I Like Secondary Characters

I’ve been a slacker when it comes to reading. I think it’s a combination of a lot of things. First, I’ve been trying to finish this revision of Hooked. Then I started a new job, and I took several vacations. And add to that, it’s just so pretty and nice outside! Oh, and I started binging Criminal Minds.

I decided to try and remedy that a few weeks ago by reading a book that was written by someone I know. I read about half of it, but the entire time, something just didn’t quite sit right with me. I kept trying to figure it out, but I wasn’t sure what it was. The main character was strong, determined, and definitely not waiting for anyone to make decisions for her. She had proper motivation, and I could root for her goals.

It took me several days before I realized it.

The character was in a bubble. There wasn’t a single secondary character for the first half of the book. And that’s about the spot where I decided to leave it. I just couldn’t relate with her. There was no one that she interacted with, and the only time there was another character was when she was fighting them while she was trying to get some magical ingredients.

I like secondary characters. They give me a better idea of the main character. I tend to fall on the side of too many secondary characters, but that’s because I can’t imagine living a life where you have no friends or family or coworkers.

An author I think does a really good job with secondary characters is Natalie Whipple. Her books always have multiple characters, and the main characters aren’t stuck with just one friend. They’re in a group of friends, like most teenagers are. Plus, her secondary characters bring so much more to the story. It’s not just about the main character anymore.

I like secondary characters. I know that sometimes we all feel alone on our journey, but that doesn’t mean it’s true.