Rewind & Review #56

Hosted by Shae Has Left the Room.

What's happened these last two weeks?
~I turned in the final draft of a paper that drained me mentally.
~The weather has been all over the map. We got a 2-hour delay on the 15th; then, by the weekend, it was sunny and in the 60s. It got chilly again by the 24th and the weather was absolutely dreadful on the 25th. It's warming up a little, but not much.
~I finished season 6 of Parks & Rec and, to be honest, I'm probably not gonna watch season 7. Sorry, y'all.
~I'm almost done with season 7 of Gilmore Girls!!! It has been put on hold until I've finished Fuller House.
~I submitted my application for on-campus apartment housing. It's in the RD's and God's hands now, and I know God has a plan for me for where He wants me to be. I just hope it's a place I'll be happy and learn and grow in Him.
~I binged Fuller House and finished it in only 2 days. I really wish they'd done more than 13 episodes.
~I went to a bridal expo on Friday night with two of my friends, one of whom is engaged. It was really fun and there was so much good cake.

Books I Received for Review

The Taming of the Drew by Stephanie Kate Strohm (from Sky Pony Press via Edelweiss)

Books I Won/Traded for/was Gifted

The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski (traded with Alexandra)
Girl on a Wire by Gwenda Bond (gifted by my new Secret Sis!)

Books I Bought

The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig

Books I Read

All In by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (reread)
The Darkest Corners by Kara Thomas
Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin (2 stars)
Passenger by Alexandra Bracken (4 stars)
Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson (2.5 stars)
Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson (reread)
The Things We Carried by Tim O'Brien (2 stars)
Blackhearts by Nicole Castroman (3.5 stars)

Blog Posts You Might've Missed

   (From 2/15-2/20)

• The One Where It's Giveaway Time
• Emma Does a Bookish Ask
• Review: In Real Life by Jessica Love (4 stars)

   (From 2/21-2/27)

• To All the Books I've Loved Before
• Top Ten Tuesday: Recent Reads Outside My Comfort Zone
• Review: A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro (3.5 stars)
• We Never Go Out of Style
• I've Caught the Hamilton Bug

Upcoming Posts in the Next Few Weeks (subject to change)

• TTT: Books to Read if You're in the Mood for a Series
• I'm Learning How to Use a Camera
• Random Friday: Spring 2016 Reads
• Interview with Heidi Heilig, Author of The Girl from Everywhere
• So You Like... #24
• TTT: Characters Everyone Loves But I Don't
• Elevator Reviews #4
• Writing Prompt #1
• More "Girly" Books for Manly Guys

I've Caught the Hamilton Bug

When the OBC recording of Hamilton became available for streaming, I swear, the entire book/blogging community lost their minds. Except for me. I held out. I knew it was mostly rap/hip-hop, which is not my scene at all. Like, the only rap song I own features Taylor Swift so...

But then, mere days after my Christmas break started, I found myself already in a state of boredom. So I caved and listened to the Hamilton soundtrack on Spotify. And now, when I look back at the Emma who didn't know lyrics to entire songs, I think...

"It must be nice."

Yes, that was a Hamilton reference.

I literally can't go anywhere without hearing Hamilton lyrics - my history class, chapel, Twitter... It's crazy.

I'm not a full-on Hamilton fan because some of the songs have too much rap for my tastes and there is foul language, but I have my favorites. Namely:

• "Alexander Hamilton"
• "Wait For It"
• "Dear Theodosia"
• "Non-Stop"
• "What'd I Miss?"
• "What Comes Next?"
• "Guns and Ships"
• "Burn"
• "Stay Alive (Reprise)"
• "It's Quiet Uptown"
• "The World Was Wide Enough"
• "History Has Its Eyes On You"

Now I Snapchat things like me lip-syncing "EVERYONE GIVE IT UP FOR AMERICA'S FAVORITE FIGHTING FRENCHMAN," and I've made Dubsmash videos for a couple of the songs, and I may have created a Hamilton blog on Tumblr, and it's highly probable that I put a giant reference to the musical in one of my stories. Oh, and my laptop sleeve may be a reference to the musical, and I may have purchased a tea called Dear Tea-dosia... So maybe I am obsessed after all...

