Top 5 Wednesday – Characters on the Naughty List

Top 5 Wednesday is a weekly challenge for book lovers. Every week people are asked to list five answers on a topic. Check out the GoodReads group for more information and topics.

This week’s topic.

December 13th – Characters on the Naughty List
–These can be villains or just characters you don’t like!

I decided to interpret this as characters I just don’t like. Not because they are villains and we’re not supposed to like them, some of my favourite characters are villains. These characters just put me off, either they fall into an archetype that grates on me or I find them annoying for some reason. Sometimes these characters redeem themselves by the end of their respective series, sometimes not. In no particular order.

Bella Swann – Twilight Saga – Stephenie Meyer 

I wasn’t a fan of Edward Cullen either, but Bella just gives teenage girls a bad name. Not only is she completely self-involved, but she basically conveys the message that you have no agency of your own. Life only matters when Edward is there. After she becomes a part of the supernatural world, she shuns everyone who isn’t a part of it. Bella also accepts and romanticizes behaviour that is concerning. I’m sorry, I do not care how hot he is, if a guy shows up in my bedroom in the middle of the night without an invitation, there is going to be police involved.

I understand why so many people love this series. It’s fun bubblegum reading. It just was not for me. I think Bella is a large part of that.

Delilah “Lila” Bard – Shades of Magic Trilogy – V. E. Schwab

I love this series! I even like Lila by the end of it. However, in the first book (A Darker Shade of Magic) and parts of the second (A Gathering of Shadows), she is so bratty. Bratty for the sake of being a brat. I understand that she is stubborn, and feisty and that she grew up on the streets, but there were times I wanted to smack her. A good thing though, Lila seems to grow up by the end of the series. I’m interested in the character she is becoming.

Raphael – Guild Hunter Series – Nalini Singh

Another series I enjoy. This is definitely an archetype problem. The Archangel Raphael is the typical paranormal romance man. He is, of course, muscled and macho. Much time is spent describing how powerful and hot he is. What really bugs me is the arrogance. Raphael is used to being followed without question, while he is willing to bend the rules a bit with Elena, no one else matters. He dismisses people like they are nothing, even when they are helping. Elena’s friend, Ransom, says something to the effect of “We’re all rats to him”, and it’s true. He basically puts a woman out of business without thinking twice. Maybe I’m a minority in paranormal romance readers, but I do not find this kind of character attractive.

 

Quinn – Nadia Stafford series – Kelley Armstrong

This is the opposite of the Lila Bard situation. For the first two books in this trilogy, I didn’t mind Quinn. I found him kinda boring and a little whiny, but he was okay. He’s a hitman who still wants to have the wife and the kids and the family BBQs. He got it stuck in his head that Nadia was that girl. When it does not work, he becomes a bit of a possessive jerk. I really did not like him in the third book. I get that it has to be hard watching your ex with her new man, but grow up.

Jace Herondale – Mortal Instruments series – Cassandra Clare

This will not come as a surprise to many people, but I don’t like Jace. I find him arrogant and extremely self-absorbed at times. Once he meets Clary, he centres on her. He forgets to be concerned or considerate of his family or friends. Yes, he is going through some series stuff, but so is everyone else. True, he does improve by the end of the series, but by then it’s too late for me.

 

Well, that’s my list. I found this one really hard to write. I was stretching on a few of them. Apparently, I don’t get annoyed by characters enough.