15 YA Characters Who Live Up to the Hype
1. Kaz Brekker
Oh Kaz… our love for you and all your questionable morals knows no bounds. Dirtyhands has a reputation around Ketterdam—and in the world of YA—but we know that once you start reading SIX OF CROWS (if you haven’t already), Kaz will carve his own place out in your heart.
Criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker has been offered wealth beyond his wildest dreams. But to claim it, he’ll have to pull off a seemingly impossible heist:
Break into the notorious Ice Court, a military stronghold that has never been breached. Retrieve a hostage who could unleash magical havoc on the world. Survive long enough to collect his reward… and spend it.
Kaz needs a crew desperate enough to take on this suicide mission and dangerous enough to get the job done – and he knows exactly who: six of the deadliest outcasts the city has to offer. Together, they just might be unstoppable – if they don’t kill each other first.
2. Rhysand, High Lord of the Night Court
Do we even need to explain ourselves for this one? Yes? Okay, well if you’ve only read the first book in this incredible series, you might not understand. But once you enter the Night Court’s world in book two, we bet you’ll be ready to pledge your loyalty to this brutal, kind, empathic, loyal lord, too.
Feyre’s survival rests upon her ability to hunt and kill – the forest where she lives is a cold, bleak place in the long winter months. So when she spots a deer in the forest being pursued by a wolf, she cannot resist fighting it for the flesh. But to do so, she must kill the predator and killing something so precious comes at a price …
Dragged to a magical kingdom for the murder of a faerie, Feyre discovers that her captor, his face obscured by a jewelled mask, is hiding far more than his piercing green eyes would suggest. Feyre’s presence at the court is closely guarded, and as she begins to learn why, her feelings for him turn from hostility to passion and the faerie lands become an even more dangerous place. Feyre must fight to break an ancient curse, or she will lose him forever.
3. June Iparis
June Iparis was one of the very first YA heroines we fell in love with. Her sheer badassery won us over from the start, but it was her loving devotion to Metias, the arc of her relationship with Day, and the way she grew through the three books that really cemented her place on this list. Actually… it may be time for a reread soon.
What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors.
Born into an elite family in one of the Republic’s wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic’s highest military circles.
Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.
From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths – until the day June’s brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family’s survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias’s death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.
4. Maven Calore
Well, he didn’t win the MANIACAL LAUGHTER award for nothing. Maven Calore is a devious, twisted villain, and we can’t imagine this series without him. Nor would we want to. He keeps us entertained every time he’s on the page, and we have to admit that with one book to go, we’re crossing all our fingers for some kind of redemption.
We’re not even totally sure he deserves it, but whatever. We love him.
Mare Barrow’s world is divided by blood—those with red and those with silver. Mare and her family are lowly Reds, destined to serve the Silver elite whose supernatural abilities make them nearly gods. Mare steals what she can to help her family survive, but when her best friend is conscripted into the army she gambles everything to win his freedom. A twist of fate leads her to the royal palace itself, where, in front of the king and all his nobles, she discovers a power of her own—an ability she didn’t know she had. Except… her blood is Red.
To hide this impossibility, the king forces her into the role of a lost Silver princess and betroths her to one of his own sons. As Mare is drawn further into the Silver world, she risks her new position to aid the Scarlet Guard—the leaders of a Red rebellion. Her actions put into motion a deadly and violent dance, pitting prince against prince—and Mare against her own heart.
5. Starr Carter
If you read THE HATE U GIVE, you fell in love with Starr Carter. Forget the fantasy superpowers, forget the training that comes with growing up in space—Starr is one of, if not the, strongest young woman we’ve read in YA. She’s an inspiration, but she’s also super relatable, hilarious, and her sneaker game is on point.
Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.
Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.
6. Rose Hathaway
If you never read VAMPIRE ACADEMY because you were over the vampire trend, you missed out on six books of hilarious, badass, whip-smart narration, and a whole lot of incredible relationships. Rose Hathaway is iconic. We don’t even know what else to say. She’s take no prisoners, so WATCH OUT STRIGOI. Rose Hathaway is coming.
Lissa Dragomir is a Moroi princess: a mortal vampire with a rare gift for harnessing the earth’s magic. She must be protected at all times from Strigoi; the fiercest vampires – the ones who never die. The powerful blend of human and vampire blood that flows through Rose Hathaway, Lissa’s best friend, makes her a dhampir. Rose is dedicated to a dangerous life of protecting Lissa from the Strigoi, who are hell-bent on making Lissa one of them.
After two years of freedom, Rose and Lissa are caught and dragged back to St. Vladimir’s Academy, a school for vampire royalty and their guardians-to-be, hidden in the deep forests of Montana. But inside the iron gates, life is even more fraught with danger… and the Strigoi are always close by.
7. Will Herondale
Is it enough to just say that we love him?
Will has been through a lot in his life, from the demon’s curse to his parabatai’s struggle to everything the Magister put him and Tessa through, and through it all, he was there for the people around him. He was also hilarious, and loved books almost (dare we say… maybe more?) than we do. He hates ducks, but that’s part of a longer story and we will not fault him for it. They are cannibals, after all.
When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London’s Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.
Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What’s more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa’s power for his own.
8. Finnick Odair
If we wrote a list called “YA characters who deserved better,” and were only allowed to put one person on it, Finnick would be that person. We fell in love with the victor from District 4 from the very first page, and seeing him evolve as Katniss realized the difference between his person and persona made him even better. We don’t like to talk about Mockingjay.
