LEO VALDEZ (Percy Jackson)
Brief Summary (spoilers)
Leo Valdez is literally the boy on fire. Yes, literally. You could probably barbeque something on his head and get an excellent meal (which you must share with him, may I add).
Leo is one of the seven demigods who are destined to defeat Gaea and her plan of world domination. In fact, he was also told by Goddess Hera that he has a very important role to play in the destruction of Gaea.
Due to this, he is often put under pressure. But hey, nothing breaks ice like a few jokes, right? Leo is very easy-going and can lighten up anyone’s mood with a few of his lame jokes.
“Gaea?” Leo shook his head. “Isn’t that Mother Nature? She’s supposed to have, like, flowers in her hair and birds singing around her and deer and rabbits doing her laundry.”
“Leo, that’s Snow White,” Piper said.”
Since he is a son of Hephaestus, he is quick and nimble with his hands. Give him a few tools and you’ll be looking at tones of cool gadgets in a matter of 5 minutes. However, don’t trust him with matches. He is the first demigod child of Hephaestus in a hundred years to master the natural ability of pyro-kinesis (the ability to generate and control flames). Told you he was hot.
Leo is also the proud mechanic of Festus (Happy the dragon),who is a dear friend of his. He also builds a flying ship called ARGO II along with the rest of his cabin mates.
Leo suffered a disturbing childhood. From undercover goddesses to the face of Mother Nature in the potty, Leo has had a pretty rough start. Still running from his past, Leo is haunted by the face of his mother, who was killed due to his fire abilities, something he considers a curse.
But what’s a character without some development, huh?
Leo eventually realized that his mother’s death wasn’t his fault, and decided to consider his ability as a gift instead of a curse.
Amongst other things, Leo is a huge flirt. He has the misfortune of falling for every girl he meets, as long as she’s totally out of his league.
Leo is loyal and brave, and will not hesitate to support his friends in times of need.
“She wanted me to betray you guys, and I was like, ‘Pfft, right, I’m gonna listen to a face in the potty sludge’.”
Being the typical son of Hephaestus, Leo’s choice of weapon is a 3-pound Club Hammer, which he summons from his magical tool belt from time to time.
All in all, Leo is a hot package deal that screams “EPIC, EPIC, and EPIC!”
Why We Like Him
Leo is the friend that everyone wants to have. He’s funny to the point of you don’t even know where he comes up with this stuff, but he can also be quite caring. Some times I feel like he gets pushed to the side like our dear Grover Underwood, but even that doesn’t make him less EPIC. If anything it makes him more. Leo doesn’t crave the spotlight like Drew. He waits his time and throws in the best witty remark to hit the bullseye. Not only is he funny, but he gets his friends out of tight situations. Jason and Piper would be lost without him. He’s vital to the team and he’s definitely worthy of having Beckendorf’s bunk. – thefandompjadmins
I adore this little spitfire- his narrative is utterly fantastic to read. – Burdge-bug
TERESA AGNES (The Maze Runner)
Brief Summary (spoilers)
Being the only girl in the Glade, Teresa had to be pretty tough to deal with not only all of the boys, but being the one who triggered the Ending. Even though she was vulnerable lying in a coma for a while when she first entered the Glade, her only true weaknesses are her faith in WICKED and her memories of Thomas and herself before the trials. Teresa has proven to be an excellent fighter and can hold her ground against both Gladers and Grievers alike.
- Courtesy of princessleiagoespink
Why We Like Her (mild spoilers)
Readers may have a love/hate relationship with Teresa, but she was a strong, badass woman who always stuck by her beliefs. Teresa put up with a lot from the boys, but still went on to become the female leader of the Gladers. She isn’t afraid to get herself in some sticky situations to help a friend and she can hold her own in a fight. Not to mention that she’s the other half of Thomas’ telepathic pairing and a possible love interest, making her one of the most intriguing characters in the series. – Kait (thefandom.net)
I like Teresa because she is a strong female character that has more faults than most. Almost everything that she does is to protect Thomas, and to protect him from WICKED requires doing things that make Thomas look at her in a more negative light. She wants the world to be a better place and she knows that the only way she can get it there is to trust people that she may not want to trust. Teresa is the character that you would love to get to know, if she was in our world of course! – princessleiagoespink
Teresa is probably one of my favorite, if not my most favorite female character in all the YA novels I’ve read (and I’ve read all but one of the those involved this clash). Some people have grown to really hate her, and I don’t like using that word when talking about someone, even if she is fictional. To me, she’s not a hateful person, she’s not malicious, she’s not evil. Teresa grew up believing in something and she never let her belief in that waver, that is, until she knew without a doubt there was a problem with her way of thinking. Still, she wanted to believe in the good that was coming from what they were doing, what she was doing. And although what she did in the second book to betray her one true friend was horrible, she did it because she believed that overall the best was going to come out of it, despite the fact that she was risking her friendship by doing it. She was faithful, though. She loved Thomas more than Thomas loved her, more than anyone loved her. Even through it all, being hated by others and never to be trusted again by Thomas, she still stuck by Thomas to help him, and protect him. And she did. I admire Teresa for her bravery and her willingness to stand up for what she believed to be right, and her self-sacrificing nature. I believe that’s why the author gave her the name “Teresa Agnes” (google the name if you don’t know what I’m talking about). – TFGeekGirl (thefandom.net)
VOTING CLOSES END OF 9/1/12
