Welcome to The YA Sisterhood's 3rd Annual YA Crush Tourney! We hope that through this all you will meet a lot of book loving people, discover new books, and of course be introduced to many more dreamy crushes!
Be aware that we have tried to keep all the posts pretty general, but there might still be some spoilers. If the spoiler is big, it will be marked. However, still proceed with caution!
Matches will run for 24 hours, 12am to 12am EST every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. For more information please check out our Tournament Page.
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The winner of Match #11 is Warner!
Hi y'all! I'm Avery from over at Avery's Book Nook. Today I am beyond excited to represent one of my most favourite YA book boys ever, Etienne St. Clair from Stephanie Perkin's ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS (Haven't read it yet? I cannot recommend it, or its companion novel LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR, enough! Also, remember to look out for the final book in its series, ISLA AND THE HAPPILY EVER AFTER, this fall). If you would like to follow Etienne's progress (or support him) during the Tournament feel free to do so on Twitter- either by following me or following his hashtag #TeamEtienne.
There's no doubt about it, the boy is as charming as they come (if not the most charming YA boy that you'll ever encounter). And what is perchance best about his charm is that it's real- it's not forced by any stretch of the imagination (no matter how little he may like someone). Along with that charm comes draw- people from every walk of life flock to him, he's a chameleon of sorts, able to fit in with (and get along with) everyone, while always staying true to himself. He's almost like a highly exciteable puppy dog, he'll be your best friend, he'll stick by your side no matter what, and you can always depend upon him.
Looks
If there was one word to describe Etienne it would be beautiful. That being said, the boy isn't beautiful in the typical sense, what we've come to expect from our YA boys. First? His hair, messy and long and short at the same time. Not unlike Beatles hair. Or artist hair. Or musician hair. Olympic winning hair. His eyes are big and brown- the type of eyes that you wouldn't mind falling into. The type of eyes that make your heart stutter when they lock with yours. The type of eyes that convey his every emotion, telling you exactly how he feels. His lovely smile- straight on top and crooked on the bottom, with a touch of an overbite. He's short- perfect for those tiny folk and a match for those who aren't as vertically challenged. The accent (because accents saturate every aspect of a person, no?)- 100% English and 100% ).
Talents
His ability to express his feelings like no other- namely in the form of poetry (in this case, poetry by Pablo Neruda- Google some of his poetry. Though, fair warning, you may injury yourself from the swoonage that you are guaranteed to experience). His ability to 'take one for the team', making himself look like a fool in order to make one of his friends feel better (have you read the deleted socceer scene from the book?). His ability to step out of the limelight, letting you be the center of attention- YOU pick what you do on your adventure, YOU to get whatever it is that is bothering you off of your chest, and so forth). The ability to make the best out of any situation (can't go home for Thanksgiving? That's okay!).
Special Attributes/Best Qualities
Accent + Banana charm + THE HAT + book of poems + crooked smile + confidence + realness = Etienne St. Clair AKA YA Crush Tourney Champion Potential
Anything else?
Special thanks goes out to the wonderful ladies of the YA Sisterhood (and all of their partners) for all of the hard work that they do in the organizing of this tournament- they are truly rockstars!
Oh, and this:
If there was one word to describe Etienne it would be beautiful. That being said, the boy isn't beautiful in the typical sense, what we've come to expect from our YA boys. First? His hair, messy and long and short at the same time. Not unlike Beatles hair. Or artist hair. Or musician hair. Olympic winning hair. His eyes are big and brown- the type of eyes that you wouldn't mind falling into. The type of eyes that make your heart stutter when they lock with yours. The type of eyes that convey his every emotion, telling you exactly how he feels. His lovely smile- straight on top and crooked on the bottom, with a touch of an overbite. He's short- perfect for those tiny folk and a match for those who aren't as vertically challenged. The accent (because accents saturate every aspect of a person, no?)- 100% English and 100% ).
Talents
His ability to express his feelings like no other- namely in the form of poetry (in this case, poetry by Pablo Neruda- Google some of his poetry. Though, fair warning, you may injury yourself from the swoonage that you are guaranteed to experience). His ability to 'take one for the team', making himself look like a fool in order to make one of his friends feel better (have you read the deleted socceer scene from the book?). His ability to step out of the limelight, letting you be the center of attention- YOU pick what you do on your adventure, YOU to get whatever it is that is bothering you off of your chest, and so forth). The ability to make the best out of any situation (can't go home for Thanksgiving? That's okay!).
Special Attributes/Best Qualities
Accent + Banana charm + THE HAT + book of poems + crooked smile + confidence + realness = Etienne St. Clair AKA YA Crush Tourney Champion Potential
Anything else?
Special thanks goes out to the wonderful ladies of the YA Sisterhood (and all of their partners) for all of the hard work that they do in the organizing of this tournament- they are truly rockstars!
Oh, and this:
“We are kissing like crazy. Like our lives depend on it. His tongue slips inside my mouth, gentle but demanding, and it’s nothing like I’ve ever experienced, and I suddenly understand why people describe kissing as melting because every square inch of my body dissolves into his. My fingers grip his hair, pulling him closer. My veins throb and my heart explodes. I have never wanted anyone like this before. Ever.
