Swipe – This Stack of Books

If you like adventurous, action-packed stories with smells you can almost smell and characters you feel right beside, you might like:

Swipe by Evan Angler: In the future American Union, where you must be Marked with nano-ink to get a job, be a citizen, or buy things, Logan and Erin, two young people who are beginning to question if the government’s way of doing things is right,discover that the truth may be complicated… and frightening.

The Hobbit by J.R. R. Tolkien: Bilbo Baggins is a respectable, ordinary hobbit who stays faraway from adventure, until the wizard Gandalf chooses him to help a group of dwarves overcome the dragon Smaug and take back his mountain.

The Girl Who Could See by Kara Swanson: Fern Johnson can see into a world nobody else can, and has been labeled crazy for it, until it appears that danger from that world may destroy her own.

On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson: The three Igiby siblings hold the legend and the jewels of King Wingfeather from the Shining Isle of Anniera, and the wicked Fangs of Dang pursue them relentlessly. They and their dog Nugget will need everything they have to survive the chase of the wicked Fangs.

The Green Ember by S. D. Smith: Rabbits with swords.

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart: Four children embark on a special undercover mission at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened.

Fawkes by Nadine Brandes: Everyone blames everyone else for the Stone Plague, but Thomas realizes that it is spreading and he must choose between proving himself to his father and betraying the girl he loves.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer: Cinder must uncover her past to protect her world in this exciting dystopian fairy-tale retelling.

Eragon by Christopher Paolini: An Alagaesian boy named Eragon discovers a dragon egg and becomes a Dragon Rider, putting him in the middle of a war between an evil king and those who resist him.

100 Cupboards by N. D. Wilson: After his parents disappear, Henry York moves to Kansas where he and his cousin discover hidden doors that lead to other worlds.

Let’s chat!

Have you read anything on this list? What would you add? Do you like adventure stories?

As a reader, I think characters are one of the most important parts of a book. We care about the characters; we pick up the sequels to see what becomes of the characters. We love a strong, relatable character and leave a flat, annoying character. These ten characters are some of my favorite characters in fiction. They are often complex and flawed, they have problems and they try to find solutions, and they are interesting and unique.

Kira from Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry: Kira is crippled, and when her mother dies, she is at the mercy of the manipulative Council of Guardians in a town where the weak are killed or cast out. She is reserved, but not shy or complaining, and she is an intelligent and strong character who acknowledges her weaknesses and strives to be a light in her dark, fearful, trustless community. I think Kira is one of Lois Lowry’s most complex, interesting, layered, and relatable characters.

Levana from The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer is a fascinating character. She thinks she is doing the right thing and deserves to be in charge, but really, she is a manipulative, frightening, power-hungry, and evil queen. She is completely twisted and blinded, and in Levana Marissa Meyer has created a villain of the best sort.

Logan from the Swipe series by Evan Angler is a scaredy-cat with good reason. I appreciated seeing a character that developed over the course of the series, but didn’t get to the end of the story and have a completely new personality and be a perfect, outgoing, kind and wonderful person.

Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is renowned, and I probably don’t need to repeat why. I loved Scout because I can very much identify with her drive for justice and distaste for not knowing what’s going on or who is telling the truth.

Lucy from Listen to the Moon by Michael Morpurgo has an unusual identity crisis. (I know, I know, all YA characters have an identity crisis and they all follow pretty much the same pattern. This doesn’t.) Lucy washed onto shore on an island in Scillies with amnesia and no memories, no backstory, and no family. She must discover who she is over the course of the story with the help of a kindly fisherman and his family.

Nisha from The Night Diaries: Nisha is a sweet,sensitive girl confused by the turmoil in her world. I enjoyed getting to know her in The Night Diaries.

Henry from 100 Cupboards by N. D. Wilson: Henry is an unusual character. He is an eccentric and awkward boy, but he is also the typical adventure hero with energy, bravery, something to overcome, something to defeat, and a sidekick.

Sonia from You Bring the Distant Near by Mitali Perkins is a book-loving, cause-supporting, opinionated girl, and I wrote a post about her and the other characters in You Bring the Distant Near in this book review.

Chess from The Fog Diver is a daring, precocious character trying to survive on a makeshift raft as he dives down beneath the fog to salvage what is left of the world before his. He is perfectly suited for his setting, and was a very entertaining character.

Charles Wallace from the A Wrinkle in Time series by Madeleine L’Engle: Charles Wallace is a brilliant, quiet boy who knows everyone and whom everyone thinks they know. He is the best kind of character: one who is flawed and sometimes wrong, yet ultimately comes to realize and acknowledge that fact and find a way to overcome their obstacles.