AND THE WINNER IS...
TESSA!
Welcome to The YA Sisterhood and round 4 of The Tournament of Heroines, The Fierce Four! This is actually the last match before the big finale! The winner of this match will face Clary in the FINALE on Friday! Will Clary face the Girl on Fire or will it be a Cassandra Clare showdown? Thank you in advance for your participation in our Tournament of Heroines! We hope you make some friends (and not too many enemies), discover some fantastic books, and have a lot of fun!
Some general rules before we begin:
There may be some spoilers in the following post. We've tried to keep it fairly general, but overall, this Tourney will not be spoiler-free. So beware.
Secondly, You are welcome to write your own comments about either character in the comments section, but we will not tolerate rudeness. The minute it crosses over from logical argument into character bashing, your comments will be deleted and your vote canceled. Also, please be aware that some people have not read some of these books. Please take that into consideration while writing up your comments. If you put major spoilers in your comments, we will have to erase them! POLLS WILL BE OPEN FOR 24 HOURS AND WILL CLOSE AT 12:01AM EST ON January 5th.
And now for the match....
My name is Penelope, and I run the book review blog:
The Reading Fever. I am honored to be Katniss’ advocate, and will be blogging and tweeting about Katniss’ progress throughout the tournament. You can follow me using the links below for #TeamKatniss updates.
1. About Katniss
The bird, the pin, the song, the berries, the watch, the cracker, the dress that burst into flames. I am the Mockingjay. The one that survived despite the Capitol's plans. The symbol of the rebellion.
-Katniss, Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (pg. 386-387)
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| Credit: Entertainment Weekly |
Katniss is the main character in
The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins. She is described as having long, straight black hair, which she usually pulls back into a tight braid. She has olive skin and gray eyes. She is an amazing hunter who has deadly aim with a bow, and has been using these skills to put food on her family's table--keeping them from the starvation that is so widespread in their district.
She is fiercely protective of those she loves, and has proven she will go to any lengths to ensure their safety. Not one to be easily swayed or broken, she proves to the Capitol that no matter their methods, they can't control everyone.
Also known as: Catnip, t
he Mockingjay, and T
he Girl On Fire.
2. Best Attributes
A mockingjay is a creature the capitol never intended to exist. They hadn’t counted on the highly controlled jabberjay having the brains to adapt to the wild...They hadn’t anticipated its will to live.
-Katniss, Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (pg. 92)
As tempting as it is to name Katniss' hunting skills and her innate sense of survival as her best attributes, that just wouldn't be completely true. Everything Katniss does in the series can be attributed to one of these: l
ove, compassion, fear.
Her first act--entering the Hunger Games in place of her younger sister, Prim--was done out of her incredible love for Prim, and fear for Prim's safety. She is pushed to survive by fear of dying and leaving her family without a provider; called into action by compassion for Rue and Peeta (competitors in the hunger games); compelled to accept the title of The Mockingjay (symbol of the rebellion) by compassion for those enduring the destruction the Capitol brings. She takes what the world gives her and reacts to it in a way that benefits those around her; letting love, compassion, and fear guide her. These are her best attributes.
3. What makes Katniss a true heroine?
I’m moving in toward the camera now, carried forward by my rage. “President Snow says he’s sending us a message? Well, I have one for him. You can torture us and bomb us and burn our districts to the ground, but do you see that?” One of the cameras follows as I point to the planes burning on the roof of the warehouse across from us. The Capitol seal on a wing glows clearly through the flames. “Fire is catching!” I am shouting now, determined that he will not miss a word. “And if we burn, you burn with us!”
-Katniss, Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (pg. 99-100)
The quote above is from Katniss. At this point in the story, Katniss has already been through the hunger games, has witnessed the pain, torture, and death, of loved ones, has been forced to kill, seen her home destroyed, and has witnessed the extreme lengths the Capitol will go to in order to have total control--and yet
these things only empower her to act.
To me a true heroine is someone who rises above her circumstances, who keeps going despite being knocked down, and most importantly: a heroine inspires others to keep going as well. Katniss is a true heroine.
4. Why should you vote for Katniss?
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| Credit: kara-lija on DeviantArt |
Katniss and Tessa.
