Today is all about our favorite swoony boys in fiction.
We all have a favorite (or two, or three…). You know the one, that boy that makes your heart beat faster, the one you catch yourself thinking about long after the book is closed… um you all do that, too, right?
:::awkward pause:::
He’s the fictional boy who’s stolen your heart, the one you compare ALL other male characters to, and when confronted with a love triangle you find yourself yelling NO NO NO FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT’S HOLY PICK HIM! PICK HIMMM!
Yeah, that one. So we set out to write a single post on our favorite male characters in fiction. And because reading is so much more fun when you can swoon with your friends, we asked a couple of them to give us their thoughts, too. The problem was, nobody could sum it up in a few lines.
So, rather than cut the swoon, we decided to make this a reoccurring post. Each week or so we’ll showcase a new swoony boy – some will be from old favorites (well hello, Colonel Brandon), and some from books we’ve yet to discover. WIN/WIN.
Aaand here we go…
by Melissa:
When Christina asked me to share who my favorite swoony boy was, I was faced with a decision as monumental as what to name my first born. How could I possibly choose just one? There have been so many fictional boys that have captured my heart over the years so, in order to make a decision, I tried to remember the most swoony lines and go from there. There were many. At first, I thought Marcus Flutie from The Jessica Darling Series by Megan McCafferty was going to be it. I mean, he’s the ‘You. Yes, you.’ guy! (The swooniest line in all YA novels, in my opinion.) However, when it came down to it, there was only one boy who captured my heart over and over again.
Adam Wilde :::sigh::: Adam Wilde from If I Stay/Where She Went by Gayle Forman.
Adam is a rock star, but without the rock star attitude. In fact, he’s a one woman man and believes he’s found his forever with his girlfriend, Mia. Tragically, in the first book ‘If I Stay’, Mia is involved in a car accident that leaves her comatose and clinging to her life while her loved ones look on, begging her to keep fighting. Devastated, Adam whispers promises to an unconscious Mia in hopes of her pulling through. He’s even willing to vow to do one of the most painful things imaginable, if she stays. [*spoiler alert*] “If you stay, I’ll do whatever you want. I’ll quit the band, go with you to New York. But if you need me to go away, I’ll do that, too. I was talking to Liz and she said maybe coming back to your old life would be too painful, that maybe it’d be easier for you to erase us. And that would suck, but I’d do it. I can lose you like that if I don’t lose you today. I’ll let you go. If you stay.” (If I Stay)
Can you even stand it? My heart broke into a million pieces reading his anguish.
In a low voice. Over and over he is saying: Please. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please Please. Please. Please. Finally he stops and looks at my face. “Please, Mia,” he implores. “Don’t make me write a song.” (If I Stay)
[LO JUST GOT ALL TEARY (re)READING THIS. As you were.]
If I didn’t swoon hard enough over him in one book, he came back for seconds in, ‘Where She Went.’ This book was told entirely in his point-of-view and when I tried to pull a few of my favorite quotes, I couldn’t. It was impossible. Not only do I think this book is the best representation of a male YA point-of-view, but entire book is chock-full of swoony Adam. Since I had to give you something from ‘Where She Went,’ I decided on this:
“I look at her there in the shadows of the shut-down city, her hair falling onto her face, and I can see her trying to figure out if I’ve lost it. And I have to fight the urge to take her by the shoulders and slam her against a shuttered building until we feel the vibrations ringing through both of us. Because I suddenly want to hear her bones rattle. I want to feel the softness of her flesh give, to hear her gasp as my hip bone jams into her. I want to yank her head back until her neck is exposed. I want to rip my hands through her hair until her breath is labored. I want to make her cry and then lick up the tears. And then I want to take my mouth to hers, to devour her alive, to transmit all the things she can’t understand.” (Where She Went)
Now do you get why he’s my favorite?
I thought so. xoxo, Melly
~~~
HOW HAVE I NOT READ THIS?!! brb… ordering now. [Lo says: read. Read it now. Read it now and call me in the middle of the night to talk.]
You can follow Melly’s antics over at the White Blank Page blog, or follow her on twitter. Which you should totally do because she is adorable.
So who is your favorite swoony boy? And what exactly is it that makes us fall in love with these amazing characters? Tell us in the comments and you could win your VERY OWN copies of IF I STAY & WHERE SHE WENT to read along with us.
