Top Ten Tuesday: Character Driven Novels

hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

1. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith - This book took me awhile to read, but it was so beautifully written and tells the story of a young girl and her family so captively that I just couldn't stop reading this story.

2. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - Most people know my thoughts and feelings about this book, but just to say it again: I love this story.  I love who narrates the book, I love Liesel's story and the people that surround her.

3. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger - This book is such an interesting character study of a teenage boy.  It will be the closest thing I will ever get to understand the teenage guy psyche, and I find that fascinating and also incredibly thought provoking.

4. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee - Seeing Scout and Jem grow up in this sotry is one of my favorite things.  We see everything from the young girl's perspective and speaks simple truths that adults seem to over-think or forget about.

5. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini - The writing in this book is captivating, it just made me want to continue to read and learn about this man's childhood and his friends.

6. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss - The main character drives this story forward, but the thing I really like about this book is that the main character is literally telling the his story to someone else and we have the privilege of hearing it too.

7. The Help by Kathryn Stockett - This story is all about the characters and there is so much character development here.  I got caught up in their stories and experiences.

8. The Fault In Our Stars by John Green - I haven't used this book in a while, but I am struck by the characters in this story and how I feel right along with them.  By the end of this book, it is as though I'm reading something about some friends rather than fictional characters.

9. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher - This story is driven by one girl's story and people's interactions with her.  It's narrated in two voices which gives it a particular impact that is devastating and impossible to ignore.

10. Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky -  Charlie's story is what drives this book.  His observations are unique and potentially life altering for him and the cast of characters around him.  He sees the world in an interesting light.