Often times romance is talked about so much in books that truly great literary friendships are pushed to the side or, in some cases, seen as less important. I love a good romance as much as anyone else, but I also appreciate good friendships. Today I want to take some time to focus on some of my favorites.
Aluna and Hoku in the Above World Trilogy:
Aluna and Hoku are such perfect complements for each other. She forces him out of his shell and to be more proactive than he would be on his own. He forces her to think calmly and not be so heedlessly reckless. Hoku's contribution of technological smarts and her contribution of fighting skills make them a nearly unstoppable team.
The Polygoners in The Ashtown Burials Series:
I use the term "Polygoners" to describe all of the people in both books in the series so far who have allied themselves with Cyrus and Antigone. They are a ragtag motley group to be sure, and that is what makes them so wonderful. They all have different strengths and they balance out each other's weaknesses. I really enjoy how this group is multi-generational as well. This isn't just a group of kids. There are adults who work, fight, suffer hardship, and laugh right along with the kids.
Verity and Maddie in Code Name Verity:
Seriously, typing their names made me tear up. It makes it hard to write about them coherently really. Their devotion to each other and their cause is epic. There is no other word for it. I can't say much because you know spoilers. But if you haven't yet read this amazing story of friendship you should.
Jeffrey and the Penderwick Sisters in The Penderwick Series:
This friendship borrows a lot from the friendship of Laurie and the March sisters in Little Women, but only in the best of ways. I love how Jeffrey fits into their group and how he complements both Sky and Jane. I adore how he watches out for Batty. It will be interesting to see if their friendship continues to parallel the one in Little Women as the series continues or if it will diverge. I like the way this story has gone better so far. And Batty is far more likeable than Amy ever was.
Timothy and Linden in Rebel/Wayfarer:
There is much tension between these two as they meet and become friends over the course of their journey because they are so different. If they weren't in the situation they probably would not ever be friends. Timothy is cynical and jaded where Linden has faith in abundance and wide-eyed certainty that right will win the day. She drives Timothy crazy with it. Yet these two are able to learn so much from each other and help the other to become a better person. I was so happy that they remained just friends too.
Several non-specified friendships in The Queen's Thief series:
Non-specific because of spoilers as most of them are surprising. That is probably because the two main protagonists of the series would not make the easiest of friends for anyone. That is what makes the friendships that do develop all the more poignant in how they are written.
Francesca and Co. from Saving Francesca and The Piper's Son:
I fell in love with Saving Francesca because of the group of friends Francesca draws around her in the story. Everything about their interactions is so genuine. I really did laugh and cry with them. There is no shorthand to describe the group as a whole but I love how Tom reveals in The Piper's Son that he and Jimmy referred to the girls as The Four Horsewomen of the Apocalypse. Speaking of The Piper's Son and genuine, I appreciate how this book showed the group five years later and how it had changed. They weren't the same people, they interacted differently, and made room for new friends. I like how Will, while not completely fitting, found a place among them. And I love the addition of Ned.
What about you? Do you have any literary friendships that you love to read about?
Aluna and Hoku in the Above World Trilogy:
Aluna and Hoku are such perfect complements for each other. She forces him out of his shell and to be more proactive than he would be on his own. He forces her to think calmly and not be so heedlessly reckless. Hoku's contribution of technological smarts and her contribution of fighting skills make them a nearly unstoppable team.
The Polygoners in The Ashtown Burials Series:
I use the term "Polygoners" to describe all of the people in both books in the series so far who have allied themselves with Cyrus and Antigone. They are a ragtag motley group to be sure, and that is what makes them so wonderful. They all have different strengths and they balance out each other's weaknesses. I really enjoy how this group is multi-generational as well. This isn't just a group of kids. There are adults who work, fight, suffer hardship, and laugh right along with the kids.
Verity and Maddie in Code Name Verity:
Seriously, typing their names made me tear up. It makes it hard to write about them coherently really. Their devotion to each other and their cause is epic. There is no other word for it. I can't say much because you know spoilers. But if you haven't yet read this amazing story of friendship you should.
Jeffrey and the Penderwick Sisters in The Penderwick Series: This friendship borrows a lot from the friendship of Laurie and the March sisters in Little Women, but only in the best of ways. I love how Jeffrey fits into their group and how he complements both Sky and Jane. I adore how he watches out for Batty. It will be interesting to see if their friendship continues to parallel the one in Little Women as the series continues or if it will diverge. I like the way this story has gone better so far. And Batty is far more likeable than Amy ever was.
Timothy and Linden in Rebel/Wayfarer: There is much tension between these two as they meet and become friends over the course of their journey because they are so different. If they weren't in the situation they probably would not ever be friends. Timothy is cynical and jaded where Linden has faith in abundance and wide-eyed certainty that right will win the day. She drives Timothy crazy with it. Yet these two are able to learn so much from each other and help the other to become a better person. I was so happy that they remained just friends too.
Several non-specified friendships in The Queen's Thief series:
Non-specific because of spoilers as most of them are surprising. That is probably because the two main protagonists of the series would not make the easiest of friends for anyone. That is what makes the friendships that do develop all the more poignant in how they are written.
Francesca and Co. from Saving Francesca and The Piper's Son: I fell in love with Saving Francesca because of the group of friends Francesca draws around her in the story. Everything about their interactions is so genuine. I really did laugh and cry with them. There is no shorthand to describe the group as a whole but I love how Tom reveals in The Piper's Son that he and Jimmy referred to the girls as The Four Horsewomen of the Apocalypse. Speaking of The Piper's Son and genuine, I appreciate how this book showed the group five years later and how it had changed. They weren't the same people, they interacted differently, and made room for new friends. I like how Will, while not completely fitting, found a place among them. And I love the addition of Ned.
What about you? Do you have any literary friendships that you love to read about?
Comments
I hope you enjoy the Penderwicks!