Twelve Favorite Swoon-Worthy Literary Crushes of 2012

Diana and I have had a year full of literary crushes. We fully support reading books that don’t have romantic elements, but we have to be honest and say that our favorite Young Adult novels do incorporate romance, even if it’s not the *most* important theme in the book. Last night we took a break from our family reunion mayhem to brainstorm some of our favorite swoon-worthy characters we loved in 2012 (some of these books were published before 2012, but we only found them this year ). The list below are our favorites in the order that we discovered them:

1. Augustus from “The Fault in Our Stars”: There is so much that has been written about John Green’s brilliant novel about two teens battling cancer, including in our own comments at The Atlantic Wire. However, we have not devoted time solely to Augustus, and he completely deserves it, okay? Augustus is an amazing character.  He battles his own terminal cancer with courage, strength, wit, dignity and grace.  He is a fictional example of so many teens who battle their cancer with that same dignity, wit, and grace.  In the midst of that battle Augustus finds love with Hazel and as she falls in love with him, so did I.  Augustus is good looking, smart, funny, and he’s just incredible. I am thankful that John Green created him. –Diana

2. Finnikin from “Finnikin of the Rock”: I feel like I write about Finnikin a lot, but I can’t help it. Back in January, I described him as: Finnikin… is a real looker, especially if you have a bit of a thing for hot gingers who fall for fiery brunettes. He’s tall, lean, and naturally alabaster-skinned with hair the “ridiculous” color of “berries and gold.” He can fight like a member of the King’s Guard (his father was their commander) but has a sharp intellect honed by the murdered King’s top adviser. Unbelievably smart (he knows seven languages!) and good with a sword, Finnikin is stubbornly rational… until he gets to know Evanjalin and starts exploring his instinctive side. –Sandie

3. Akiva from “Daughter of Smoke and Bone” AND “Days of Blood and Starlight”: I personally am not a fan of angel and demon books, so I was skeptical about reading “Daughter” until it landed on a bunch of Best of 2012 lists. It was one of the very first books Diana and I read this year, and it remains among our favorites. Laini Taylor creates a lush world in which wishes are part of a demon-controlled black market, and angels are so beautiful what they find attractive is something more, something that Karou, that most fiery of heroines, possesses. Akiva is perfect looking (he’s a friggin’ angel), but he’s also heartbroken until Karou “sings to his soul” and makes him realize that life can transcend lifetimes. –Sandie

4. Will and Jem from “Clockwork Angel” AND “Clockwork Prince”: Will gets most of the love from fans and there are some who are “Team Jem,” but I love them both.  Although Will is seemingly aloof and sometimes a cocky jerk, when you find out in CP the reasons for his behavior, you love him all the more. Jem is such a wonderful person that you can’t help but love him as well.  You almost feel that Tessa doesn’t deserve him.  I’ve already preordered “Clockwork Princess” and can’t wait to find out what happens to both Will and Jem. –Diana

5. Froi from “Froi of the Exiles”: As Melina Marchetta (my all-time favorite YA author) herself has acknowledged, Froi and Quintana have the same trajectory as Jonah and Taylor in “Jellicoe Road” — they’re emotionally broken and in need of the other to help heal. Froi’s transformation from the angry, ignorant young thief in “Finnikin of the Rock” to the perfect combination of intellectual curiosity and physical strength in “Froi” is one of YA lit’s most remarkable story arcs. Froi is who he is because of Isaboe and the rest of his Lumateran family, but he discovers who he’s meant to be because of Quintana and his other Charynite connections. –Sandie

6. Four from “Divergent” AND “Insurgent”: Tobias Eaton is known as “Four” because he had only four fears.  As an instructor of the Dauntless initiates he becomes drawn to Tris and they soon become romantically involved.  Four is an amazing man who is not just attractive, but also strong both physically and emotionally. As he opens himself up to Tris it’s easy to see why she falls in love with him. He’s uncompromising in everything he does, including how fiercely he grows to love and protect Tris. We can’t wait to find out who’ll play him on the big screen! –Diana