The nation of Panem, formed from a post-apocalyptic North America, is a country that consists of a wealthy Capitol region surrounded by 12 poorer districts. Early in its history, a rebellion led by a 13th district against the Capitol resulted in its destruction and the creation of an annual televised event known as the Hunger Games. In punishment, and as a reminder of the power and grace of the Capitol, each district must yield one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 through a lottery system to participate in the games. The ‘tributes’ are chosen during the annual Reaping and are forced to fight to the death, leaving only one survivor to claim victory.
When 16-year-old Katniss’s young sister, Prim, is selected as District 12’s female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart Peeta, are pitted against bigger, stronger representatives, some of whom have trained for this their whole lives. , she sees it as a death sentence. But Katniss has been close to death before. For her, survival is second nature.
9. Ronan Lynch
We knew we had to include someone from the Gangsey on this list, and honestly it was hard to pick one. But somehow Ronan wormed his way into our hearts with his carefree attitude, his reckless behavior, his dreams, and, yeah, all right, we guess his feelings for Adam. So we’re very thankful there’s more on the way.
Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her. His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.
But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.
10. Manon Blackbeak
We’re going to be honest—we didn’t totally “get” Manon’s whole thing when she was introduced. We wanted more of Celaena and Chaol and Dorian. But her arc through that first book won us over (WHEN SHE’S IN THE PIT AND HELPS ABRAXOS), and everything she’s done since then has been flawless (DORIAN!!!). What are we going to do without the Thirteen?!
In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king’s champion. Her name is Celaena Sardothien.
The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass–and it’s there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena’s fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.
11. Henry “Monty” Montague
We may have a soft spot for characters with questionable morality. But this young lord is so hilarious, and both his antics and relationships—with Percy and Felicity—keep us unbelievably entertained. He really tries to do the best (most of the time), and we can’t fault him for that. He’s still learning!
Henry “Monty” Montague was born and bred to be a gentleman, but he was never one to be tamed. The finest boarding schools in England and the constant disapproval of his father haven’t been able to curb any of his roguish passions—not for gambling halls, late nights spent with a bottle of spirits, or waking up in the arms of women or men.
But as Monty embarks on his Grand Tour of Europe, his quest for a life filled with pleasure and vice is in danger of coming to an end. Not only does his father expect him to take over the family’s estate upon his return, but Monty is also nursing an impossible crush on his best friend and traveling companion, Percy.
12. Cameron Post
This book stunned us. It was so phenomenally written, so deeply emotional, and yet still so relatably funny. We wouldn’t know where we’d be without Cameron Post, one of the contemporary heroines that started a love affair with the coming-of-age genre, but we’re sure glad we don’t have to find out. We can’t wait to see her hit the big screen!
When Cameron Post’s parents die suddenly in a car crash, her shocking first thought is relief. Relief they’ll never know that, hours earlier, she had been kissing a girl.
But that relief doesn’t last, and Cam is forced to move in with her conservative aunt Ruth and her well-intentioned but hopelessly old-fashioned grandmother. She knows that from this point on, her life will forever be different. Survival in Miles City, Montana, means blending in and leaving well enough alone, and Cam becomes an expert at both.
Then Coley Taylor moves to town. Beautiful, pickup-driving Coley is a perfect cowgirl with the perfect boyfriend to match. She and Cam forge an unexpected and intense friendship, one that seems to leave room for something more to emerge. But just as that starts to seem like a real possibility, ultrareligious Aunt Ruth takes drastic action to “fix” her niece, bringing Cam face-to-face with the cost of denying her true self—even if she’s not quite sure who that is.
- Find out more about The Miseducation of Cameron Post!
- BTW, the film adaptation premiered at Sundance!
13. Charlotte Holmes
She’s an odd girl, but Charlotte Holmes is, simply put, incredible. She’s brilliant. She’s hilarious. And she’s realistically well-rounded. No Holmes is perfect, and Charlotte’s flaws won us over almost as quickly as her deductive skills and quick wit. We’re counting down the days until we can dive into her next adventure.
The last thing Jamie Watson wants is a rugby scholarship to Sherringford, a Connecticut prep school just an hour away from his estranged father. But that’s not the only complication: Sherringford is also home to Charlotte Holmes, the famous detective’s great-great-great-granddaughter, who has inherited not only Sherlock’s genius but also his volatile temperament.
From the moment they meet, there’s a tense energy between them, and they seem more destined to be rivals than anything else. But when a Sherringford student dies under suspicious circumstances, ripped straight from the most terrifying of the Sherlock Holmes stories, Jamie can no longer afford to keep his distance. Jamie and Charlotte are being framed for murder.
14. Nikolai Lantsov
“Anything worth doing starts as a bad idea.” How can we not love a character who gave us that great quote?! Nikolai was introduced as a very different character than he ended up being, but we fell in love with the combination of both over the course of his arc in the series.
We’re so excited to see him get his own story in KING OF SCARS, and hopefully finally all can be well for poor Ravka.
Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.
Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.
Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart.
15. Zuzana Nováková
Karou’s best friend, Zuzana is tiny but mighty. She’s charming as she wants to be, but she’s also never afraid to ruffle feathers with her strong opinions… even if they’re feathers of a freaking demon. She goes for what she wants and knows her worth, and honestly, reading about her makes us want to be a little more like her. But like, only sometimes, maybe.
Around the world, black hand prints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.
In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grows dangerously low. And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherworldly war.
Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real, she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious “errands”, she speaks many languages – not all of them human – and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.
When beautiful, haunted Akiva fixes fiery eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?
Who would you add to this list? Let us know in the comments!
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