This is a weekly meme created to honor the characters that don't always get their voices heard, who support (or work to destroy) our beloved protagonists. This is for the third wheel in the love triangle (can you have wheels on a triangle?), for the BFFs, the family members, or even just the kind and loving (or deceitful and creepy) stranger who shows up and changes the game. We all know these stories wouldn't hold up without support so I'd like to take the time to highlight the best secondary characters I come across. This is an opportunity to talk about what makes these characters special, maybe to speculate what their world would be like without them, or maybe cast them in their own primary roles. If you'd like to create a SCS post leave your link in the comments and I'll check it out!
So today it's all about:
Paige from Something Like Normal
I hardly know where to start, but I'm curious about Paige. There are some really incredible characters in this book. Travis, his mother, Harper, the other marines, and Charlie are all such great, wonderful, honorable characters. Then there's Travis's brother, who we actually don't see too much of - and Paige.
She was Travis's girlfriend but while he's in Afghanistan she hooks up with his brother. As soon as Travis gets back, she starts hooking up with him behind his brother's back. She's depicted as a gorgeous girl - meant to be the opposite of Harper, more porn star than girl next door. So her function in this story is fascinating. She's a link to Travis's life before he joined the Marines and he seems to have a little trouble letting that go, despite what the fact that he seems to want nothing to do with who he used to be.
I didn't care for Paige, I found her shallow and felt a little sorry for her. But I really wonder what's going through her head. She wants to be loved and to be the one who leaves, but she needs it too much. I also really wonder what readers are supposed to think about her. Are we supposed to judge her? Hate her? Feel bad for her? Does she serve a purpose beyond complicating Travis's life? Travis calls Harper the "happily-ever-after" kind of girl. So what does that make Paige, or girls like Paige? Girls like Paige pop up here and there in YA lit, but this book really made me wonder about the role this type of girl plays. And if we look at this story through Paige's eyes, what will we see? And what would be a happy ending for her?
So today it's all about:
Paige from Something Like Normal
I hardly know where to start, but I'm curious about Paige. There are some really incredible characters in this book. Travis, his mother, Harper, the other marines, and Charlie are all such great, wonderful, honorable characters. Then there's Travis's brother, who we actually don't see too much of - and Paige.
She was Travis's girlfriend but while he's in Afghanistan she hooks up with his brother. As soon as Travis gets back, she starts hooking up with him behind his brother's back. She's depicted as a gorgeous girl - meant to be the opposite of Harper, more porn star than girl next door. So her function in this story is fascinating. She's a link to Travis's life before he joined the Marines and he seems to have a little trouble letting that go, despite what the fact that he seems to want nothing to do with who he used to be.I didn't care for Paige, I found her shallow and felt a little sorry for her. But I really wonder what's going through her head. She wants to be loved and to be the one who leaves, but she needs it too much. I also really wonder what readers are supposed to think about her. Are we supposed to judge her? Hate her? Feel bad for her? Does she serve a purpose beyond complicating Travis's life? Travis calls Harper the "happily-ever-after" kind of girl. So what does that make Paige, or girls like Paige? Girls like Paige pop up here and there in YA lit, but this book really made me wonder about the role this type of girl plays. And if we look at this story through Paige's eyes, what will we see? And what would be a happy ending for her?
