Are you looking for fiery and fierce female characters to read to close out Women’s History Month? I am always on the look out for books that contain strong and powerful female characters that readers can identify with and be inspired. And lately I have read stories, mostly in the YA sphere, that has made me feel empowered and I hope when you read them, you will feel the same! So close out this month with a bang, and read these amazing young characters that will make you stand up and roar:
Blood Moon by Lucy Cuthew
Here we meet Frankie, a lover of physics and astronomy. During her first sexual experience with high school cutie, Benjamin, Frankie gets her period. They decide not to make a big deal about it: it is only blood. But when a disgusting and gruesome meme goes viral, Frankie’s world and sense of security implode with a click of a smartphone. Who can she confide in? Harriet’s own social media debacle and Frankie’s response to it caused a rift in their friendship and Frankie is sure Benjamin is responsible for the meme. As Frankie’s online shaming takes complete control of her life, Frankie starts to wonder if her reputation and her life would ever recover. This amazing novel in verse is the conversation starter that our society needs.
Destination Anywhere by Sara Barnard
I had a hard time putting this one down! I was just so engrossed in the compelling writing that I found myself to be actually with Peyton. Peyton is also such a well-developed character, someone that anyone, particularly teen readers, would identify with. Peyton’s tenacity to drop everything and go on this life changing journey is just so fiery and fierce!
Toffee by Sarah Crossan
Sarah Crossan is notable for writing moving and poetic novels in verse and Toffee is no different. This is a heart wrenching but uplifting novel in verse that will both move you and leave you breathless. We find Allison running away from home. With nowhere to go, Allison finds herself in a shed of what she thinks is an abandoned house. Marla, an elderly woman, lives there. She is lonely and mostly confused and she mistakes Allison for someone named “Toffee”. But as she starts to connect with Marla more, she begins to realize how much Marla needs her…and how much Allison needs Marla.
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
One of the best innovative and compelling YA thrillers I have read in a long time. If you are a fan of mystery genre but wary of YA, this is book that definitely makes the exception. It’s one compelling and intriguing mystery but also an examination of how media covers a high profile murder. Pip’s articulate and passionate nature is very identifiable. To me, she is the next Nancy Drew!
The Girl and the Goddess by Nikita Gill
This is a raw and emotional that will leave readers enthralled after reading this book. Paro is such a personable and relatable character to the reader. I loved the Hindu mythology , with a mixture the coming of age theme. The conversation that Paro has with the goddesses was not only a unique way of showing how a young child/teen uses spirituality to deal with their problems.
Run Rebel by Manjeet Mann
When Amber runs, it is the only time she feels happy and free, especially from her claustrophobic life. She must deal with family obligations, particularly from her father. Her father wants her to be the “dutifully “daughter, like accepting an arranged marriage, just like her sister. So running is Amber’s form of a rebellion. But now, Amber wants more. She wants more for her mother, her sister and herself. It is time for a revolution. But as always, freedom comes at a price. This innovative novel, which is filled with rhythm and heart, will make you fall in love with the “novel-in-verse” genre.
The Burning by Laura Bates
Anna and her mother have moved miles away from her home to Scotland to escape her past. New name…check. Social media profiles…deleted. Anna is on her way to starting a new life. But the past has a tricky way of finding you. The whispers and stares start up again. Anna tries to ignore them by immersing herself in a story about Maggie, a 17th-century witch who was accused of witchcraft and finds unsettling parallels with her life. Anna then beings to learn that women being silenced and shamed is not a thing of the past. Bates adapted relevant issues and turned them into a modern-day witch hunt, something that girls and women go through every day. As soon as anyone starts reading this novel, readers will have a hard time putting it down.
Eve of Man by Giovanna & Tom Fletcher
Eve is the first and only girl to be born in fifty years. She is kept sheltered and protected from the ruined world until she is ready to renew the human race. However, when the time comes to meet a “potential” suitor, she starts to see the cracks in the fake facade in the world that was created for her. She begins to question all the things that she was told throughout her life. Then it becomes a battle for not only finding the truth but also fighting for her freedom. I do not read a lot of science fiction but with this one I found myself so intrigued and excited to read this story that I couldn’t put it down!
All the Bad Apples by Moira Fowley-Doyle
Deena starts receiving letters from her sister Mandy, the same sister who has supposedly committed suicide, talking about a curse that has blighted their family for generations. Deena goes on a journey across the country to find her sister and discover the hidden secrets of her family’s past. In this breathtaking and magical novel, Fowley-Doyle took such an important issue and incorporated such realistic and magical themes and created such a terrific story.
The Exact Opposite of Okay by Laura Steven
Izzy O’Neill may be sarcastic, but her tenacity and her fight to battle the double standards makes her one fierce character! It’s funny, raw and emotional storytelling were really speak to readers who are looking for realistic fiction that speaks to the issues that matter to them most.
The Surface Breaks by Louise O’Neill
Be forewarned, this is a feminist telling of the classic tale and it is clearly shown in the social commentary that is rampant in this YA novel. Readers receive a lot of opinions on the patriarchal society, society standards of beauty and a whole lot of issues women are forced to endure. Not only is O’Neill is insightful person but she is also an amazing writer, which her lyrical managed to keep me hooked it the very last page.
Discover more from cup of tea with that book, please
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loved this post. And very much looking forward to reading Run Rebel this weekend.
You’ll love it! Enjoy!