So, yes, I've caught the Hamilton bug, and I'm afraid there's no cure.

(My life motto. Credit.)

We Never Go Out of Style

(Sorry I couldn't resist.)

Earlier this week, I talked about the books I've fallen out of love with. Now I'm going to talk about the ones I'm pretty certain I'll always love, the ones I'd reread monthly if I had the time, the ones I will make my children read someday. 

I went through my entire favorites shelf on Goodreads and narrowed it down to 42 books (as of writing this post at the end of December). I chose the books by the warm, fuzzy feeling I got inside when I saw their titles - even if the book is not the type that would induce those feelings when read (i.e., The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes).

Some of the books, I read as long ago as 2009 (that is, The Mother-Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick), and others were read just this past fall (Ten Thousand Skies Above You by Claudia Gray).

There are YA classics, such as The Hunger Games, The Fault in Our Stars, Cinder, and Anna and the French Kiss.

There's a whole bunch of contemporary, which goes to show just how much I love YA contemporary fic, even if it's the genre that lets me down the most, too. (I probably just have really high expectations for it.)

A sampling of the contemporary novels on my list include:

Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone

Smart Girls Get What They Want by Sarah Strohmeyer

Devoted by Jennifer Mathieu

Just One Day by Gayle Forman

And then there are those books that make my insides go all melty like chocolate chips in a cookie. I think about them and can't help but smile.

(Kind of like this.)

Heist Society by Ally Carter

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord

Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

Don't Touch by Rachel M. Wilson

The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

On the Fence by Kasie West

A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray

So let's talk. What books do you think you'll always love? Is there something in particular about them that makes you feel that way?

Review: A Study in Charlotte

A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro
Grade: B-
Release date: March 1, 2016
Summary: The last thing sixteen-year-old Jamie Watson–writer and great-great-grandson of the John 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 enigmatic, fiercely independent great-great-granddaughter, who’s inherited not just his genius but also his vices, volatile temperament, and expertly hidden vulnerability. Charlotte has been the object of his fascination for as long as he can remember–but from the moment they meet, there’s a tense energy between them, and they seem more destined to be rivals than anything else.

Then a Sherringford student dies under suspicious circumstances ripped straight from the most terrifying of the Holmes stories, and Jamie and Charlotte become the prime suspects. Convinced they’re being framed, they must race against the police to conduct their own investigation. As danger mounts, it becomes clear that nowhere is safe and the only people they can trust are each other.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Do you ever have those books where you love the plot but other elements keep the book from being a new favorite? A Study in Charlotte is one of those books for me.
There are murders - fun! Jamie and Charlotte worked with the police but also tried to keep ahead of them in the investigation, both of which I appreciated. There were twists and turns I didn't expect but there were also a few that I caught early on. A Jennifer Lynn Barnes novel, this is not. But that's okay. It's okay to not always suspect every character and be on the edge of your seat, worrying about twists. A Study in Charlotte took the color of a lot of mysteries where a lot of the plot was straightforward.
Character-wise, I wasn't quite in love with Charlotte. She was a bit too much of a caricature to me at times, too stiff and predictable. I love when characters burst off the pages. Jamie was pretty good, a little two-dimensional at times. They'd both benefit from a little character development in future books.
A Study in Charlotte had a lot of potential but it just wasn't quite there for me; it didn't reach the place where it would be a new favorite that I'd be shoving at people all over the place.
There's also a lot of drug use that's treated fairly casually, which I'm not okay with. It's personal taste, I suppose, but I wish it wasn't there. There's also some foul language.

The Verdict: I really wanted to love A Study in Charlotte, but it wasn't quite there for me. Definitely good for fans of Lock & Mori and Prep School Confidential.

Buy: Read Between the Lynes  Barnes & Noble

Will I be adding this book to my library?: Yup! It's preordered.

Top Ten Tuesday: Recent Reads Outside of My Comfort Zone

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

I read primarily YA contemporary, fantasy, and historical fiction with some mystery/thrillers and middle grade thrown in. So these are some books that I've read in the last couple of years that were out of my comfort zone.