Jess says
Oh. My. Word. I loved Adam from the very beginning of If I Stay, and I always forget how incredible he is until people quote him. Isn't he wonderful? And if you haven't read those books, WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! Oh, sorry…I get a little emotional about those books. Adam is probably one of my favorite swoony boys, although I have to say Lend (from Kiersten White's Paranormalcy and Supernaturally) is equally as swoon-worthy. I don't have my books handy, so I don't have a quote, but seriously…so adorable. 🙂
Christina says
WHY HAVEN'T YOU PEOPLE MADE ME READ THIS?? Well crisis averted and my copies are on their way.
Michelle V. (bookche says
How have I not read this yet? How have I not swooned over him yet?! OH MY, MUST FIX NOW! Ordering on the Kindle as we speak! Thanks for the rec and as always, awesome post.
Lo says
MICHELLE!! I am shocked. SHOCKED! You have got to read these books! Okay I can't be TOO outraged because I only read them about a month ago (heehee) but they are amaaaaaazing. And please be tweeting all your swoon. *HF* ~Lo
Jess says
Just make sure you have tissues with you. You will cry until your tear ducts produce no more tears. Seriously.
Kristen says
You forgot one of the best parts: He plays Mia's body like a guitar. SWOON!
Christina says
WAIT WHAT???? I might be dying a little bit right now.
Christina says
Michelle, we can flail together. You bring the tissues, I'll bring the chocolate.
Ashley says
These books are amazing. I actually read them backwards on accident. Well, I didnt actually read them, I listened to them, which I must say was totally amazing. I have only just started listening to books and when I went to start Where She Went, I was totally surprised to hear a male voice reading this book. I was iffy to begin with but the more I got into the book the more I loved the guy reading the book.
WSW was all swoony for me. Adam is just amazing. There are so many lines from this book that just had me swooning and tearing up.
Some examples:
"And our lips. There isn't enough skin, enough spit, enough time, for the lost years that our lips are trying to make up for as they find each other. We kiss. The electric current switches to high. The lights throughout all of Brooklyn must be surging."
It's my turn to see you through,' she whispers, coming back to me and wrapping me in her blanket as I lose my shit all over again. She holds me until I recover my Y chromosome."
OKAY *sobs* Im done!
Melly says
'She holds me until I recover my Y chromosome..' I SO HAD THAT ONE IN THERE because it shows his snark and sensitivity in one. This is why I love this boy.
It's like I said, there was SO much swoon in WSW that I had like six quotes picked out, but decided to just go with my most favorite 🙂
Melly says
Christina (and everyone else):
Adam lay down on my bed, stretching his arms above his head. His whole face was grinning– eyes, nose, mouth.
"Play me," he said.
"What?"
"I want you to play me like a cello."
I started to protest that this made no sense, but then I realized it made perfect sense. I went to my closet and grabbed one of my spare bows. "Take off your shirt," I said, my voice quavering.
Adam did. As thin as he was, he was surprisingly built. I could've spent twenty minutes starting at the contours and valleys of his chest. Be he wanted me closer. I wanted me closer.
christina says
To quote caren: Oh. My. Damn.
christina says
You people are killing me here.
Jess says
Read fast, Christina! 😀
caren says
i was seriously just about to respond with that exact thing. bahahaha.
OH MY DAMN.
caren says
let us not forget:
"Please Mia," he implores. "Don't make me write a song."
*SOB*
Melly says
Do you not know me at all, Carebear? 'Mia, please don't make me write a song.' is in post I wrote. How could I not?
Christina says
Ok ::deep breaths:: I read while the kiddo was at tumbling and Adam is just getting ready to go into the hospital. Whose lap am I sitting in?
Sandra says
Oh Adam! How happy am I that I didn't read "If I Stay" until "Where She Went" was out (just happened that way). Adam is definitely my number 1, and while I've found some close 2nd placers recently…he still has my heart. And for the chapters…how much do I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, that they opened with lyrics from the songs he wrote after Mia left. I'd also read a few books where the male didn't have a male voice so I agree in terms of this book showing how male POV can be in YA. I could go on…truth is, I still need to write up my review for both of these books, which I've already re-read since first reading in June.
