Monday, July 18, 2011

YA Crush Tourney: Four vs Hale (Match #10) goes to Hale

AND THE WINNER IS:
HALE

Holy smokes, it is already Round 2!  We are down to our final sixteen which we are going to call The Sexy Sixteen!  Before we get started, it's the same rules as usual.  We've tried as much as possible to keep everything spoiler free, but to really show the best qualities of a character sometimes spoilers are necessary, so BEWARE!!!  Also, feel free to write comments in the comments section about either character, but we will not tolerate rudeness.  The moment it crosses over from logical argument to rudeness, your comment will be deleted and your vote cancelled.  Voting will open at 8am and close 40 hours later at midnight on Tuesday night.  Because of crashing 2 different poll sites in the 1st round, we have decided for the sake of our sanity and all of your guys sleep, to only allow 1 vote per computer.  So call in all of your reinforcements for the next rounds.  With all that said, let the voting begin!



FOUR (seed #1)


Four is from the unbelievable dystopian YA novel, Divergent by Veronica Roth.  You can find more information about Divergent by clicking on Veronica Roth's name on the side of our blog or check out our Divergent Top Ten List.  Four is rep'd by our very own and talented honorary sister, Marylee!  Follow her on twitter @MaryleeTheCrazy!


Personality:


Funny
Original
Understanding
Reticent

Four, (yes it is a nickname) is a wonderfully complex character. Although he has faced many dangers & years of abuse, he is still a good-natured person who is not afraid to stand up for what is right. He is an extremely intelligent, honorable, hard-working, brave young man whose immense skill is matched only by his vast capacity to love. He can take Tris' breath away with a simple touch & although at first she is considered the weakest link in their group, he picks her first to be on his team during a competitive activity because he believes in her strength & sees in her what no one, not even Tris, sees. He cares for her so much that even when he didn't have to, he fought through one of his worst fears in order to be with her & protect her. His wisdom & encouragement help Tris through the grueling & intense process she's going through & he keeps her dangerous secret safe from those who would use it as an excuse to hurt her. He is a tough teacher & at times seems cruel, but his only thought is to protect Tris & keep her alive & safe. He is a quiet & remarkably self-possessed young man but at the same time he is also extremely witty & fun. There is also the minor thing where he saves Tris' life on multiple occasions. Come on, he is the whole package ladies.

"To me, there's a difference between not being afraid & acting in spite of fear as he does."


Looks:


Freakin' hottt
Outstanding eyes
Unique physique
Rad tattoos

Four is, quite simply, gorgeous. He is over 6 feet tall with taut & defined muscles. His tranquil eyes are a dreaming, sleeping, waiting color that are so dark they're almost black, with a small patch of lighter blue on the left iris, right next to the corner of his eye. They are so deep- set that his eyelashes touch the skin under his eyebrows & even when he glares or scowls, his eyes look thoughtful. His lips, that curl when he smiles & that provide Tris with many pleasurable moments (near the chasm, on the train, in his bed...) are full & perfect & the voice that comes out of them is deep &  it rumbles. He has several tattoos, all of which are meaningful to him & which no one besides the artist that drew them &  Tris have seen. He has short black hair that is perfect for running your fingers through... and speaking of fingers, he has long & narrow ones that with the heel of his hand touching one side of Tris' rib cage, his fingertips still touch the other side. Other people in the book describe him as handsome, so you know Tris isn't just blinded by love. He's just a straight-up hunk.

"I close my eyes. His touch is light, sensitive. A heavy warm feeling, like spilling honey, fills my body, slowing my thoughts."


Talents:


        Fierce fighter
      cOmputer nerd
 instrUctor of awesomeness
        Recovery god

Four is one talented son of a gun. He is one of the most-respected people in his faction & his choice not to seek power within it was the only thing keeping him from being a leader. He is strong, athletic,  & fast & not only knows how to shoot a gun & to fight, but can do so with incredible skill. He is also something of a computer genius & works in the control room most of the time. As an exceptional fighter and resident man-of-awesome, Four also gets to train & prepare new recruits like Tris. Because of his high intellect & intuition, another talent of Four's is his ability to think on his feet & recover quickly & seamlessly in times of need, especially when he's trying to save Tris.
  
"He's figured out more about me than I have. And even though it seems impossible that he could feel something for me, given all that I'm not... maybe it isn't."


Special Attributes:


   Fiercely loyal
prOtective
  sUrvivor
  aRticulate

Four is special in so many ways, but my favorite quality of his is his inner strength. Though I am positive his physical strength could beat the crap out of any guy I know, it is his unswerving goodness that makes him the most crush worthy.  Although he had a terrible childhood & then went to live where extreme violence was an everyday occurrence, Four never stopped believing  in & fighting for the ideal of what his faction was founded on rather than succumbing to the easy corruption of what it had fallen into. That drive to be better pushes him to constantly face his fears in order to make progress & be better even though he is so good already & is what drove him to take a chance on & fall in love with Tris.

