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Fierce, Willful, and Defiant: Our Readers' Favorite Fictional Heroines
On the subject of women, Jane Austen once wrote, “None of us want to be in calm waters all our lives.” And so it goes for the heroines we meet in books. Not only are they admired for their spirit and independence, but also for their fears and flaws.
In honor of Women's History Month, we asked our fans on Twitter and Facebook which fictional heroines have captured their hearts. We limited our roundup to the most popular answers and added an inspiring quote from each character.
If you don’t see your fictional heroine on this list, be sure to add their names in comments. Don’t forget to add new favorites to your Want-to-Read shelf!
In honor of Women's History Month, we asked our fans on Twitter and Facebook which fictional heroines have captured their hearts. We limited our roundup to the most popular answers and added an inspiring quote from each character.
If you don’t see your fictional heroine on this list, be sure to add their names in comments. Don’t forget to add new favorites to your Want-to-Read shelf!
Quote: “There is a stubbornness about me that never can bear to be frightened at the will of others. My courage always rises at every attempt to intimidate me.”
Quote: “What's the point of having a voice if you're gonna be silent in those moments you shouldn't be?”
Make sure to check out our interview with Angie Thomas.
Make sure to check out our interview with Angie Thomas.
Quote: “Every time I caught a glimpse of myself in the glass of a shop, I felt I was someone to be taken seriously; not a girl anymore, but a young woman.”
Quote: “All my life men like you've sneered at me, and all my life I've been knocking men like you into the dust.”
Quote: “My name isn't Offred, I have another name, which nobody uses now because it's forbidden. I tell myself it doesn't matter...but what I tell myself is wrong, it does matter.”
Quote: “I want to do something splendid before I go into my castle, something heroic or wonderful that won't be forgotten after I'm dead. I don't know what, but I'm on the watch for it, and mean to astonish you all someday.”
Quote: “I hate this society where we're watched over all the time. I've had enough of Big Brother and the authorities in my life.”
Quote: “One dictum I had learned on the battlefields of France in a far distant war: You cannot save the world, but you might save the man in front of you, if you work fast enough.”
Who are your favorite fictional heroines? Let us know in the comments!
Check out more recent blogs:
28 Books That Got You Hooked on a New Genre
Loved 'Ready Player One'? Check out these 8 Books
Monogamous vs. Polygamous Reading: Which 'Type' Do You Prefer?
Check out more recent blogs:
28 Books That Got You Hooked on a New Genre
Loved 'Ready Player One'? Check out these 8 Books
Monogamous vs. Polygamous Reading: Which 'Type' Do You Prefer?
Comments Showing 51-100 of 124 (124 new)
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Stephanie
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Mar 30, 2018 01:14PM
Definitely Lucy from the Narnia series! Also Caddie from Caddie Woodlawn, Ramona from the Beverly Cleary books, and Laura from the Little House books.
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There are so many strong women to look up to in literature... and it's great to see so many of them in YA & childrens' books as well.So many on this list have inspired me: Lizzie Bennet, Katniss & Hermione, Lyra, Scarlet O'Hara, Karou from Daughter of Smoke & Bone, Aria from Under the Never Sky, Sana Kurata from Kodomo no Omocha, both Nanas from the Nana manga, June Iparis from Legend, Amani Al'Hiza from Rebel of the Sands, Penryn from Penryn & the End of Days... and I'm sure the more I read, the longer this list will get :)
Maisie Dobbs from Jacqueline Winspear's novels!
Sydney wrote: "Lyra from Northern Lights/The Golden Compass."I agree with you!
Amani Al-Hiza and Shazad Hamad from Alwyn Hamilton's Rebel of the Sands series. They're amazing, strong, powerful and deadly.
There is any blog or book relative rich dad and poor dad
Rachel Morgan from Kim Harrison's The Hollows series. How she evolves and comes into her own over the arc of the series is amazing.Dead Witch Walking
I've read all but three of these on the list. I'm feeling pretty good! I tried to read Girl with the Dragon Tattoo once but couldn't get into it.
Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice. Also, Jane Eyre.
October Daye in the series by Seanan McGuire, especially as the series progresses. Rosemary and Rue
Vivan Carter in Moxie (YA)
Cora in The Underground Railroad
Amanda in If I Was Your Girl (YA)
Jane Eyre in, well, you know.
Starr Carter in The Hate U Give(YA)
Mina and Lynet in Girls Made of Snow and Glass (YA)
Clarke from The 100 and Maddie from Ranger’s Apprentice❤️and Hazel Grace from The Fault In Our Stars alsoooo Alaska from Looking for Alaska ❤️
You mean Alanna Trebond from The Song of The Lioness series by Tamora Pierce isn't on here???? Definitely one of MY favorites!!!!
Sayuri. The character based on a real person who successfully sued the author of the character's book for libel. How brainwashed are you all anyway. You couldn't find any strong women in fiction created by actual Asian women, so you went the racist pop culture route. Why don't you just admit you're brown-nosing for the cash and leave us real women alone.
Sydney wrote: "Amani Al-Hiza and Shazad Hamad from Alwyn Hamilton's Rebel of the Sands series. They're amazing, strong, powerful and deadly."YES! Those two! They are amazing!
My favorites are Meggie from Inkheart and Elena from Wit'ch Fire, the one is smart and strong, doing anything for her family, and the other is just fierce!
How You Guys missed Hermione from
and whole rest series.
Kay Scarpetta, Barbara Havers, Kinsey Millhone.
Ankit wrote: "How You Guys missed Hermione from and whole rest series."She's... she's the third one on the list.
Oh, yeah! How could I have forgotten Pippi? Father off to sea, never had to go to school, lived in a mansion, and had her own horse and a monkey for pets!😄
Cendaquenta wrote: "Tiffany Aching from The Wee Free Men (and sequels) is my Favourite Above Favourites. She is my Hermione.Eowyn and Galadriel from The Lord of the Rings (really, most of Midd..."
Yesyesyesyes!!!
Aenea wrote: "No one beats Lisbeth Salander. Antisocial with a killer intellect! :]"Agreed. She went through a hell of a lot, and came out of it like the badass she is!
Cendaquenta wrote: "Of course Lucy!!! (And Susan, too!)"You might not include Susan if you had read the last book in the series, The Last Battle.
I would add Anne of Green Gables. And Jo Marsh. And Nancy Drew.
Kate Daniels from Kate Daniels Series by Ilona Andrews.
Janet wrote: "Cendaquenta wrote: "Of course Lucy!!! (And Susan, too!)"You might not include Susan if you had read the last book in the series, The Last Battle.
I would add Anne of Green Gables. And Jo Marsh. ..."
Oh, I've read The Last Battle. Don't particularly enjoy or agree with it, but I've read it.
Anne Shirley from the Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery. Definitely my number one fictional heroine.
I love Max in The Chronicles of St. Mary's (in addition to many of those listed here).
Rose wrote: "Definitely Aelin Ashryver Galathynius, from Empire of Storms and the whole Throne of Glass series."Yes! Definitely.
One of the young women that I think should be on the list is Scarlet Benoit from The Lunar Chronicles.
Dame Frivasse from Margaret Frazer's books. A nun who has more intelligence than most anyone else and thus is respected by everyone but the criminal.
Jazzy wrote: "Violet Baudelaire from Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events. Like her siblings, Violet is intelligent, charming, polite, and resourceful. Lamentably, Violet is extremely u..."
Violet is definitely an amazing heroine! (And I love how you write in Lemony Snicket's style! :))
Marilyn wrote: "Any of the heroines from Tamora Pierce's Books!"I agree! I love her books
Kel, Alanna, Beka... any of Tamora Pierce's Tortall heroines!