Amber says
Oh how I loved Adam. Both books were so amazing, but when I opened Where She Went and saw that we got to read Adam's POV I almost fell out of my chair. Needless to say I stayed up till 3am finishing the book, and I might have read it again a few weeks later.
My swoon worthy boy, or should I say boys… PEETA, FOUR, and ST.CLAIRE. How can I not swoon so hard for the boy with the bread? What is there not to swoon over a boy who lets his guard down and willingly shows a girl the only four things he is scared of? And, c'mon Étienne, I mean, a boy with an accent alone, but he was so sweet and full of life. My cheeks hurt from smiling when I finished Anna and the French Kiss.
I would love a hard copy of each of these books, I only have them on Nook 🙂
Meg (MrsAC) says
I'm going to love love love this post each week! I haven't read these yet, but I've got to say after reading this they are moving right up on my TBR list.
My heart will always belong to Four from Divergent, but I am also swooning hard for Alex from Delirium after reading that.
Can't wait for next week! <3 <3
-Meg
Kelli says
Oh, I just devoured those books. Heartwrenching, but so.much.swoon.
Love the idea for these recurring posts. Can't wait!
Rheana says
I haven't read these books yet, but it seems apparent I need to bump them up my TBR list. My current swoon is Four from Divergent by Veronica Roth. But, I have a couple of really old-school swoons that will always be in my heart – Gilbert from the "Anne of Green Gables" series, and Teddy from the "Emily of New Moon" series, both by LM Montgomery. What can I say, I guess I like my boys all hardy and steadfast. 🙂
Becci says
Mel (and C and Lo)… I have to just nod my head at everything Mel said. I JUST finished Where She Went this morning and I am still just making vowel sounds about Adam. I literally felt like I lived inside his heart for the whole second book. I was in pain for him. He made me love him more, and after If I Stay, I already really loved him a lot. And? He made me love Mia more.
But the thing I agree with most is that Gayle Foreman did a FLAWLESS male PoV. It was stunning.
And where I swooned the hardest?
'We’ll tell our secrets to the dark.'
Gah.
miranda m :) says
My favorite Swoony boy would probably have to be damen from the immortals series! He is dreamy and does everything he possibly can to be with ever! He searches for her in life after life just to be with her again always gives her a red tulip because it means everlasting love 🙂 he is so sweet I just love that series 🙂 and damen. I wish I had a man like him
Christina says
Gah, love your choices. I think we're soulmates.
Christina says
I haven't read Delirium yet. ::ducks:: I KNOW I KNOW. I'm worried I'll die w/o the next book RIGHT. THERE. #wuss
Christina says
When he's at the hospital? Unf, I die.
Christina says
omg GILBERT!
http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/aa357/rhys21/… !!
Christina says
Just finished If I Stay (Itwassogoodicanhardlystandit) and already have Where She Went waiting on the Nook. After reading all the praise for it I CANNOT WAIT.
Christina says
I haven't read those yet! ::adds to Goodreads::
blackplume says
I love If I Stay and Where She Went. And I agree how swoon worthy Adam is. I love him in If I Stay and I love him more in Where She Went. Here's my favorite line from him in Where She Went:
"But I'd do it again. I know that now. I'd make that promise a thousand times over and lose her a thousand times over to have heard her play last night or to see her in the morning sunlight. Or even without that. Just to know that she's somewhere out there. Alive." – Adam Wilde, Where She Went
You can check my review of If I Stay here: http://blackplume.wordpress.com/2011/08/17/if-i-s…
miranda m :) says
Ok so now that I've read Ana and the French kiss I think my mind has been changed! I freaking love St. Clair he may be scared of change but he's charming totally makes me laugh and he's so sweet like how could you not fall in love with 🙂 he is definitely amazing and I'm in love haha!!! Great book 🙂
Justine says
Adam Wilde is my #1 YA swoony boy! Even though he is such a guy* for a while, there is redemption for him! (*Mia's words. You know what I mean if you've read Where She Went.)
Even though I could blubber endlessly about If I Stay and Where She Went, I'll temporarily direct my affections towards My Beating Teenage Heart by C.K. Kelly Martin. Based on the scant (but detailed) reviews I've read about it, I need this book in my life!
Anonymous says
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