Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Top 10 Tuesday: Platonic Relationships


Top 10 Tuesday is hosted by the wonderful ladies over at The Broke and The Bookish.
This week’s topic is…  Top Ten Books Which Feature Characters Who _____
This week was kind of a freebie, so I got to choose my own.  I decided to highlight female protagonists who have platonic relationships with guys.  I feel like in YA (and society in general) it is portrayed that girls and guys can’t be just friends.  However, there have been a couple of books that I’ve read that really show strong friendships between a girl and a guy.  And it’s wonderful – YA needs more books like that.  Keep in mind: just because the protagonist meets a guy that she doesn’t fall in love with, it doesn’t mean that they are a great example of friendship.  In this list, I will be showcasing girl/guy friendships that I LOVED and played an important role in the story and the lives of the characters.  Unfortunately, that means this is not a very long list.  So, now I bring you…

Top Ten Female Characters who have great platonic relationships with men

Juliette and Kenji from the Shatter Me series
Juliette and Kenji are one of my favorite male/female friendships.  Their friendship grows throughout the series, and is really best displayed in Ignite Me.  Kenji stands up for Juliette, he believes in her, and he is there for her when she needs someone to talk to.  He supports her.  Juliette, despite the goings on, is willing to do pretty much anything to get Kenji to join her.  Kenji is her best friend – and she doesn’t want to fight without him.  Their friendship was so beautiful in this book.  (That was me trying not to be spoilery)




Yelena and Ari & Janco from the Study Series

I really love the friendship that Yelena forms with Ari and Janco in Poison Study.  Their friendship is formed quite by accident, but develops quickly.  They teach Yelena and help her with so many things.  Ari and Janco act as older brothers to Yelena.  When she is sick, they watch over her.  If someone hurts Yelena, they are willing to hunt that person down.  I can’t wait to read the rest of this series and see how their friendship progresses. 






Aria and Roar from the Under The Never Sky series

I love Aria and Roar’s friendship.  This is, once again another example of a wonderful brotherly/sisterly relationship.  I feel like their friendship really develops a lot in Through The Ever Night, which is the second book in the series, and also my favorite.  Roar always stands up for Aria, when the majority of the other people in the tribe don’t like her.  Aria and Roar go through a lot together in this book.  When Roar faces a devastating loss, Aria helps him through it.  They go on a journey together, which really brings them closer - all by themselves and away from Aria’s boyfriend, and Roar’s best friend, Perry.  Not once do they think that they might have feelings for each other.  Neither of them ever wavers. It’s so nice to read about a relationship where the girl doesn’t fall in love with the guy just because he’s nice to her or they spend a lot of time together.  Aria and Roar were my first platonic ship and I love them so much,

Grace and Noah from the Embassy Row series

Grace and Noah are the newest ones to this list, as All Fall Down just came out in January.  I loved Grace and Noah’s friendship from the start.  From the minute Noah strolls right in to Grace’s life and declares that he is there to be her best friend. (Literally.  That is what he does.) Noah is always more than happy to be Grace’s partner in crime.  He is always ready to help Grace with pretty much anything at the drop of a hat (even things that may technically be illegal)  Noah is there for Grace at just the time when she really needs him.  They are just adorable together – without being romantic at all.





So, as you can see, there aren’t nearly enough great girl/boy friendships in YA.  This is something that I feel really strongly about and wanted to point out in this top 10.  It really is a wonderful thing when an author does that, and it’s something that should be included more.  
Do you know of any books with a great platonic relationship between a girl and a guy that I might not have included?  I am always looking for more books featuring them.  Leave any recommendations in the comments!  


Olivia


19 comments:

  1. I guess there aren't very many platonic relationships in YA, at least none that I can think of right now. But I will be trying to think of more all night and all day! I have Roar on my list this week, but I assure you, I don't intend on being platonic. You'll see...my TTT Great topic choice!

    Michelle @ Michelle's Minions

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    1. You're right - there aren't many. Let me know if you come up with something. It's hard, isn't it? Awesome - I love Roar. Thanks :)

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  2. You make an excellent point about platonic relationships in YA. I think another great platonic relationship is the one between Clary and Simon in the mortal instruments series.

    Great list! Here's mine:
    http://www.leiawriting.co.za/blog/

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    1. Iv'e heard about Clary and Simon. Simon sounds totally cute. (haven't read The Mortal Instruments)
      Thanks!

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  3. Oh, I love your list! Such an awesome topic and it's really a shame there aren't more boy/girl friendships. I've only read one of these books but now I'm certainly going to have to go look into the others.

    My TTT

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    1. Thank you! It is something iv'e always loved in book, and really wanted to make a list about. So, the freebie this week was perfect. You should! They are all really good.

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  4. Great list! I love the topic you chose. What about the Harry Potter books? Even though Ron & Hermione end up together, Hermione & Harry are friends. I did mine on books that feature redheads: my TTT. Happy reading!

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  5. Ooh, this is a great topic. Um, I'd go for Celaena and Rowan in Heir of Fire - they are the best of warrior buddies, and I love them. They make my heart happy.

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    1. Thanks! I love the Throne of Glass series and will (hopefully) read Heir of Fire very soon. I've heard great things about Rowan and I can't wait to meet him!

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  6. Try Deadlands by Lily Herne - there are a few really fun platonic relationships in there! I can't really think of any others right now, either!

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    1. Thanks for the recommendation! It looks really good - it's been added to my Goodreads!

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  7. This is such a great topic! I love Kenji. I never finished reading the Shatter Me trilogy because I saw how it ended and didn't like it so I just stopped after the first book but I loved how funny Kenji was. Roar was also my favorite in Under the Never Sky. His story was so heartbreaking. I agree that there's more emphasis and focus on romantic relationships but after seeing your topic, I sat down in front of my bookshelves and found some great platonic relationships:

    Celaena and Rowan from Throne of Glass series
    Tessa and Magnus from The Infernal Devices trilogy
    Katy and Archer from The Lux series
    Mara and Jamie from Mara Dyer trilogy
    Charlie and Xander from The Pledge trilogy
    Ruby and Cole from The Darkest Minds trilogy
    Sydney and Eddie from The Bloodlines series
    Cinder and Thorne from The Lunar Chronicles
    Harry and Hermione from Harry Potter
    Alina and Nikolai from The Grisha trilogy
    Ellie and Cadan from The Angelfire trilogy
    Isla and Kurt from Isla and the Happily Ever After

    I think that's all I've got in my shelves. Thanks for sharing such a great topic! It really made me think!

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    1. Kenji is great. Kenji and Juliette's relationship was one of my favorite parts of this series. Roar is amazing and I love him so much! I felt so bad for him. Wow! You did find a lot. I've heard great things about Celaena/Rowan and I can't wait to read Heir of Fire. KATY AND ARCHER *SOBS* I can't believe I forgot them! I was trying to think of someone from the Lux series, because subconsciously I think I remembered about Archer but UGH not in time. They are the best!! Their friendship is so cute and Archer really helps Katy when she's in a tough situation. I also love the banter between him and Daemon. Cinder and Thorne! How can I keep forgetting people from my favorite series?? I am a disappointment.
      SO many great friendships on your list!!
      Thanks - I always like it when I can see that I made someone really think about something or they enjoyed the topic I chose.

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    2. Hahaha, it happens. Some characters slip from our minds. Yes! I really enjoyed the relationship between Katy, Archer, and Daemon. I love how annoyed they'd get when Archer would read their minds haha. I also loved Archer's obsession with Olive Garden, It was so cute. I hope you enjoy Heir of Fire!

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  8. I haven't read any of these but I love your topic! You're right there do need to be more girl/guy platonic relationships in YA.
    Here's my TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2015/04/28/top-ten-tuesdays-2/

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    1. All of these books are great - you should check them out. I think so too! Glad you agree. Thanks for stopping by!

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  9. Kenji and Juliette were just awesome, I loved their relationship! *-*

    Frannie @ Frannie in the Pages
    http://frannieinthepages.blogspot.com/

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    1. Me too. Aren't they just the greatest? I especially loved them in Ignite Me.

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