Strong female lead characters in books

Weve selected a pile of books with universal appeal for kids of different ages and tastes, from bestselling picture books to. While authors skewed towards female, it was by no means a male shut out. Uma thurman is, for lack of a better word, totally badass. This young, clever, strong, charming, resourceful, beautiful, and tenacious woman is the epitome of modern female gaming protagonists, and the game she stars in is near flawless to boot. And of course, i love all sorts of female characters who exhibit great resilience and courage. Best kickass female characters from ya and childrens fantasy and science fiction 2,689 books 8,506 voters wise women, witches, midwives, healers, and strong girls. Im not talking about super hero or heroine films, although those are cool i like to see girls kicking butt as much as anybody. Cordelia chain of gold by cassandra clare there are many incredibly strong female characters in chain of gold but personally cordelia is my favorite. Andromeda ascendant andromeda television series beka valentine andromeda television series buffy. A mighty girls top recommended read aloud chapter books are perfect for reading aloud with elementaryaged children or as independent reading for older children. Your favorite female lead characters in fantasy novels. I love strong female characters because they mirror the girls and women in my own life. Although were big fans of strong female characters, we have to admit that some of the most fascinating women in literature, film, and tv would never fit. Buffy wants to date, she wants to shop, and she wants to kick evils ass.

Strong women are taking over the thriller crimereads. Move over, sherlock holmes the girl geniuses have arrived. Mar 12, 2020 23 ya books featuring strong female characters 1. Films with strong female leads are absolutely vital. Jul 06, 2018 the popularity of books like gone girl and girl on the train have spawned a whole class of books featuring women who are substanceaddled, psychotic, manipulative or manipulated think the last mrs. Dystopian and postapocalyptic books with female leads. Ten empowering female characters in childrens books books. Find the hottest strongfemalecharacter stories youll love. Pop cultures most fascinating weak female characters. Actually, i tweeted a question to the interwebz yesterday for examples of female lead characters in fantasy novels.

Shifting the focus of a traditionally maledominated genre, the strongest female leads in scifi books are both resilient and clever. The phrase strong female character has become a term of derision and probably rightly. These brainy characters from movies, books, and tv prove that its cool to be a smart girl. She is not only trying to find a way to save her family but she is also an incredible shadowhunter.

Strong female characters dominate the ya genre and have slowly begun to work their way through to the adult fantasy genre as well. Young, brave alanna dreams of becoming a female knight and warrior, but isnt allowed to train because she is a. This is a shift from strong female characters cutting their hair, changing their. Writing adolescent fictioncharacter namesgirls wikibooks. Independent, strong, and feminist, jane eyre is an unforgettable character in a classic novel. Kingyou sou is a beautiful, short manga that i highly recommendits genres being romance, drama, and comedy. Aug 07, 2018 unlike the rest of the characters on this list, sophie isnt a warrior woman but that doesnt mean that she isnt a strong female character. Too many strong female characters are presented as onenote killing machines or gruff, unfeeling robots.

Spunky, sassy, and devastatingly addicted to romance, marie was the first and ultimate spirit animal for the hopelessly precocious. When i saw that this weeks topic for best book ever was strong female leads one book immediately came to mind. And while yes we should celebrate badassery in every gender, i do have one major hang up with these now standard female leads. Mar 30, 2017 ten empowering female characters in childrens books. These books are mostly read and written by womenor by men writing. Ten empowering female characters in childrens books. They are all the same, and they are all not like other girls. For the most part, writers who are creating strong female characters are doing so with the intention of creating strong female characters, which usually leads. Recommendations included everything from ya to lesbian mystery fantasies. I dont recall thinking much of them being women as a kid, but as i got older, i did notice that there were few strong lead female characters in a lot of literature. She is an example of a very different kind of strength, the kind that comes from developing self confidence, and from remaining faithful to her duty and to her desire to help others. Female characters are getting stronger, wiser, and braver in young adult literature and while many are picking up weapons and symbolically wearing pants to counter the male characters image, elements of femininity remain in these evolved female heroines.

