Okay, lady readers. Let's talk about our fictional counterparts - the women who we spend inordinate amounts of time reading about. Over the last couple years I've come to understand that my entire enjoyment of a book is hinged upon my enjoyment of the characters. Annoying characters can completely ruin my reading experience! However, the characters who drive me crazy seem to be slightly out of line with the opinions of others...
Here are the top five female character types that I cannot stand and some examples to go with them (all images link to my reviews when applicable):
> Women who just can't function without a man glued to them.
Seriously, what the heck with this? As a woman who has been through my fair share of relationships, I understand the difficulties of breakups and the heartache that can come with unrequited love. But some of these characters take it to the extreme! I'm not saying that young girls will read these things and think that kind of behavior is normal, but I don't think it's beyond the realm of possibility to think that COULD happen! So why are authors still writing women who can't function on their own?
> Women who are entitled brats.
Maybe it's my upbringing or maybe it's my military experience, but I can't handle whiney, entitled brats in real life or in fiction. Whether it's a woman who is not satisfied even when she gets exactly what she wants or one who whines and complains that she doesn't want to be loved and empowered, I just want to say... shut it.
> Women who are just really dumb.
This one is probably the one that gets my blood boiling the quickest - dumb women. Maybe it's just because I don't read a lot of books with male leads, but it seems to me that the really dumb characters are always female. I understand that there are naive people in the world, but good grief. Women who don't know how texting works or how to THINK before they make life-changing decisions? I just can't deal.
> Women who slut shame other women.
You might be surprised that The Selection is even on this list. Rest assured, even my personal favorites aren't immune here. While I loved The Selection, I hated the treatment of Celeste! It seems as if her character was created -just- so that she could be slut-shamed. I cannot stand this kind of treatment of women BY OTHER WOMEN! Okay, so someone makes out with a guy or *gasp* even more. So flipping what?! I'll never understand why authors (especially female authors) think it's a great idea to include this kind of behavior in their books.
> Women who are so independent they come off as bitches.
If there's anything you've gathered from this list so far, it's probably that I can't stand women who are totally dependent on other people. Women (everyone, actually) need to be able to stand on their own feet and take care of themselves! That being said, there is a happy medium. Although these examples are lesser-known, the main characters are too independent for her own good. One is RUDE to everyone around her on her mission to get what she wants and the other -literally- takes whatever she wants, including sex. Like I said, happy mediums. There is a way to remain independent without being a jerk. Have a little class.
Here are the top five female character types that I cannot stand and some examples to go with them (all images link to my reviews when applicable):
> Women who just can't function without a man glued to them.
Seriously, what the heck with this? As a woman who has been through my fair share of relationships, I understand the difficulties of breakups and the heartache that can come with unrequited love. But some of these characters take it to the extreme! I'm not saying that young girls will read these things and think that kind of behavior is normal, but I don't think it's beyond the realm of possibility to think that COULD happen! So why are authors still writing women who can't function on their own?> Women who are entitled brats.
Maybe it's my upbringing or maybe it's my military experience, but I can't handle whiney, entitled brats in real life or in fiction. Whether it's a woman who is not satisfied even when she gets exactly what she wants or one who whines and complains that she doesn't want to be loved and empowered, I just want to say... shut it.> Women who are just really dumb.
This one is probably the one that gets my blood boiling the quickest - dumb women. Maybe it's just because I don't read a lot of books with male leads, but it seems to me that the really dumb characters are always female. I understand that there are naive people in the world, but good grief. Women who don't know how texting works or how to THINK before they make life-changing decisions? I just can't deal.> Women who slut shame other women.
You might be surprised that The Selection is even on this list. Rest assured, even my personal favorites aren't immune here. While I loved The Selection, I hated the treatment of Celeste! It seems as if her character was created -just- so that she could be slut-shamed. I cannot stand this kind of treatment of women BY OTHER WOMEN! Okay, so someone makes out with a guy or *gasp* even more. So flipping what?! I'll never understand why authors (especially female authors) think it's a great idea to include this kind of behavior in their books.> Women who are so independent they come off as bitches.
If there's anything you've gathered from this list so far, it's probably that I can't stand women who are totally dependent on other people. Women (everyone, actually) need to be able to stand on their own feet and take care of themselves! That being said, there is a happy medium. Although these examples are lesser-known, the main characters are too independent for her own good. One is RUDE to everyone around her on her mission to get what she wants and the other -literally- takes whatever she wants, including sex. Like I said, happy mediums. There is a way to remain independent without being a jerk. Have a little class.
I'm well aware that some of these opinions will be unpopular. I know that some of these are fan favorites! So what do you think? What kinds of characters drive you insane? Do we have any in common?
