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On Reading (and Writing) Jerks

I am pretty much the only person who doesn't hate Tommy Mickens.

I've been thinking a lot about unlikable protagonists lately. Quite a bit of this has been spurred by recent discussions on Mary-Sueness, but the truth is, if you read reviews of YA at all, it's an issue that comes up again and again–whether characters are "annoying" or make terrible choices (How could she sleep with him?!), whether the problems they face are "white people problems" or problems of privilege and so therefore...
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Published on August 08, 2011 19:00
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message 1: by Phoebe (new)
Aug 09, 2011 07:21AM

Phoebe Jillian -always aspiring- wrote: "Hmm. This was a very intriguing and thought-provoking post, Phoebe.

I'm one of those people who's guilty of putting the words "I had trouble liking this book because I didn't like the characters"..."

Agree completely, Jillian. I think it's easy to default to talking about whether or not we like a character--but perhaps more interesting in discussing how the author's set-up in the character failed to seem organic in relation to their actions? I think it's actually a way to get at deeper criticism, maybe.


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