Mockingjay by suzanne collins, throne of glass by sarah j. Best kickass female characters from ya and childrens fantasy and science fiction. Kill bill 2003 the bride uma thurman for the record, there are several tarantino classics which feature a strong female lead pulp fiction, true romance, from dusk till dawn, but kill bill has to take the cake. This list is subjective for sure, and only comprised of characters i have read and would read with my children. The strongest female literary characters of all time. The novel is narrated by its main female protagonist, helena, who is as strong, as cunning, and as formidable as any other heroine on this list. Andromeda ascendant andromeda television series beka valentine andromeda television series buffy summers buffy the. Independent, strong, and feminist, jane eyre is an unforgettable character in a. Top 20 female characters from childrens books scholastic. Chelsea clinton shares her favorite kids books with strong female characters chelsea clinton, former first daughter and momoftwo, shares her favorite books. In fact, it may be better known for its scantily clad female characters and their impossible anatomy.

Dec 09, 2016 for thrs latest intraindustry poll, the editors asked hollywood professionals actors, writers, directors and others to take an online survey of their favorite fictional female characters. The literary version of netflixs films with a strong female lead. Top 7 bestselling mystery and thriller books featuring. Through books, women have been teaching other women for generations. As someone who spends a fair amount of time complaining on the internet that there arent enough female heroes out there, this may seem a strange and out of character thing to say. Rowlings harry potter series, hermiones keen intellect and powerful memory are consistently on display, sometimes to the dismay of her friends, who sometimes. When were dealing with our own issues, watching a film starring one can be a welcome escape as well as a push in the right direction. No list of contemporary ya books, especially one about strong women, would be complete without suzanne collins. The strongest female literary characters of all time reader. Strongchinned blokes with muscled forearms all too often bear the role of savior to the cliched damsel in distress. Aug 22, 2019 thats why we chose 17 films with strong female characters who rose to various occasionslike enrolling in harvard law school, turning down a loveless proposal, and moving to new york cityso that you might be inspired to do the same and emulate their confidence when dealing with your own issues. We readers share that same hunger for awesome storytelling driven by complex female characters, who exhibit their. Top 7 bestselling mystery and thriller books featuring female. There are several other strong women featured in this fantastical series like.

Top 10 female detectives in fiction crime fiction the. Strong female characters geek feminism wiki fandom. If youre searching for novels with strong female characters look no further these female characters are messy, confused, depressed, hopeful, nostalgic, and inspirational. Aug 17, 2018 if youre searching for scifi books with badass female protagonists, look no further. Viewers are flocking in droves to see powerful women like gal gadots diana prince, aka wonder woman, battle it out at the movies. Strong female characters are usually considered a desirable thing in geek media such as science fiction, comic books, etc. There are plenty of great books featuring strong female main characters in compelling stories that are sure to appeal to boys as well as girls. This selection of childrens books features some of the most loved, influential and independent female characters for children aged six to eight. Instead, the bold, physically strong, and fiercely intelligent nancy used her.

The hunger games trilogy has been translated into 26 languages and sold over 50 million copies in both print and electronic formats. There are many incredibly strong female characters in chain of gold but personally cordelia is my favorite. Strong chinned blokes with muscled forearms all too often bear the role of savior to the cliched damsel in distress. Aug 20, 2019 35 brilliant books with strong female protagonists updated 2019 by iris last updated august 20, 2019 as we celebrate national womens history month, here are 35 great books featuring some of the most awesome and inspiring female characters ever created. However, that doesnt mean that there arent plenty of incredible badass women in this world. Shes not like all these other girls who whine and mope around. For thrs latest intraindustry poll, the editors asked hollywood professionals actors, writers, directors and others to take an online survey of.

We readers share that same hunger for awesome storytelling driven by complex female characters, who exhibit their strength in different ways. Lifestyle books international day of the girl 2018. But what really stands out is gilberts protagonist in the person of alma. Fans of scifi and powerful female characters will love jazz bashara, who lives. Feminists, leftists, and liberals have started crusades to prioritize female characters and female writers as if female protagonists and female authors are an endangered species. Read hot and popular stories about strongfemalecharacter on wattpad. Sep 01, 2017 viewers are flocking in droves to see powerful women like gal gadots diana prince, aka wonder woman, battle it out at the movies. They dont have to be kick ass but they do have to have a backbone. Our female ancestors had it pretty tough, but they still managed to grace the pages of books in style, shutting down the.