1. The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore

2. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

3. Anything Could Happen by Will Walton

 

4 and 5. Nil and Nil Unlocked by Lynne Matson

 

6 and 7. The Archived and The Unbound by Victoria Schwab

8. A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray

9. The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

10. The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner

To All the Books I've Loved Before

Sometimes there are books that I dubbed favorites and gave 4 or 5 stars and wanted for my collection...and then a year or so goes by and they're no longer favorites.

This post is an open apology (sort of) to all those books I loved before but no longer do.

To Falling for Hamlet: You were one of the first actual YA books I read, and you had the perfect recipe for a new favorite of mine. A Shakespeare retelling! Sadly, I didn't reread you for a couple of years and when I did, the love was no longer there. Your pace was too slow, and you were a stereotypical YA with your foul language and sexual content.

To Nearly Gone: It's not really your fault I've fallen out of love with you. You were great with a female protagonist interested in STEM, and similarities to The Naturals, but then I read your sequel in June, which was nowhere near as good. Nearly Found is the reason I no longer love you.

To North of Beautiful: Like Falling for Hamlet, you were one of the first YA books I read and loved. You were deeply introspective and unique, and I thought you'd be one of my favorite books forever. But like with FfH, I didn't reread you for a while and you changed...or maybe I changed.

To Deception's Princess: Your similarity to Brave grew more apparent when I reread you, and your sequel annoyed me to no end. You have lost my love.

To The Darkest Minds: Your worldbuilding and concept were great, but your sequel dragged you down. I haven't finished your series yet, but I plan to. Still, I don't think that will make me love you again.

To Dorothy Must Die: I thought you were pretty rad when I first read you, but then your sequel, well, stunk. Majorly. It suffered from an extreme case of Second-Book Syndrome. Plus, I can't forget the fact that your author sort of condoned what Kathleen Hale did.

To Isla and the Happily Ever After: While Anna will always be my favorite book of this trilogy, you were my second favorite until I reread all of you last year. Somehow, Lola, which I had never really liked, surpassed you. And then I reread you, Isla, and I found myself annoyed with your main characters and your ending.

To The Summer I Became a Nerd: I thought you were really cute and fun when I first read you, but I kept putting off rereading you and I realized your writing and plot were a little too simple for me. I'm sure you'll delight many other people! Just not me.


So, if you could write goodbye letters to all the books you've loved before, in the vein of To All the Boys I've Loved Before, which books would you choose?

Review: In Real Life

In Real Life by Jessica Love

Grade: B

Release date: March 1, 2015

An e-galley was provided by St. Martin's Griffin via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration.

Summary: Hannah Cho and Nick Cooper have been best friends since 8th grade. They talk for hours on the phone, regularly shower each other with presents, and know everything there is to know about one another.

There's just one problem: Hannah and Nick have never actually met.

Hannah has spent her entire life doing what she's supposed to, but when her senior year spring break plans get ruined by a rule-breaker, she decides to break a rule or two herself. She impulsively decides to road trip to Vegas, her older sister and BFF in tow, to surprise Nick and finally declare her more-than-friend feelings for him.

Hannah's romantic gesture backfires when she gets to Vegas and meets Nick's girlfriend, whom he failed to mention. And it turns out his relationship status isn't the only thing he's been lying to her about. Hannah knows the real Nick can't be that different from the online Nick she knows and loves, but now she only has one night in Sin City to figure out what her feelings for Nick really are, all while discovering how life can change when you break the rules every now and then.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: So I was a little worried about In Real Life, even though I was really excited for it. I worried that the book could go in a stalkerish route. Thankfully, that wasn't a problem. 
In Real Life read a lot like teen movies - the crush on the best friend, the road trip, going to Vegas. Its beginning was strong, but it popped and fizzled as the story progressed. The plot took a turn that is mentioned in the summary, and I was kind of expecting something to happen since otherwise there would be no plot. Still, the whole thing with Nick and his girlfriend stretched a bit too long for my tastes.
I didn't like how Frankie, Nick's girlfriend, was portrayed. She seemed too self-serving and awful and so much like "the other woman." I didn't like that the parents were quite so absent. Hannah was a fairly strong character; she makes impulsive decisions as teenagers do, but she also worries and doesn't want to get in trouble or do the wrong thing. Also, I was excited when I found out Hannah and her sister, Grace, were Korean-American, and the best friend, Lo, is Latina. It was mentioned a few times throughout the book, so I didn't feel like it was shoehorned in.
I always worry when books are under 300 pages (In Real Life was 240), but it actually suited this book well. It took place over only a few days, primarily one night. Anything much longer would've meant a book that drags along.
Some foul language. A fair amount of drinking (via fake IDs), and Nick and Hannah gambled illegally.