I couldn't even begin to compare these two heroines. Where does one begin to say how much courage, strength, or perseverance a character must have to be the best heroine? Exactly how much butt do they have to kick to be called the best? Does that cancel out all the other important qualities we like to see in a heroine? Without both characters having the same experiences, something like that is immeasurable. Tessa is a heroine in her own story, just as Katniss is in hers.
But I will tell you something: Katniss is, and always will be, my #1 heroine. I relate to her. I can understand her reasons and actions. I cried with her, I got angry with her, and I have experienced something inspiring every single time I have read her story.
But I realized something during the last Heroine Tourney that made me think I've been going about this the wrong way. I want Katniss to win this tournament because I strongly believe she deserves it, but I don't want her to be misrepresented.
So here is what I DON'T want you to do:
Don't vote for Katniss JUST because you're in love with Peeta or Gale. They are not central to her motives, and it would be a poor choice to vote for a heroine because of the men in her story.
Don't vote for Katniss JUST because she's a kick-butt heroine. There is more to our heroine than this!
Jennifer Lawrence herself--the actress playing Katniss--said, "The cool thing about Katniss is that every fan has such a personal relationship with her and they understand and know her in a singular way...." (quote credit below) Jennifer could not be more correct.
So here is what I DO want you to do:
Vote for Katniss because she inspires something in you.
Vote for Katniss because she's the type of person you want to be.
Vote for Katniss because she made you re-evaluate the condition of the world.
Vote for Katniss because she made you want to change something in the world.
Vote for Katniss because she seems so much like a sister.
Vote for Katniss because you see some part of yourself in her.
Vote for Katniss because she is the role model you believe in.
Vote for Katniss because her story convinced you to try other books, or brought out your inner reader.
These are the reasons why you should vote for Katniss; each one created from phrases found in actual reviews and thoughts of The Hunger Games books, across the web. I believe Katniss to be the very epitome of the word 'heroine.' If even one of these reasons matches you, then vote for Katniss today. Inspiration of her magnitude deserves recognition.
5. Anything else?
It is simply mesmerizing to see one's heroine come to life. In this trailer for the upcoming Hunger Games movie, you can visibly see the emotional struggle Katniss goes through, and the strength she somehow finds, as she volunteers to take her sister's place and then prepares for the hunger games.
*Jennifer Lawrence quote credit: Life Story magazine, Movie Magic: First Look At The Hunger Games - Deluxe Collector's Edition, page 17.
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Hey y'all! My name is Avery I review primarily YA paranormal books at my blog Avery's Book Nook. I have been a long time stalker follower of YA Sisterhood and their tournaments so it should come as no surprise that I am super excited to be advocating Tessa from Cassie Clare's Infernal Devices series! You can follow me during the tournament at:
About Her:
Tessa
Gray, a sixteen year old American is sent to live with her brother in
England after her guardian, her Aunt Harriet, passes away (both of
Tessa's parents passed away when she was three years old). Upon arriving
in England she learns that things are not what they seem- her life
especially.
Her world is turned upside down when she is
kidnapped and discovers that she has the ability to shapeshift. Upon
being rescued from her kidnappers she befriends the London Institute's
Shadowhunters including, but not limited to, Will, Jem, Charlotte, and
Henry, alongside the Institute's staff including Thomas, Agatha, and
Sophie.
Alongside the British Shadowhunter's Tessa
attempts to thwart the Magister, a man hellbent on destroying the
Shadowhunters through the use of clockwork creatures.
Best Attributes:
Tessa is by far one of the most genuine and modest female YA characters in my opinion, especially when it comes to her looks:
"Nate,
with his fair good looks, was the one in the family generally agreed to
have inherited her moth's beauty, but Tessa had always been perfectly
content with her own smooth brown hair, and steady gray eyes. Jane Eyre
had had brown hair, and plenty of other heroines besides. And it wasn't
so bad being tall, either..." (Clockwork Angel, pg. 17)
She is inquisitive and open-minded. She loves to read just as much, if not
not, than all of us and she can often be found quoting all of her
favourite books:
"He didn't know what books meant to her, that books were symbols of truth and meaning..." (Clockwork Angel, pg. 97).
