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you should have the summoning, the awakening and the reckoning by kelly armstrong

I disagree with many of the books on this list. Although I love many of the characters voted for, I do not think of them as original. Many of them have been thrust into circumstances that are unique but I do not think that makes a person unique.
For example, Lyra Silvertongue from The Golden Compass is one of my favorite characters of all time. But I do not believe she is unique enough for this list. Phillip Pullman says early on in the book that she is a good lier and this is because she has little imagination. Yes, she is strong, brave and resourceful but she does not have qualities that put her on the fringe of society. She is very much accepted by the people of her community.
To me characters with odd quirks, who are not accepted, who act in ways that are socially unacceptable create a unique character.
Many of these characters are stronger then the average person (as is normal in a book) or are in places or events that are unique (as is normal in a book) BUT they are not themselves the cream of the crop of unique characters.
I realize that my interpretation of this list is not the same as others, but I ask you to reconsider your vote or at least post your interpretation of a unique character.
PS My votes are a little obscure and I know that many who do not read comic books might be put off by my top vote going to a manga but please consider my words and not be clouded by your feelings toward graphic novels and/or manga. Thank you

Why isn't the Knife of never letting first?

I only like 12 books in the whole list. :(

Thanks, Lily! I completely agree with your comments. Just for an example: Tally Youngblood is ahead of Elphaba Thropp? I respect everyone's opinions, but I think a lot of people are confusing "interesting" and "unique."

OK! just because the heroines are strong and all does not mean they are UNIQUE!!! compared to the other 'strong, hard-headed, and kick-ass heroine' out there, that makes them ORDINARY in general!!!!
I am sooo sooo soo upset BLOODLINE by RICHELLE MEAD did not make it to this list....as far as i am concerned 'SYNDNEY SAGE' is a UNIQUE character!!!! damn!! why the hell did no one place that in here!!!!!
she is smart, and i did not just mean smart! really, really over the the top, nerdy, geeky, and amazingly naive smart!!!! she is UNIQUE damn it!!!!
gosh..ok sorry i just think my fave character should be in here!
oh and wanderer is pretty unique too...glad 'the host' was in this list...
Vampire academy, Rose, and Hunger games, Katniss, and pretty much a lot of girls in the list is similar: storng, bad-ass heroines!

Category title: "most unique?" I'm ashamed of you, Goodreads. How can you qualify the word unique? Either something is or isn't unique. You can't have "most" or "very" or "slightly" or anything else. tsk tsk ...

This is a place where "most unique" kind of works, because different kinds of uniqueness are being compared. One character might be unique in one way, while another is unique in several ways. Or something.

I do agree that many of the books on this list contain fairly standard-issue protagonists, brave and strong and all that. They may be admirable but that doesn't make them "unique" in the world of fiction.

Also the fact that the description purports to limit the list to YA novels, while the title does not, has apparently confused some people. It confuses me. My votes would not be for the YA (as YA books, understandably, often focus on creating good role models, who tend to resemble one another quite a bit), but a lot of the books on this list are definitely not YA. Wicked, for instance, or Gone With the Wind. (Both certainly starring unique protagonists!)

Lolita is NOT A YA NOVEL - it is definitely an adult novel and should be removed from this list; neither is the Virgin Suicides.

Rachel Adiyah wrote: "Lolita is NOT A YA NOVEL - it is definitely an adult novel and should be removed from this list; neither is the Virgin Suicides."

I noticed several of the books are not YA novels, at least not in my opinion... But to each his own.

Barbara wrote: "Category title: "most unique?" I'm ashamed of you, Goodreads. How can you qualify the word unique? Either something is or isn't unique. You can't have "most" or "very" or "slightly" or anything els..."

Bump from the next decade.