5 of the Best Character-Driven Books
Are strong characters essential to your enjoyment of a book? If so, this is the list for you.
Historically, my favourite books have been character-driven over plot-oriented, and it is a pattern I have only recently come to realise about my reading. A great cast of characters makes a book infinitely more relatable and enjoyable than a great plot with stale characters. Don’t get me wrong, the plot is also important, but if the characters have no development or personality, I really struggle to care about them.
So, now you all think I am cold-hearted for my occasional lack of interest, here are the best character-driven stories I have enjoyed in recent months. I have mixed up the reasons and ways in which the characters are developed from a biographical style to a story of consistent trauma, so hopefully, you can take away a tailored recommendation from this.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Taylor Jenkins Reid
This is my favourite book of all time, so it’s really no shock that it makes the list in pole position. Following the life of Hollywood starlet Evelyn Hugo through an extended interview for a biography, it explores the trials, trauma and trophy moments of being a Hollywood A-Lister, including the story behind her seven husbands and forbidden love.
Evelyn Hugo genuinely feels like a real person. Her relationships are portrayed so realistically either through the feeling the reader is a fly on the wall or through playing with real-life events and aspects of fame we experience every day. Her stories about the Academy Awards and facing media pressure, or the over-sexualisation of women in film and manipulation of women by those in power in Hollywood reflect tendencies we know too well in real life, to the point where the parallels between the book and the world are identical.
Evelyn is also full of personality. It’s a pleasure to watch her thrive in some relationships after being unhappy in others, and her blossoming romances and friendships would make anyone envious. Although the main “love of her life” is not a character I am fond of due to some toxic tendencies, it is hard to not fall in love with Evelyn because of how much love she has to give.
This is a must-read, and everyone I know who has read it has adored it, receiving nothing but 5 stars from all I have forced this book upon.
The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet
Becky Chambers
If you enjoy an eclectic and endearing cast of characters, then look no further. Although this book is also intensely plot-driven, it’s the characters within the story that set it apart from your standard intergalactic sci-fi odyssey. The crew of a far from perfect spaceship, the Wayfarer, are tasked with an ambitious mission with the promise of a great reward in return. Still, on the long way to a small angry planet (see what I did there?), the crew's relationships and dynamics are tested extensively.
I came away from this book, ready to lay down my life for any crew members because they are all lovable in their unique way. Personal favourite tech-whiz Kizzy is the funniest and most chaotic character I have read in a while, Ohan’s storyline and the protective feelings of the others towards them warmed my heart, and our leading lady Rosemary transforms from a nervous newbie to a natural space traveller.
The characters make the book feel, unlike a Sci-Fi at times, which is conducive for an enjoyable read regardless of your opinion of the genre. Although entirely set in space, the domestic scenes on the spaceship dominate the book, which feels like it could occur anywhere. It could be in space; it could be on a university campus; it is just a tale of a group of friends and crewmates at its heart.
Also, the diversity is brilliant. We have LGBT+ characters and a character who uses they/them pronouns, with constructive and explicit discussions surrounding the accidental misuse of pronouns, which I have yet to see be executed so well.
We Are the Ants
Shaun David Hutchinson
Take this recommendation with extreme caution, as although I do not discuss it here, the book contains themes some readers may find distressing. Content warning for suicide, depression, bullying, sexual assault and homophobia. These are the most prominent triggers, but there are many more, so I strongly encourage prior research before reading.
This book is a rollercoaster. Our protagonist, Henry, goes through so much over the course of the story, with the book's events shaping the progression through trauma. Henry is abducted by aliens and told the world will end, and exactly when, but he also has the power to stop this from happening by pushing a button. His far from easy life makes it difficult for him to see the point in saving everyone, and the events of the book both good and bad prompt him to open his mind to the world, realising life is not solely the horrific events it has been defined by.
It is not an easy read in the slightest, but the care the reader feels for the character is unlike any other story I have read. You will cry, you will laugh, and your heart will swell with joy. There are times when Henry’s perspective and development are so convincing it’s hard to blame him for wanting the world to end, but imagining being in his shoes is equally as difficult because of how much he endures. The connection between myself and Henry was built entirely on sympathy, a harrowing and novel perspective for me as a reader, but I won’t recover from this book for a while.
Clap When You Land and The Poet X
Elizabeth Acevedo
I know this is two books, taking my list of five books up to six, but I can’t possibly separate these. Both standalones, these incredible books are written in verse, making Acevedo’s ability to develop characters all the more impressive. The format means neither space nor the words to build characters as most authors normally would, but it is still managed perfectly.
Along similar lines, the lack of words on the page takes away the room to distract from the story or focus on the world too much. I typically dislike overwritten and flowery writing styles, so the straight-to-the-point storytelling here was great. It almost feels formulaic; an event occurs; we are told how our character feels and move on. It’s that simple.
The Poet X, in particular, is an exemplary example of this, where the character as a poet often delves into her own feelings for her writing, sort of like a diary. It has a consistent introspective feel to it. The characters thinking through their own thoughts and feelings serve to provide more information about them than an external description of the character ever could.
Normal People
Sally Rooney
A disclaimer before I launch into this, I wouldn't say I liked this book much. I scandalously preferred the TV series, but it still holds up as a great character-driven story.
The relationship between Irish young adults Connell and Marianne is followed through this book, documenting the pressures of being young and experiencing relationships and the wider world for the first time after leaving school. Watching the characters grow up and make choices both good and bad is essentially the entire plot, leaving the characters responsible for carrying the story where the plot doesn’t.
If you are one of the few yet to read this, it is a perfect recommendation for anyone who prefers realistic stories with more mundane characters. This stripped-back examination of people gets to the root of what makes people human, and as a young person, although I was not enthralled by it, the realism definitely struck a chord with me.
Escaping reality and stepping into the shoes of another character is one of the best things about reading. These books did exactly that for me, and I sincerely hope they do the same for you.
I am always looking for more character-driven stories to take my breath away, so more recommendations are always appreciated.
In need of some more book recommendations? Look no further:
