To All the Soft Boys I've Loved Before...
Thank you for making me feel loved.
For telling me that I'm a fairytale.
For taking me on journies through the stars.
For being nerdy with me.
For all of the magic you've given me.
Thank you.
Love,
Nox
Hello everyone! Welcome to Nox Reads, I'm "Nox", and today I want to talk about soft boys that I love in YA.
Since what I refer to as The Wattpad Era of 2012, it's seemed to me that angst-filled, brooding bad boys are the general preference of the bookish community. You have your Darklings, Kaz Brekkers, Cardans, etc, etc. And yeah, these kinds of characters have their appeal (although with the examples I gave I really only like Kaz)! There's something about someone who is closed off to everyone except that one person. And if I knew anything past what I learned in AP Psych, I'm sure I could write an essay about how the psychology behind why we fixate on these characters and how it probably has something to do with some self-insert fantasy.
But I haven't really studied psychology since I took that AP test junior year of high school, so that is not what this post is about. Go live out those fantasies, that's what reader-insert fanfiction on Tumblr is for. This is me deciding that I want to talk about some of my favorite soft boys of the YA community, the actual cinnamon rolls, the loves of my fictional life. The idea for this came to me when I was talking to nik nak about Abel Mansfield from Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray, which I highly recommend reading! So here's a quick blurb on why I love each character!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lazlo Strange
10/10. Can't do anything wrong. The actual definition of a romantic intellectual, the only thing he loves more than his SO are his books, and that's completely understandable. Also responsible for one of my favorite quotes.
"I think you're a fairy tale. I think you're magical, and brave, and exquisite. And I hope you'll let me be in your story."
Tristan (The Gilded Wolves)
As much as I frickin. hate. spiders., Tristan's love for Goliath is what drew me to him
Noah (The Raven Boys)
I can't talk too much about Noah without spoiling the series, so all I'm going to say is that I love him, and that he has the most game out of all of the Raven Boys. Plus, he loves glitter in snowglobes!
Abel Mansfield
Abel is such a sweetheart! He's all about treating his SO as an equal, but making sure that they're safe and being taken care of. Plus, he could kill someone, but he's too much of a softie to actually do that. Abel's ideal date would be laying back and watching an old movie, and I love that. But most of all, even when he's sure about his feelings, he doesn't want to push anybody into a relationship, and that means a lot to me.
John Ambrose McClaren
So this shouldn't surprise anyone, but I am Team John Ambrose ALL THE WAY! I love how his friendship with Lara Jean grows (into something more), and how he knows how important certain things are to her, so they mean something to him too. You don't have to have all of the same interests that your SO does, but the fact that something means a lot to them should matter to you.
Ezra Mason
My soft boy Ezra... I fell for him right at the beginning of Illuminae. He's hilarious and lovely, and a total Hufflepuff! I don't know what else to say except:
"You have me. Until the last star in the galaxy dies, you have me."
Alex Aquino
Alex is everyone's Head Boy of Ravenclaw fantasy come to life! He's the definition of "looks like they can kill you, is actually a cinnamon roll". All Alex wants to do is bake you a tres leche cake and go sailing, and honestly, am 100% down with that!
Rishi Patel
Oh Rishi, the King of Bad First Impressions. You have to admit though, he handles it pretty well. Rishi is just... such a sweetheart, and I love his passion for drawing, his loyalty to those he cares about, and how much his family means to him. And as someone who values traditions (only the ones that aren't based in oppression) and believes that they're an important part of our culture and who we are, I liked reading about Rishi, someone who was putting so much faith in this.
Reid (The Upside of Unrequited)
Last but not least is Reid. I'm a sucker for an awkward, lanky nerd. I have a type, I know, but it works for me. Reid is so sweet and I just love his interactions with Molly so much! His fun little games in the market, his dorky outfits, and just... I loved Reid.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you very much for reading this! I just had to talk about some of my character crushes, and I loved writing this!
Have a great day!
~ Nox
Comments
Post a Comment