Favourite Book Couples

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I wanted to make a post that was related to love today and so I thought I would talk about my favourite book couples. As I started writing this I saw a pattern. Firstly both characters have to be greatly developed and lovable on their own before they can make a fantastic couple. The best relationships are between  characters who compliment each other. I think a long build up to the relationship also helps make us readers even more invested in it.

[Quick note: The couples above the break I feel are from big enough series that most people will know of them and the fact that people love their relationships are not spoilers but below the break I mention some couple which it is not as well known or obvious from the start of the books that they will be in some sort of relationship so there will be spoilers if you click read more. The discussion about these relationships will also be full of spoilers for the plot as well so you have been warned.]

First for a few honorary mentions: Hazel and Gus from The Fault in Our Stars by John Green; Eleanor and Park from Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell; and Owen and Guert from The Art of Fielding by Chad Harback. These are all amazing couples and they all caused me to cry but I think the fact they are all from single books and contemporaries I don't have quiet as much to say about them but I did want to mention them quickly before getting on the others.

Percy and Annabeth from the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan  - separately they are both really well developed by Rick and their personalities seem so different at first. Percy is a bit foolish and acts without thinking whereas Annabeth is highly intelligent and likes to plan things out and in this way they are perfect together with Annabeth making Percy think things through and Percy making sure Annabeth actually gets things done and takes that step from planning to taking action. However, they are both highly loyal to their friends and to Camp Halfblood and are willing to take considerable risks to protect those they love and to do what is right.

Katniss and Peeta from The Huger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins  - yes that is right I am a Peeta fan. I do not think a relationship between Gale and Katniss would have been sustainable after everything she went through but I do think if Primrose's name had never been picked and the events of the books had not occurred then the two of them could have been very happy together. After the Huger Games though Katniss is very fragile and Gale is too passionate about revolution whereas Peeta is quieter and can live a low key life. He has always been putting Katniss first even when he shouldn't have and he is just as broken as she is. Where Katniss looses strength after the first book Peeta gains some for the Quarter Quell and he manages to look after her emotionally where she has had a more physically supportive role before. 

Harry and Ginny from the Harry Potter series by J K Rowling  - this couple are a little bit different as during their relationship in the sixth book they are not fighting anyone or are up against any danger so their relationship feels more like a contemporary one to me and so here I think the rules are slightly different. When there are no evil forces (be magical villans or corrupt government) to go against I prefer couples that are so natural and have little to no drama and that is exactly what we get with Harry and Ginny. After years of hero-crushing on him Ginny is finally able to get over it and that is exactly what was needed for their friendship to grow and for Harry to realise he was falling for his best friend's little sister. But as soon as they get together the drama and angst stops. Everyone knows how heroic and loyal Harry is but Ginny is such a funny character and a lot more like Fred and George than any of her other siblings and I am so annoyed they didn't incorporate her great personality nor this beautiful relationship into the movies.

Todd and Viola from the Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness  - this couple is so interesting to me as they are thrown into a crazy situation where they are running for their lives and Todd has never seen a girl before and Viola doesn't talk for ages. In the first book they become dependant upon each other to survive and they are all each other has but in the second book when they are thrown back into civilisation and are kept apart they both get a chance to develop as individuals and as Viola gains strength Todd starts to loose himself and I just find the way they make their way back to each other (both in terms of geography but also emotionally) is really beautiful.

Ari and Dante from Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz  - now these two spend almost the entire book as friends but it was the most beautiful friendship I have ever read about. Now, this relationship wasn't an entirely smooth ride as Ari could sometime be a bit of a bad friend (but never out of cruelness or lack of caring) and deals with some issues not very well but they both stand by each other through everything and I was so worried that they wouldn't end up together. Dante is such an optimistic human being whereas Ari is quite sullen and withdrawn but Dante manages to pull smiles out of him and despite Ari not being great at writing back he is always there for Dante and never judges him when he comes out despite it being 1980s America.