The Verdict: Kind of good, definitely worth the read, but not amazing.

Buy: Read Between the Lynes  Barnes & Noble

Will I be adding this book to my library?: Still deciding. Maybe.

Emma Does a Bookish Ask

Recently, I was scrolling through Tumblr, trying to find post ideas because I was seriously low on ideas. It occurred to me that I could take one of those ask memes - specifically a bookish one - and use it for a post. The one I found originated here, I think. Now, ordinarily on Tumblr, I would reblog the post and people could go to my ask box and choose numbers and I'd answer. But obviously, we're going to do this a little differently. I'm going to answer any that I feel like answering. If y'all want me to answer the rest, just leave that number in the comments and I'll do my best to reply!

1: Currently reading

2: Describe the last scene you read in as few words as possible. No character names or title.

A noblewoman has deep compassion for her townspeople. She wants to help them even when they are sick, but a young knight shows her it would be unwise to expose herself to the illness.

3: First book that had a major influence on you

4: Quick, you're in desperate need of a fake name. What character name do you think of first?

Kat Bishop. And she's already a thief so I'd say it's meant to be.

5: Favorite series and why

Lol, you think I can choose one, that's so cute. Um, but really, I love the Heist Society trilogy and The Lunar Chronicles and The Naturals series.

6: Public library or personal library?

I'm forever grateful that public libraries exist, but my personal library is in better shape and it's not germy and I never have to worry about who touched the books before me. Also, no due dates.

7: What is the most important part of a book, in your opinion?
The plot. A book can't exist if nothing happens. Of course, characters are very important, too, but I can't stand a book where absolutely nothing happens.

8: Why are you reading the book you're currently reading?

9: If you were to publish a book what (besides your real name) would you use for your author name?

I'd maybe use my middle name as my surname? It could pass as one.

10: Do you listen to music when you read? Make a mini playlist for one of your favorite books.

Hmm, 75% of the time. It depends on my mood.

11: What book fandom do you affiliate yourself with the most?

The Hunger Games fandom.

12: Tell one book story or memory (what you were wearing when you were reading something, someone saw you cry in public, you threw a book across the room and broke a window, etc.)

My copy of Queen of Shadows arrived a couple days after the release date, and I had a meeting with a professor about an hour after I picked it up from the mailroom. So I sat and read until it was time for the meeting, and then I brought this humongous book to the meeting, and my professor wasn't surprised at all.

13: What character would be your best friend in real life?

No idea, but I want to be BFFs with Lara Jean Covey, Emily (Since You've Been Gone), and Paige Hancock.

14: Favorite item of book merch

15: Post a shelfie.

16: Rant about anything book related

I don't understand how so many people like Red Queen. It was so cliche and nothing new or interesting to me. Its cover isn't even that stunning.

17: What do you think about movie/tv adaptations?

I don't think all books needs them or are made to have them, but if they're done well, I love them.

18: Favorite booktuber(s)

I don't watch book vlogs.

19: Book that you call your child.

Lol, I only say that about the ones I write.

20: A character you like but you really, really shouldn't.

21: Do you loan your books?

Very tentatively and only to certain people. I trust a few of my BFFs (Kelly, Kate, Elise) to take good care of them, but I don't trust most people, especially because a friend's former roomie bent the cover of Princess Academy and the dust jacket for Unhinged. 

22: A movie or tv show you wish would have been a book

23: Did your family or friends influence you to read when you were younger?

Oh totally. My parents started reading to me when I was a baby and just kept it up as I got older. My mom read to me when I was in elementary school, too; it was just something we did together.

24: First book(s) you remember being obsessed with

Hmm...maybe The Baby-Sitters Club series? I was in elementary school when I read those for the first time.

25: A book that you think about and you cringe because of how terrible it was

The Unbearable Book Club for Unsinkable Girls. I was hoping for another Mother-Daughter Book Club. Not even close.

