book (or if you're optimistic, rooting for some major personality change!) He uses this completely naive girl just because he can, and he rides his horse to death chasing after this other woman he realizes has slipped from his grasp (who maybe, just maybe, he actually cares for. Maybe.) Later on in the book he shoots someone, but it was actually him exhausting his horse to death that made me hate him the most.

2.) Selia from The Goose Girl

Selia's the princess' lady-in-waiting, and she is evil through-and-through. Gifted with 'people-speaking' (the ability of persuasion) she attempts to usurp princess Anidori's position, and the princess is forced to go undercover as a goose girl. It's a fantastic fairy tale retelling and one of my favorite books - but Selia is so very sly and manipulative that you really can't help but despise her!

3.) John from Anna of Byzantium

Kind of an obscure choice, I know, but I really disliked Anna's younger brother John. She is originally the rightful heir to her father's throne, but when she is overheard making threats against her brother's life, her title of Crown Princess is stripped from her. Anna's not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but her brother John is only out for himself and he is remarkably deceitful for a young boy. He knows exactly how to wrap people around his fingers so they'll act in his interest, and yet he pretends to be wholeheartedly naive and innocent. Honourable mention goes to Anna's grandmother, who's on John's side because she figures he'll be her little puppet (although he has more backbone than she suspects).

4.) Vesputo from The Seer and The Sword

The man murders Princess Torina's father, drugs her mother, and plans on killing her as well. All he cares about is power. 'Nuff said.

5.) Tiffany from The Nonesuch

Tiffany is the ultimate whiny brat. She is entirely self-absorbed, shallow, and manipulative (I'm beginning to think that's a theme here). If she's not the centre of attention, she throws a fit to make herself the centre of attention - good or bad, she wants attention. Tiffany doesn't care about anybody but herself, and worse, she doesn't try very hard to hide this fact! Occasionally she'll put on a pretense of kindness, but it is obviously faked. You will feel very sorry for her paid companion Ancilla by the end of the book, and wonder how she has the patience to put up with her charge. 

6.) The Troll Queen from East

What disgusted me the most about the Troll Queen was her desire to possess Myk (as she called him). For some reason she just has to have him, and she'll stop at nothing to get him, including first cursing him to a polar bear body for a certain length of time, and then feeding him potions to cloud his mind and memory. That's not even mentioning all those human bodies she's got piling up in an icy valley they call the killing fields...

7.) Roger from the Alanna series

He's charming, cunning, armed with evil magical abilities and totally out to get control of the throne. He doesn't care who he hurts in the process (well, actually, that's not true - he would definitely like to cause Alanna some trouble, preferably the fatal kind). Roger's a fantastic villain. Honourable mention to Alex, who used to be a friend of Alanna's and then is lured over to the dark side.

8.) Prince Bryan from Summers at Castle Auburn

Prince Bryan is a conceited pig of a man who can't make a sound decision to save his life, delights in hurting others, and is rather paranoid about getting poisoned (which considering his other qualities isn't so surprising). He's unfaithful to his fiancee (an arranged marriage, because who would want to marry him?), his actions are based on rash impulses that he doesn't regret later, and he's not even a very good swordsman. I can't think of one redeeming quality about him, and the fact that the protagonist Coriel is infatuated with him for half the book is rather annoying (she gets over it, though, thankfully). Runner-up: Coriel's sister Elisandra, who is ruthless in saving herself from a life of unhappiness.

9.) Dr. Cable from the Uglies series

Well, at least the Dr. Cable from the first two books (before she semi-redeems herself). She knows exactly what buttons to push to get a reaction and how to twist other people around to her way of thinking. She's crafty and cool in the face of trouble, and she loves control. Also, she has no scruples about lying, cheating and blackmailing if that will accomplish her goal. Dr. Cable's more of a villain you love to hate.

10.) Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov from Crime and Punishment

Because he commits two murders and then spends 400 pages more than necessary contemplating whether or not to turn himself in. At some point the reader starts thinking, "Come on, just get on with it already so I don't have to read your incessant whining drivel anymore!"