Author Alexandra Sirowy lives in a small town in Northern California. Although it’s fringed by forests and foothills like the town of Savage in The Creeping, her debut novel out now, it doesn’t have as many secrets (she thinks) or as dark of a history (fingers crossed). In addition to writing fiction, she loves traveling (Istanbul is her favorite), trees, lighthouses, seven layer cakes (who doesn’t?), running at dusk, music (the kind that makes your chest swell), and risky adventures. To learn more, visit her at alexandrasirowy.com and follow @AlexandraSirowy. And today Miss Sirowy takes over YE to tell us what she thinks of some of YA’s “dangerous” girls!!!
My Favorite “Dangerous” Girls in YA, by Alexandra Sirowy
There’s nothing I love more than a heroine that kicks butt – except one that also has a streak of diabolical when she’s tested. Reading about girls with steel in their bones inspire us to be brave in the every day. Dangerous girls get things done, and while there are a ton of female protagonists who overthrow tyrannical empires, take on armies, slay monsters, stare down mean girls and boys, and shatter the damsel in distress trope, these heroines make up my ultimate squad of dangerous girls in YA.
Frances in Daughter of Deep Silence by Carrie Ryan. This revenge thriller has teeth and so does its protagonist who survives a fatal attack on a luxury yacht. Only three people survived to tell the story of what happened and two of them are lying. Francis will stop at nothing to avenge the murders of her family, and she reads like a YA version of the smart and brutal Amanda Clarke of television’s REVENGE. The girl has serious rage and is out for blood.
Katsa in Graceling by Kristin Cashore. Graced with lethalness, Katsa is the original dangerous girl of YA. She’s been able to kill a man since she was eight, and she’s been working as the king’s enforcer ever since. Katsa is combative, tough, kind, whip-smart, and a feminist.
Adelina in The Young Elites series by Marie Lu. Adelina was damaged and scarred by the blood fever that swept her nation when she was a child. She didn’t only survive, though – she was left with serious powers of the mind. She’s supernaturally gifted, a survivor, and a revolutionary with a serious dark streak. I can’t help but have mad compassion for this girl who struggles to control the furry building inside of her.
Katniss in The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. This list wouldn’t be complete without the Mockingjay herself. With her bow and arrow, no one’s as deadly as Katniss Everdeen. But this girl has heart, volunteering to take her little sister’s place in the games and then standing up for the districts and bringing down the capitol and President Snow.
My own dangerous girl duo rounds out the squad. Best friends Stella and Zoey in my debut YA thriller The Creeping are not afraid to hunt down whoever – or whatever – took their childhood friend Jeanie eleven years ago. Now, the fresh corpse of a little girl, one with eerie similarities to six-year-old Jeanie has been found and the girls uncover similar disappearances of little red headed girls going back generations in their forest-fringed town of Savage. They’ll brave ancient evils, small town secrets, and danger lurking in the woods in order to solve the mystery and to save each other. Their love and loyalty is fierce – the sort you fight for – and it’s lucky that these two heroines turn out to be the dangerous kind.
What is your dream squad of dangerous YA heroines? I’d love to hear–tweet me @alexandrasirowy!