26: Do you read from recommendations or whatever book catches your eye?

Usually the latter, although the former can influence my interest in a book.

27: How/where do you purchase your books?

I used to get them all from Read Between the Lynes and Barnes & Noble. Now, since I don't live near the former and I'm a broke college student, I use Amazon a lot. But I also support Joseph-Beth Booksellers and Barnes & Noble and The Fountain Bookstore (here in Richmond, VA) however I can. 

28: An ending you wish you could change

29: Favorite female protagonist.
First one that comes to mind is Kestrel from The Winner's Curse.

30: One book everyone should read
I'm reluctant to answer this because of that "everyone" because I know reading tastes can be so radically different. But I'm very tempted to say The Start of Me and You.

31: Do you day dream about your favorite books? If so, share one fantasy you have about them.

32: OTP or NoTP?
Lol, so many OTPs. Paige and Max from The Start of Me and You. Nikolai and Alina from The Grisha trilogy. Kat and Hale from the Heist Society trilogy. Chaol and Celaena from the Throne of Glass series. Emily and Frank from Since You've Been Gone. Meira and Theron from the Snow Like Ashes trilogy.
NoTPs include Meira and Mather, Celaena and Rowan, and Alina and the Darkling.

33: Cute and fluffy or dramatic and deadly?
Nnnnhhhhhhhhh. As long as it's good cute and fluffy, I'll take that any day. I do love dramatic and deadly though.

34: Scariest book you ever read
As much as I love The Naturals series, I refuse to read them right before bed or if I'm alone. That's how intense they are.

35: What do you think of Ebooks
They're cool! Outrageously over-priced, though. If I'm paying that much for a book, I'd much rather have a physical copy that I can feel and admire and that doesn't run out of battery.

36: Unpopular opinions
I don't think a beat-up book is necessarily a loved book (my babies must be pristine and look barely used). I'm not a big fan of a bunch of swearing (I will accept a few words, but it's too gratuitous these days) or sexual content in books. (Like, give me all the kisses, hand-holding, and hugging, but please, nothing more.) I hate when authors won't leave a world after they've written a full series set in it.

37: A book you are scared is not going to be all you hoped it would be
When We Collided by Emery Lord, The Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutkoski, Traitor Angels by Anne Blankman, and The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson.

38: What qualities do you find annoying in a character?
When they think cheating is okay. When they act unnecessarily immature or stupid, even for a teenager.

39: Favorite villain
Here's the thing - I'm not a villain person. I'm that person that thinks Loki is a strong character but doesn't actually like him. I abhor the Darkling. I find most villains rather annoying and can't understand how people love them beyond their value as opposition to the protagonist. But my favorite well-formed villain is President Snow.

40: Has there ever been a book you wish you could un-read?
I feel like you could put a positive spin on this question, and I certainly would if that had been the first thought that popped into my head. Unfortunately, I immediately thought of Twilight. I wish I could scour that one from my brain.

So for the questions I didn't answer...ask away, and feel free to do this bookish ask on your own blog!

The One Where It's Giveaway Time

Sometimes I just want to spread the book love, so this post is all about a giveaway. You can enter via the Rafflecopter widget below to win one of the books I'm about to feature in this post. If the cover's below and you win, you can choose that book as your prize. I'm featuring all backlist titles because these are the books that don't get as much love and attention. I'm all about the new and exciting books, too, but they're usually the ones getting the attention and giveaways so I wanted to honor some of my favorites and introduce some of y'all to new reads.

  
  
  
  
  
 

**If the sequel to any of these would be considered a backlist title and it's available in paperback, you are more than welcome to choose that as your prize (i.e., any of the Gallagher Girls books, The Unbound, Time After Time, Split Second, etc.). If you're not certain if it would count, just ask, and the worst I can say is choose something else! :)

Giveaway Rules

~No cheating. I check entries.
~There will be one winner.

~As long as The Book Depository ships to your country, this giveaway is open internationally.

~If you win, you must respond to my email within 48 hours; otherwise, I will choose another winner.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rewind & Review #55

Hosted by Shae Has Left the Room.