He pushes me backward and we’re lying down, making out in front of the children with their red balloons and the old men with their chess sets and the tourists with their laminated maps and I don’t care, I don’t care about any of that.
All I want is Étienne.
The weight of his body on top of mine is extraordinary. I feel him—all of him—pressed against me, and I inhale his shaving cream, his shampoo, and that extra scent that’s just . . . him. The most delicious smell I could ever imagine.
I want to breathe him, lick him, eat him, drink him. His lips taste like honey. His face has the slightest bit of stubble and it rubs my skin but I don’t care, I don’t care at all. He feels wonderful. His hands are everywhere, and it doesn’t matter that his mouth is already on top of mine, I want him closer closer closer.”
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Hey this is Stacey and Pixie from Page Turners. Stop by and check us out sometime. Warner isn't the normal type of guy PTB advocates for - in fact, his competition is more our style. But we hoping we'll be able to sway your vote to Warner.
Warner is a bad guy, you know he is the bad guy, but you just don't care. There is just something about Warner, we can't explain it...
We decided to give you little glimpses(quotes) into the mystery that is Warner. We'll admit at first he is quite infuriating - that is, until you get to know him, know his history and then you realize - He is smart, strong, loyal to a fault, loves his mama and would do anything for Juliette. Even if it means humbling himself to prove he is worthy of her love.
Also, by using quotes we get to show you how beautifully and uniquely written these books are...
Juliette -
“His smile is laced with dynamite. "Go to sleep"
"Go to hell."
He works his jaw. Walks to the door. "I'm working on it.” ― Tahereh Mafi, Shatter Me
“I hear Warner laugh.
I see him smile.
It's the kind of smile that transforms him into someone else entirely, the kind of smile that puts stars in his eyes and a dazzle on his lips and I realize I've never seen him like this before. I've never seen his teeth--so straight, so white, nothing less than perfect. A flawless, flawless exterior for a boy with a black, black heart. It's hard to believe there's blood on the hands of the person I'm staring at. He looks soft and vulnerable--so human. His eyes are squinting from all his grinning and his cheeks are pink form the cold.
He has dimples.
He's easily the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.
And I wish I'd never seen it.” ― Tahereh Mafi, Unravel Me
“And he leans in, so carefully. Breathing and not breathing and hearts beating between us and he’s so close, he’s so close and I can’t feel my legs anymore. I can’t feel my fingers or the cold or the emptiness of this room because all I feel is him, everywhere, filling everything and he whispersWarner -
“Please.”
He says “Please don’t shoot me for this.”
And he kisses me.
His lips are softer than anything I've ever known, soft like a first snowfall, like biting into cotton candy, like melting and floating and being weightless in water. It’s sweet, it’s so effortlessly sweet. And then it changes.
“Oh God—”
He kisses me again, this time stronger, desperate, like he has to have me, like he’s dying to memorize the feel of my lips against his own. The taste of him is making me crazy; he’s all heat and desire and peppermint and I want more. I've just begun reeling him in, pulling him into me when he breaks away. He’s breathing like he’s lost his mind and he’s looking at me like something has broken inside of him, like he’s woken up to find that his nightmares were just that, that they never existed, that it was all just a bad dream that felt far too real but now he’s awake and he’s safe and everything is going to be okay and
I’m falling.
I’m falling apart and into his heart and I’m a disaster.” ― Tahereh Mafi, Unravel Me
“I almost forget that she still hates me, despite how hard I've fallen for her.
And I've fallen.
So hard.
I've hit the ground.
Gone right through it. Never in my life have I felt this. Nothing like this. I've felt shame and cowardice, weakness and strength. I've known terror and indifference, self-hate and general disgust. I've seen things that cannot be unseen.
And yet I've known nothing like this terrible, horrible, paralyzing feeling. I feel crippled. Desperate and out of control. And it keeps getting worse. Every day I feel sick. Empty and somehow aching.
Love is a heartless bastard.” ― Tahereh Mafi, Destroy Me
“If it were nothing but sexual attraction I’m sure I would not suffer such unbearable humiliation. But I wanted so much more than her body.” ― Tahereh MafiHe has a way with words - swoon....
“I want so many things,” he whispers.
“I want your mind. Your strength. I want to be worth your time.” His fingers graze the hem of my top and he says “I want this up.” He tugs on the waist of my pants and says “I want these down.” He touches the tips of his fingers to the sides of my body and says, “I want to feel your skin on fire. I want to feel your heart racing next to mine and I want to know it’s racing because of me, because you want me. Because you never,” he says, he breathes, “never want me to stop. I want every second. Every inch of you. I want all of it.” ― Tahereh Mafi, Unravel Me
“I want to be the friend you fall hopelessly in love with. The one you take into your arms and into your bed and into the private world you keep trapped in your head. I want to be that kind of friend. The one who will memorize the things you say as well as the shape of your lips when you say them. I want to know every curve, every freckle, every shiver of your body.
I want to know where to touch you, I want to know how to touch you. I want to know convince you to design a smile just for me. Yes, I do want to be your friend. I want to be your best friend in the entire world.” ― Tahereh Mafi, Unravel Me
the dimples
Okay enough rambling, quoting and posting pretty pictures - hopefully we have proven that Warner is definitely crush worthy.
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