This is part 1 of my blog series: 2020 Round-Up. I spent ages thinking about my favourite characters from every single book I read this year. They didn’t have to be the main protagonist, I’ve picked love interests or side characters that really stood out to me too. I won’t lie this was EXTREMELY difficult. I almost changed my mind three or four times.
That being said, here’s my final top 10 characters of 2020. (Unfortunately, I don’t have pictures of these characters but I will provide their book covers and particular quotes that stood out to me)
1.Mr Chetan, Love After Love – Ingrid Persuad
“Miss Betty, relaxing is not a crime. Live a little. Best to do things while you still have your own teeth in your mouth.”
Mr Chetan is such a loveable character and my favourite, by a mile. Even through the page, I could tell he genuinely seemed like good vibes. He is the definition of love. Find my review of this book -> here
2. Bree Matthews, Legendborn – Tracy Deonn
“I claim those bodies who’s names I was taught to forget. And I claim the unsung bloodlines that soak the ground beneath me feet…”
She was an exceptional character. I loved how she didn’t care if she made people uncomfortable. She struggled with grief and Tracy Deonn allowed her to explore these feelings. Her determination was inspiring. Find my review of this book -> here
3. Kitay Chen, The Burning God – R.F Kuang
“Power dictates acceptability…”
As the protagonists’ best friend, he is so loveable. I found myself rooting for him more than the main character. He deserves all the love. He was an amazing friend, leader and advisor. The last book in the trilogy proved that. (The Burning God is the final book in The Poppy Way trilogy.)
4. Adunni, The Girl With The Louding Voice – Abi Daré
“Not his-story. My own story will be called her-story…”
Adunni was incredibly inspirational. No matter the circumstances she didn’t give up. She didn’t stop learning. Life continued to tear her down but her resilience to keep going was simply astounding. There’s a lot to learn from a character like Adunni. Find my review of this book -> here
5. Malik, A Song of Wraiths and Ruin – Roseanne A Brown
“This is my mind. I am the strongest person here…”
Although, I questioned Malik’s choices throughout this book, I loved his sweet-hearted nature. He was placed in an impossible predicament and he battled with his anxiety on top of it all. Find my review of this book -> here
6. Sophia, The Water Dancer – Ta-Nehisi Coates
“You want me to be yours. I understand. I have always understood it. But what you must get is that for me to be yours, I must never be yours, I must never be any man’s…”
I loved how she refused to let a man dictate her life. She made it clear that in a world that was trying to own her for the colour of her skin, she wasn’t going to let her gender keep her inferior too. Find my review of this book ->here
7. Constance, Cinderella is Dead – Kalynn Bayron
“That’s what happens when you care about someone. And when you’re brave enough to imagine a different life…”
I didn’t expect to love Constance. She was such an incredible love interest and very well written, perhaps better than the main protagonist. I wanted to know more about her upbringing and perhaps, would have enjoyed the story from her narrative. Find my review of this book -> here
8. Simone, Full Disclosure – Camryn Garrett
“My HIV isn’t a threat to you. But your ignorance is a threat to me…”
I learnt so much from Simone as a character. My knowledge on HIV was very limited until I read this book. I loved how she refused to let HIV or people’s ignorance about HIV stop her from living her life. Find my review for this book -> here
9. Candice Brathwaite, I Am Not Your Baby Mother – Candice Brathwaite
“I want Black women to know that their version of motherhood is as righteous and sacred as any other…”
Okay, I know technically this shouldn’t count. Candice Brathwaite is a real person and this is a non-fiction text. But I loved her voice throughout this book, it’s probably one of the reasons why I flew through it! Find my review of this book -> here
10. Aminata Diallo – The Book of Negroes – Lawrence Hill
To gaze into another person’s face is to do two things: to recognise their humanity, and to assert your own…
Aminata’s resilience and pure bravery left me speechless in places. Whilst this was a hard novel to read, I couldn’t help but love Aminata.
And that concludes my Top 10 Characters for 2020. That being said, there were many characters that are deserving of a shoutout including:
Jude from The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
Tracker from Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James
Emira from Such A Fun Age by Kiley Reid
Many characters from Love in Colour by Bolu Babalola (I couldn’t pick one)
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