Friday, July 22, 2011

YA Crush Tourney: Tucker vs Michael (Match #12) goes to Michael!





And the winner is.... MICHAEL!

Yesterday, because of the sheer volume of votes, we once again crashed a polling site. The only way to maintain fairness was to just redo this match completely. Because of now crashing 3 different poll sites, we have decided for the sake of our sanity and all of your guys sleep, to only allow 1 vote per computer plus only keep the polls open for 24 HOURS. This seems to be the only way to do this without taking the risk of having more rematches. Voting will open at 8am and close 24 hours later at 10am on Saturday morning. So call in all of your reinforcements for the next matches.

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. With all that said, let the voting begin!

Tucker Avery (Seed 21) 

Tucker is being defended by Amy D. the wonderfully, gorgeous, unearthy (like that) Tucker is from the amazing book by Cynthia Hand, Unearthy. You can can check out Baby Sister Brittany's review of the book here.

Personality:
Hold onto your hearts girls. Cynthia Hand's Unearthly gave life to the boy I thought I would marry (shhhh...don't tell my husband). Tucker Avery will get to know you down to your "real" hair color with his playful, teasing personality. He gets along with everyone and is self-assured enough to go stag-ish to prom (granted he comes home with the girls he wants). He wrote the book on charming from the way he tilts his hat to the way he says "ma'am." He is a family man. He loves and protects his sister and his family's land.

Looks:
Tucker will melt you from the inside out with his hazy blue eyes. If you can still manage to see after a kiss from him, you'll enjoy looking at his tall, tan, muscled body or even run your hands through his short golden brown hair (score one for brunettes). Your legs will buckle with the sight of his slightly stubbled jaw and dimple on his left cheek. He is a man that loves to smile and laugh...yum.

Talents:
Tucker is a man's man, but he softens while sharing these things with the girl he loves. He can pull you out of a ditch, backcountry skis, white water rafting, fly fishing, hiking, tour guide, swimming, and on the rodeo team. Honorable mention to dancing, whistling and being a cowboy poet. Every date with Tucker is about being and being together. No distractions. A kiss from Tucker can make a girl find glory.

Special Attributes:
Tucker is the hardest working boy in YA. He holds multiple jobs in order to help out his family and achieve his goals. He is popular not because he has money. He has a gift at putting people at ease. Tucker knows where the best huckleberries are and can think like a fish. Tucker is forthright and honest--can't stand lies. He is man enough to take three girls from the rodeo team to prom. Not only is he a knight in shining armor (on multiple occasions), but he is the best birthday present ever. Whether you are watching the sunrise or fishing, you know you have Tucker's undivided attention. You know you just want to lean into that chest.

Anything else you'd like to add?
He picks wildflowers for his love, making out under the stars is a favorite past time, makes you "forget to eat, float around in a daze, and bounce out of bed in the morning." He reads comic books, loves cheetos, and longs for a time when there were no fences.

He will love you for who you are--all of you.


Michael (Seed 5)

The smoldering Michael is from Myra McEntire's debut novel Hourglass. You can find out more about her and Hourglass by clicking her name on our side bar. Plus you can check out our Teaser Tuesday of Hourglass here. Michael is being rep'd by our own magnificent, honorary sister, Bethany.


Personality:
Are you a literate lady looking for the most delicious fictional crush since Mr. Darcy? Well, look no further, girls… Michael Weaver has arrived!

If you’d like a southern gentleman with an edge, Michael is the man for you. Chivalry, honor and charm
aren’t dead, and Michael’s got them—in spades. He’ll hold open doors and win over your family. He puts his friends and family first, and won’t make promises he can’t keep. He even tips well!

What’s more, he is THE most selfless guy in this entire tournament. If not dying on your dates is important to you, Michael is the way to go. Unlike so many of the other guys in this competition, he won’t even think about killing you! Always a plus. Not only that, but he can—and has—died for love. You’re in safe, strong, big hands with him!

But most importantly, Michael is genuinely loving. He makes the girl he loves feel like the most special person in the world and will, literally, go to any lengths to protect her.

Looks:

It’s probably a good thing that Michael is fictional, because if anyone this gorgeous were real, he’d have an army of stalkers on his hands. Throughout the book, he’s described as, “a prince too gorgeous to be walking around with peasants,” a dark angel, and an old-Hollywood, Cary Grant type.

Plus, he’s BUILT. And, if that doesn’t get you, what about the wickedly arched dark eyebrows, the olive skin, the defined cheekbones? The smell of citrus and clean laundry. The mellow, husky voice. And the mouth. The full, disarming mouth with a smile like “buttered biscuits and honey.”

Talents:

Want a man who is fluent in Italian? He’s got you covered. He can drive a stick. He can understand complex physics.

Oh yeah, and he can time travel. There’s that.

Special Attributes:

Now here’s where it gets interesting, ladies. He generates the most insane chemistry with Emerson that they blow out light bulbs. Literally. He can give a full-body buzz simply by holding hands. Let us imagine the possibilities of that for a second….

Finally, to top it all off: He READS! You know you love a literate man, and Michael’s got a bookshelf full of Byron, Vonnegut, Orson Scott Card and Kerouac. If you think reading is sexy, vote for Michael.

What makes Michael better than Tucker?
It's not that there's anything wrong with Tucker, but he just doesn't have the WOW factor that Michael does.

For instance, the two are like their cars: Tucker is a rusty blue truck, Michael is a sleek black convertible.

Tucker stalls in relationships. There's no initial attraction, and it takes months for him to establish any kind of relationship. With Michael, on the other hand, there is instant heat that takes off immediately. Zero to Sixty in eight seconds or less.

Anything else you'd like to add?

I’ll just leave you with this passage:

He pulled me closer, trailing his mouth along the line of my jaw and down my neck. I held on to his jacket more tightly, pulling him even closer.

“I’m ready to get out of here,” he murmured in my ear. “Get you someplace I can kiss you properly.”

“This isn’t properly?” I was shaking again. What was it about this boy that made me shake? “If not, can I handle properly?”

“I’ll do my best to make sure you can.” He kissed his way across my cheekbone to my lips, his hands sliding under my jacket, his fingers burning against the cotton of my T-shirt. I couldn’t help thinking about how his hands would feel on my bare skin. “Or that you can’t handle it. Whatever you want.”


*VOTING IS NOW CLOSED*
Check the Tournament tab at the top for info on future matches!