She is by far one of Cassie's most unique and mysterious characters
(In
Clockwork Angel we are told that she appears to be a warlock,
however her true identity- or a better approximation of her identity- is
revealed in
Clockwork Prince).
She can outsnark even the snarkiest of characters, Will Herondale included:
"Perhaps she's a girl who's fallen madly in love with me and persists in following me wherever I go."
"My talent is shape-shifting, Will, not acting" (Clockwork Prince, pg. 87).
Speaking of Will Herondale, she has two of the most swoon-worthy YA
male characters vying for her attention (and she never lets that
knowledge go to her head).
She takes everything in stride. Her clockwork angel pendant is one of the most kick-butt pieces
of jewelry in the world of YA books (see
Clockwork Prince).
What Makes Tessa a True Heroine?
She is genuine and always remains true to her character. She is kind and
has a big heart. She's still able to love those who aren't always worthy
of being loved.
She is selfless beyond belief- she is willing to do the right thing even if
it means hurting herself in the process. For instance, in the case of
her brother:
"Nate
was not like other people... He had a beautiful innocence about him
that had to be protected at all costs. And Tessa had tried. She and her
aunt had hidden Nate's own weaknesses from him, the consequences of his
own flaws and failings. Never telling him of the work Aunt Harriet had
had to do to make up the money he had lost gambling, of the taunts Tessa
had endured from other children, calling her brother a drunk, a
wastrel. They had hidden these things from him from being hurt" (pg. 352).
She is eager to learn about the new world that she is thrown into. She
doesn't jump into things without any thought- she isn't careless, nor is
she afraid to ask for help.
Tessa doesn't look down upon anyone (ie. Sophie occupying a lower
social status than herself, Jem being ill)- she gives everyone the
benefit of the doubt without doing so in a naive way.
Tessa is not dependent upon the males
in her life (nor is she careless). She doesn't play on the
boy's feelings for her- manipulating them to do what she wants.
Why should YOU Vote for Tessa instead of Katniss?
While there is no denying that Katniss is physically stronger than Tessa, I think that there is no denying that Tessa is mentally and emotionally stronger than Katniss (though arguably in
Clockwork Prince Tessa does start to develop into a physically stronger person due to training, thereby making her an
overall strong character/ heroine).
When Katniss is upset by something she has a habit of shutting down, whereas Tessa does not (she isn't afraid to let those around her know exactly what she is thinking/ she isn't afraid to tell it like it is):
"I have dinner that night in my room, ordering an outrageous number of delicacies, eating myself sick, and then taking my anger at the Hunger Games, at every living being in the Capitol by smashing dishes around my room" (The Hunger Games, 118).
"It takes me at least an hour for me to cry myself out. Then I just lie curled up on the bed, stroking the silken sheets, watching the sun set over the artificial candy Capitol" (The Hunger Games, 104).
Tessa doesn't pout when things don't go the way that she wants to,
furthermore, she is willing to do what needs to be done without
complaint (and she isn't afraid to ask for help), whereas Katniss is oftentimes defiant, unwilling to compromise and, frankly speaking, selfish at times. When Haymitch suggests that Katniss and Peeta pretend to be friends (to gain sympathy/ support from the crowd) she pouts, stalks off to her room and snaps at anyone who gets in her way:
"Don't. Don't let's pretend when there's no one around" (The Hunger Games, 100).
***Contains spoilers from Clockwork Prince***
Also, not only is Tessa willing to put herself at risk for the greater good (see Chapter 16 of
Clockwork Prince entitled "Mortal Rage"), but she is also willing to sacrifice the things that she holds dearest to her for the greater good, specifically her brother:
"My brother," Tessa said in a barely controlled voice, is a lying murderer, incapable of feeling. He may have married you, Jessamine, but he does not love you... He will abandon you, if he does not kill you first."
"Liar!" Jessamine screamed, "You don't understand him. You never did! His soul is pure and fine-"
"Pure as ditch water," Tessa said. "I understand him better than you do; you are blinded by his charm. He cares nothing for you" (Clockwork Prince, 307).
I suppose it it up to you to decide- what makes a true heroine? A person who is physically stronger or a person who is emotionally/ mentally stronger?
Anything You'd Like to Add?