7.  Prince Maxon from “The Selection”: Despite being like the show “The Bachelor,” Kiera Cass creates swoon-worthy character Prince Maxon in her debut novel “The Selection”.  He is definitely someone who could sweep you off your feet.  He is smart, kind, sweet AND he’s good looking, AND to top it all off, he’s a PRINCE!  He genuinely cares about choosing someone he can be happy with and who will help him rule Illea.  He’s already in love with protagonist America Singer, but he’s willing to give her time to sort her feelings for him.  How can you not love that? –Diana

8.  Rat from “Skinny”: “Skinny” was one of our monthly book club selections, and it turned out to be one of our favorites.  I loved the characters in this book, but I especially loved Rat, protagonist Ever Williams’ best friend.  Although she is morbidly obese, Rat has been her best friend since they were kids.  When she undergoes gastric-bypass surgery, he’s the one who is by her side through the entire ordeal. He helps encourage, motivate, and push her — even keeping track of her weight loss and exercise routine. It soon becomes obvious to everyone except Ever that he is more than just a friend.  Rat is truly the kind of person that I hope everyone can have in their own life.  –Diana

9. Andrius from “Between Shades of Gray”: What started out as a summer read on the way home from my vacation became an experience with a book that absolutely amazed me. Ruta Sepetys’ novel about Stalin’s cleansing of the Baltic region is gut-wrenching and unforgettable. Lina is a 15-year-old teen from Lithuania who faces the most barbaric treatment as she is imprisoned along with her family. Amidst this harrowing and depressing environment, she meets Andrius — a fellow Lithuanian imprisoned by the Soviets.  Together, Lina and Andrius find friendship and love. He proves to be a loyal, courageous and loving friend. Even under the unthinkable circumstances, you can’t help but fall in love with him just as Lina does. –Diana

10. Mal from “Shadow and Bone”: As I’ve said time and time again, I’m a sucker for friends-to-more stories, and Leigh Bardugo’s Tsarist Russia-inspired fantasy series features an unforgettable bond between the protagonist Alina Starkov and her lifelong best friend Mal. They’re nothing alike, but they grew up together in the same orphanage with a special, protective dynamic. Mal is outgoing and handsome, while Alina starts out a complete misfit until she comes into her powers. They’d do anything for each other, and Mal ultimately sacrifices his safety and his freedom for Alina (who in turn had saved his life more than once). Despite the fact that there’s a really intriguing love triangle with an eviler than he seems figure, it’s obvious that it’s Alina and Mal for life, and there’s no other way we’d want it. –Sandie

11. Chen Yong from “Silver Phoenix” AND “Fury of the Phoenix”: I was going to include Park from “Eleanor & Park” on this list, but it seemed unfair, since the book hasn’t come out yet, so most of you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting him. After writing about the dearth of appealing Asian boys in teen lit, several of you wrote me to recommend various books. My awesome librarian friend Alli convinced me to  read Cindy Pon’s two “Phoenix” fantasy books that feature an extraordinary hero for the fierce protagonist Ai Ling. Chen Yong is chivalrous and traditional, and as he gets to know just how capable and independent Ai Ling is, he becomes more understanding and accepting of her as a very different sort of Chinese young woman. It takes hundreds of pages for them to declare their love for each other, but it’s worth the wait. –Sandie

12. Jacob from “North of Beautiful”: What I loved about Jacob is that despite all of his “disguises” (he’s alternately a goth, a skaterboy, a prep-school hipster, etc.) he knows exactly who he is, even when others just see the outsider Chinese boy adopted by a high-powered white businesswoman. Terra, on the other hand, spends most of her time making sure her disguise is her and doesn’t let anyone in… until Jacob. Terra has a port-wine stain across her face, and Jacob is the one person in the world who doesn’t want her to hide it. When he tells her that the stain, like her, is beautiful, it’s sigh-inducingly-lovely. –Sandie

Fan art courtesy of the amazing Simini Blocker (Augustus);  Soniki360 at Deviant Art (Four); and  Phoenix Lu (Chen Yong and Ai Ling)

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