Great main characters

I was reading a book recently that was touted (on its own cover) for being the next Harry Potter. The premise was great, a truly fresh, exciting idea. There was a lot of potential for something gripping.

But the book started out with an obnoxious main character. Very obnoxious. Not just a character with issues, not just an unlikable character, an obnoxious character. I didn't care about her from page one and I didn't care about her on page fifty. And despite the incredibly detailed, unusual setting, and a few supporting characters that were a little bit interesting, getting to page one hundred didn't change my feelings.

So I gave it up.

Right after I gave up on the next Harry Potter, I began a new book. This book:



The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde (isn't that a great cover!). I love the main character in this book. I don't know why, I just do. She's someone I can relate to, and even though her world is nothing like mine, I became a part of it the minute I opened the book. This book, interestingly enough, is also compared to Harry Potter on its cover, and I think this one much more closely hits the mark. (This is one of the freshest takes on magic I've seen in a long time!) I highly recommend this to any kid ten and up who loves magic.