Top 5 Wednesday: Favorite Unlikeable Protagonists

Top 5 Wednesday is a group of bloggers, booktubers and bookstagrammers posting on a common topic every (you guessed it) Wednesday. You can find the lists by searching #T5W or Top 5 Wednesday. And you can join the group on Goodreads if you want to participate.

This week's topic is:

Favorite "Unlikeable" Protagonists

5. Owl (Alex Hiboux) from The Adventures of Owl series by Kristi Charish
Owl is very much an unlikeable protagonist when we're first introduced to her. She's closed off and not willing to risk herself for anything. Also, she's kind of a user and it brings trouble to friends, lovers, and acquaintances alike. But as the series progresses and she comes to accept the supernatural community she finds herself in, you can't help but come to like her. I will say it was a struggle to like her while reading the first book.

4. Kaz Brekker from the Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo
Kaz Brekker is really a terrible person. He's ruthless and twisted and you can't figure out his true motivations. When I started reading Six of Crows, I couldn't figure out why everyone loved him so much. By the end, I had a wary respect for him. By the end of Crooked Kingdom, I loved him. But he really is an unlikeable character.



3. Jane Yellowrock from the Jane Yellowrock series by Faith Hunter
I love Jane Yellowrock, but it's been a few years since I read the beginning of her series. I forgot how much she's grown over the nine books. A friend recently started the series and reminded me that when we first meet Jane she's insecure, judgmental, and kind of a snob. She's hard to like but the world is so interesting that I stuck with her and it was worth it.

2. Adam from the Darkest London series by Kristen Callihan
You would think the King of the GIM would be more... congenial than he is. I wasn't a fan of Adam when he first appeared on the page and my opinion of him was justified when he kidnapped Eliza. I struggled with the first part of his book but he slowly became a character that I found I was liking more and more. He's still is not my favorite because his first impression was a doozy, but I found that it was worth sticking with him to see how much he changed by the end of Soulbound.



1. Alexia Tarabotti from the Parasol Protectorate series by Gail Carriger
We love her, but Alexia isn't the most popular woman in her world. She's opinionated, outspoken, and has unusual friends with unusual hats. And to make matters worse, her touch robs supernaturals of their powers. The fact that hilarity often ensues endears her to readers regardless of what her companions may think.

Who are your favorite unlikeable characters?

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