"We believe in ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another."


What makes Four better than Hale?

  Foxy
hOnorable
qUick-witted
  Reliable

Four & Hale have a lot in common. Both love their ladies and are extremely loyal to & protective of them. Both don't want to share their first names (although Four does eventually). And both are just human, not supernatural creatures, who are both just trying to do the best they can in life. Where they differ is that where Hale has lots of money to go and do whatever he desires, he chooses to be be a criminal & steal things. Whereas Four doesn't have inexhaustible funds & is busy fighting for his & Tris' lives. And even if he did have the money or opportunity to steal artistic masterpieces, he wouldn't, because Four believes in doing what's right, even when it's hard or un-fun. I think that shows that Four has more integrity & is therefore more worthy of your crush!

"A brave man acknowledges the strength of others."


Anything else you would like to add?


  Four is the hotttttest crush ever!
vOte for him
  U know you love him!
  Read this book if you haven't already!

Four, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love you for your wit, cleverness, & charm. I love you for your bravery, (dauntlessness if you will) cunning,  & general badassery. But most of all, I love you for your passion, caring, & wisdom. Your strength & love know no bounds & my love for you is forever!

This characterization and description of Four is based only on the first book in the Divergent series. I cannot wait to see how this most crush-worthy young man grows and changes in the upcoming books, but I am certain it will only make me love him even more! Divergent by Veronica Roth is one of the greatest books I've ever read. I'm in love with everything about it & I can hardly wait for Insurgent (Book Two). If you haven't read it yet, go do yourself a favor & read it immediately!!!

"Something about him makes me feel like I am about to fall. Or turn to liquid. Or burst into flames." Come on ladies, any man who can make a woman feel like that is the real deal & clearly the most crush-worthy!


W.W. Hale V (seed #17)






W.W. Hale V is from The Heist Society series by Ally Carter.  You can find out more about Ally Carter and her books by clicking her name on the side reel of our blog.  Hale is represented by Deanne D, a Children's Librarian in NM. You can follow her on twitter @librarychickD.

Personality:

W.W. Hale V (known just as “Hale”) from Heist Society and Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter is best friend to and possible, one-day, hopefully boyfriend to Katarina “Kat” Bishop. He is a lot of things but most of all he’s protective; protective of Kat, the family, their chosen profession, and even his first name, which he’ll never share. He’s smart, sarcastic, quick- thinking, loyal and an excellent thief.

Looks:

Ally Carter is purposefully vague on the description of Hale; I think to allow each reader to imagine their own version of Hale. We know he has light brown hair, golden skin (most likely from spending time in exotic locales) and is tall with broad shoulders and is the hottest guy that Kat has ever laid eyes on. He’s also confident which makes him even hotter! Most girls instantly fall into love (lust?) with him but he only has eyes for Kat.

Talents:

He’s a thief! And a darn good one at that! He’s also charming which helps with the thievery. He’s a good con-man and charming so he’s able to talk himself in and out of most situations. He’s smart and open-minded which helps him see solutions to get Kat out of trouble which she always seems to find or always finds her.

Special Attributes:

He’s rich, he has absentee parents so he’s free to travel the world using his family’s resources (private jets, villas) without anyone questioning him, and he’s got a trusting, faithful butler/valet to take care of him. He wears Superman pajama pants! How can you not love a guy who wears Superman pajama pants to bed, especially when he’s sleeping in a room with stolen masterpieces by Monet or Vermeer?

What makes Hale better than Four?

Now I'm sure that Four is a great guy and all but there's no way he's better than Hale!  One could argue that what makes a person good/bad/awesomesauce is the set of circumstances or environment they're in.  Four lives in a crazy, future, dystopic world whereas the wonderful, brave, handsome, smart, excellent thief Hale lives in *our* world.  He could be walking down the same street as you or I on this very day!  Now Hale is brave and sexy but he's also relatable, and isn't that what every girl truly wants- someone she can relate to and have things in common with?  True, Hale is uber-rich and that's not something many people could have that in common with him but he could still talk to you about American Idol or the new Harry Potter movie.  In fact, he's so rich he would probably rent out an entire IMAX, 3-D theater so the two of you could watch Harry Potter alone, all romantic-like.  Plus, I can think of 2 YA books with the main guy character named "Four", but there is only ONE W.W. Hale V.  No matter which world you live in (the current one or a crazy, future one), Hale is the clear winner over some guy named Four.

Vote for Hale!!!

Remember voting will be open for 40 hours.  This poll will close at midnight on Tuesday night.  Good luck to our YA Crushes!!!


VOTING IS NOW CLOSED!!!