[The End of 2011] Favorite Main Characters

After reading so many books in 2011, I've come across a lot of great characters. During this end of the year thing, I'm showcasing pretty covers, favorite books.. So main characters fit right in there! They are the spotlight, what the book is about, after all. To make things easier, every character in a book that's not at some point the main character (as in we experience his or her point of view), is considered a minor character for this post.

Katniss in The Hunger Games 
Katniss is a 16-year-old girl living with her mother and younger sister in the poorest district of Panem, the remains of what used be the United States. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The Hunger Games." The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed. When Katniss' sister is chosen by lottery, Katniss steps up to go in her place.
Goodreads page

Katniss is a feisty character, completely focused on survival, and a total bad ass (although opinions on this may vary - especially after Mockingjay). I loved how determined she was without losing the believability of her character. She's so focused on getting out of the Games alive, that she doesn't see what's right in front of her, or more specifically, who.

Ellie in Angelfire
Every night Ellie is haunted by terrifying dreams of monstrous creatures that are hunting her, killing her. When Ellie meets Will, she feels on the verge of remembering something just beyond her grasp. His attention is intense and romantic, and Ellie feels like her soul has known him for centuries. On her seventeenth birthday, on a dark street at midnight, Will awakens Ellie's power, and she knows that she can fight the creatures that stalk her in the grim darkness. Only Will holds the key to Ellie's memories, whole lifetimes of them, and when she looks at him, she can no longer pretend anything was just a dream. Ellie has power that no one can match, and her role is to hunt and kill the reapers that prey on human souls. But in order to survive the dangerous and ancient battle of the angels and the Fallen, she must also hunt for the secrets of her past lives and truths that may be too frightening to remember.
Goodreads page

Ellie is a totally normal girl - until she discovers she is the reincarnation of a warrior who kills reapers. So much for normal, right? I loved how down to earth she was despite kicking so much ass (there were more than enough fighting scenes to prove that!) and the fact that she stood her ground. She's funny and smart, but also very stubborn. I recognize myself in her, even though she is a bazillion times more awesome.

Tris in Divergent
In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself. During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves… or it might destroy her.
Goodreads page

Another feisty heroine! Tris grew up to be selfless, but proves she is plenty brave when she picks Dauntless as her faction of choice. I love how, even though she chose the fearless, she's not fearless. She has flaws, knows fear, is insecure and therefore she feels like a real person. She has difficulty with opening up and intimacy in different shapes and I recognize myself in that. I have the same issues - but Tris knows how to handle it. I cannot wait to see what Insurgent brings her.

Finley in The Girl in the Steel Corset
In 1897 England, sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne has no one except the "thing" inside her. When a young lord tries to take advantage of Finley, she fights back. And wins. But no normal Victorian girl has a darker side that makes her capable of knocking out a full-grown man with one punch... Only Griffin King sees the magical darkness inside her that says she's special, says she's one of them. The orphaned duke takes her in from the gaslit streets against the wishes of his band of misfits. Emily, who has her own special abilities and an unrequited love for Sam, who is part robot; and Jasper, an American cowboy with a shadowy secret. Griffin's investigating a criminal called The Machinist, the mastermind behind several recent crimes by automatons. Finley thinks she can help-and finally be a part of something, finally fit in. But The Machinist wants to tear Griff's little company of strays apart, and it isn't long before trust is tested on all sides. At least Finley knows whose side she's on, even if it seems no one believes her.
Goodreads page

Finley is a brave young woman in a position that doesn't get respected. The way she handles it, is violent, but she stands up for herself. She's brave, a little stubborn, sometimes annoying, but mostly she's a strong, loyal heroine. I loved that she stood up for someone she doesn't particularly liked when he was in danger. I love how Finley isn't perfect, which makes her one of the best heroines ever written for me.

Percy Jackson
Percy is confused. When he awoke from his long sleep, he didn't know much more than his name. His brain fuzz is lingering, even after the wolf Lupa tol him he is a demigod and trained him to fight with the pen/sword in his pocket. Somehow Percy manages to make it to a camp for half-bloods, despite the fact that he has to keep killing monsters along the way. But the camp doesn't ring and bells with him. The only thing he can recall from his past is another name: Annabeth.

Hazel is supposed to be dead. When she lived before, she didn't do a very good job of it. Sure, she was an obedient daughter, even when her mother was possessed by greed. But that was the problem - when the Voice took over he mother and commanded Hazel to use her "gift" for and evil purpose, Hazel couldn't say no. Now because of her mistake, the future of the world is at risk. Hazel wished she could ride away from it all on the stallion that appears in her dreams.

Frank is a klutz. His grandmother says he is descended from heroes and can be anything he wants to be, but he doesn't see it. He doesn't even know who his father is. He keeps hoping Apollo will claim him, because the only thing he is good at is archery - although not good enough to win camp war games. His bulky physique makes him feel like an ox, especially infront of Hazel, his closest friend at camp. He trusts her completely - enough to share the secret he holds close to his heart.
Goodreads page

Of course, Percy is introduced in his own series way before (The Lightning Thief) but I think The Son of Neptune may be my favorite book. Percy is such a lovely character and I'm so glad I met him. He's loyal, strong, cheeky, adventerous, funny and sometimes just a typical boy. I think I might have fallen in love with him just a little bit. He's the only hero in this post of favorite characters, and he's by far my favorite male character ever written.

Anna in Anna and the French Kiss
Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris - until she meets Etienne St. Clair: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home. As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near - misses end with the French kiss Anna - and readers - have long awaited?
Goodreads page

Anna is quirky, funny, and utterly relatable. I loved how real she felt, how she had insecurities like everyone else and just how much I could relate to her, even though has a completely different personality than I have. Sure, she has moments that she throws a tantrum, and she sometimes says stupid things, but she's still a lovely character. It's hard not to love Anna.

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Those are my favorite main characters from the books I've read this year! Let me know in the comments below who your favorite characters are and why :)