A list of bestselling books with strong woman leading characters. The 16 most awesome female characters from disney movies. Jul 07, 2011 although were big fans of strong female characters, we have to admit that some of the most fascinating women in literature, film, and tv would never fit that description. Jun 12, 2015 through books, women have been teaching other women for generations. Young, brave alanna dreams of becoming a female knight and warrior, but isnt allowed to train because she is a woman. Thats why we chose 17 films with strong female characters who rose to various occasionslike enrolling in harvard law school, turning down a loveless proposal, and moving. Contentsshow examples of strong female characters in geek culture in some cases, allegedly strong female characters see criticisms below.

This list of general girls names is divided into three tiers. Looking for a novel with a fierce female protagonist at the center of the story. The results were diverse on just about every spectrum. It seems like every day the left is getting up in arms about something, and even books arent safe. If you think girl books are just about princesses, romance, gossipy schoolgirls, and vampires, think again. Shes always there for everyone and is a great role model. Female athletes in romance novels, warrior girls, historical y.

Feb 22, 2019 15 awesome books with strong female protagonists. In the second tier are other names you might run into more than once in your. But its those every day female driven films with real lead characters who represent real women that i most admire. Rowlings harry potter series, hermiones keen intellect and powerful memory are consistently on display, sometimes to. Get timely parenting advice delivered straight to your inbox weekly. What comes below is a compilation of some of the most notable and sought after mystery, crime fiction and thriller books released in the last 3 months featuring female lead characters. In my opinion melinda is the epitome of a strong female lead. The characters nuance has, from the very beginning, made her a much more believable human being, while also making her buttkicking skills even more.

Chelsea clinton shares her favorite kids books with strong female characters chelsea clinton, former first daughter and momoftwo, shares her favorite books to read to daughter charlotte and son. Top read aloud books starring mighty girls best of a. The lovely bones, atonement playing the lead role of daisy. I have been seeking out infant books featuring strong girls for her since she was born. In the first tier are roughly the top 400 names among girls of high school age in the past few decades. She may not always be the most wellmannered little girl, and she does seem to use her cuteness as an excuse for her tellitlikesheseesit attitude, but she knows how to hold her own against her roughandtumble brothers. Ive got 15 fantastic books and series you can pick up today to read all about powerful women warriors and. Importantly, the hunger games has shown both the publishing industry and mainstream hollywood that stories with strong female leads can be a commercial success. Parrish, the woman in the window, in a dark, dark wood, luckiest girl alive. Some of my favorite female role models are fictional though im not discounting the real ones. You can view age recommendations for a specific book on its product page under the details section or filter by age range on the left menu. This list is subjective for sure, and only comprised of characters i. If youre searching for novels with strong female characters look no further. The popularity of books like gone girl and girl on the train have spawned a whole class of books featuring women who are substanceaddled, psychotic, manipulative or manipulated think the last mrs.

The strongest female literary characters of all time readers digest. If youre searching for scifi books with badass female protagonists, look no further. The best modern books with powerful female protagonists the literary version of netflixs films with a strong female lead. These female characters are messy, confused, depressed, hopeful, nostalgic, and inspirational. I am surrounded by amazing women and i want to see them in the books i read with my kids. Mar 22, 2016 female characters are getting stronger, wiser, and braver in young adult literature and while many are picking up weapons and symbolically wearing pants to counter the male characters image, elements of femininity remain in these evolved female heroines. From warriors to princesses, classic film to new series, weve got some of the strongest and. Jane eyre is a complex, selfaware woman in the victorian age whose work as a governess eventually leads to love.

These days, some of the smartest characters from kids movies, tv shows, and books are female. Books with strong female characters if you think girl books are just about princesses, romance, gossipy schoolgirls, and vampires, think again. Mar 19, 2018 14 book series featuring strong girl characters girls and boys will love these series, which are full of strong female characters taking on the world. She is a strong female lead despite having a couple of heartwrenching moments, and though her love interest is a bit more serious and stoic, he is actually quite delicate.

The best modern books with powerful female protagonists. Anime as a genre isnt always known for its strong female characters. As a lead character in stieg larrsons 2005 breakout novel the girl with the. Certainly over time they become more powerful than the books or films that contain them. Synonyms for female lead include heroine, lead, leading actress, leading lady, protagonist, star, hero, male lead, leading man and leading role.