So in the last two weeks, I...
~got a new laptop! It's running like a dream, and it's so nice to have one with a better battery life and doesn't overheat.
~wrote a paper for American Lit II that sucked about 10 years off my life.
-went to my first poetry reading; the main poet was really good!
-had my first exam in Brit Lit II; it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be.
-shivered a whole lot; I'm tired of the wind and cold

Books I Received for Review

Mother-Daughter Book Camp by Heather Vogel Frederick (from Simon & Schuster via Edelweiss)
Wild Swans by Jessica Spotswood (from Sourcebooks Fire via NetGalley)
And I Darken by Kiersten White (from Random House via NetGalley)

Books I Won/Traded for/was Gifted

Front Lines by Michael Grant (finished copy for being on the blog tour)

Books I Bought

La vie cachee de Katarina Bishop by Ally Carter (the French edition of Heist Society)
Fridays with the Wizards by Jessica Day George
Blackhearts by Nicole Castroman

Books I Read

Burn by Elissa Sussman (3 stars)
Coming of Age in Mississippi by Anne Moody (2.5 stars)
You're Invited by Jen Malone and Gail Nall (4 stars)
The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows (reread)
What You Always Wanted by Kristin Rae
Dig Too Deep by Amy Allgeyer (DNF)
Truly, Madly, Famously by Rebecca Serle (3 stars)
Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse
Better off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg (reread)
Future Shock by Elizabeth Briggs
Summer of Chasing Mermaids by Sarah Ockler (2.5 stars)
Fridays with the Wizards by Jessica Day George (5 stars)

Blog Posts You Might've Missed

   (From 2/1-2/6)

• The One Where I Share More of My Writing
• Top Ten Tuesday: Historical Settings I Want More Of
• Review: The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig (4 stars)
• Do I Favor One Publisher Over Another?
• So You Like... #23

   (From 2/7-2/13)

• When I Was Little, I Read
• Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Quotes Involving Romance
• Round Three of Secret Sister
• Review: Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum (4 stars)
• Random Friday: Characters I Love to Hate

Upcoming Posts in the Next Few Weeks (subject to change)

• The One Where It's Giveaway Time
• From the Bookshelf to the Kitchen: Chocolate Pie
• Emma Does a Bookish Ask
• Review: In Real Life by Jessica Love
• To All the Books I've Loved Before
• TTT: Recent Reads Outside of My Comfort Zone
• Review: A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro
• We Never Go Out of Style
• I've Caught the Hamilton Bug

Random Friday: Characters I Love to Hate

Want to participate in Random Fridays? Just do the following: 

• Include the above image in your post and link back to my post.
• Blog about this week's topic.
• Add the link to your Random Friday at the bottom of this post.

Happy almost Valentine's Day, dears! I decided to do a twist on my usual happy love theme for the Random Friday post closest to Valentine's Day this year. 

I'm gonna talk about the characters I dislike the most, but why I don't treat them with casual indifference. Note: there are some spoilers ahead, so if you see a series you haven't read yet, then you might want to skip my explanation for that character.

1. Mather from Snow Like Ashes and Ice Like Fire

This trilogy has a definite love triangle, and I sense that the author favors Mather, which automatically means I'm a bit suspicious. I like when the author doesn't show a bias towards one of the choices in the triangle, and Mather just annoys me to no end. He's the "best friend since childhood" option, and I tend to not favor those guys for some reason.

2. Rowan from the Throne of Glass series

He's one of those physically attractive, brooding guys and the author clearly favors him as a love interest. In fact, she completely changed Chaol's behavior and personality so it would make sense for Celaena to choose Rowan. Except - it still didn't make sense to me. *sigh*

3. Ms. Chancellor from All Fall Down

She just rubs me the wrong way! She's not a villain, as far as I know, but I can't stand her.

4. Theo from the Firebird trilogy by Claudia Gray

This series has a sort-of love triangle, and I don't favor Theo at all. (Thankfully, the author doesn't seem to favor him.) I also just don't like him as a person in any dimension.

5. Adelina from The Young Elites

Ok, I don't *hate* Adelina. But she's certainly not a hero, and I don't like a lot of her choices.

6. Levana from The Lunar Chronicles

I think Fairest was supposed to make us more sympathetic towards Levana, but it just made me dislike her more. She's such an awful woman and I abhor her.

So what characters do you love to hate?