Match 11: Etienne St. Clair (3) vs. Warner (6) goes to Warner!

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.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

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. 

Personality

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:

“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.”

**************************************** 

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 whispers

“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

Warner -

“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 Mafi

He 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. 

****************************

*Polls are now closed*

Flashback Friday: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Flashback Friday is weekly posting started by Mundie Mom's and another separate FF was started on Clean Teen Fiction.  The purpose is to highlight books you read a long time ago, but never reviewed or one that's been sitting on the shelf that we finally picked up to read.  Our Flashback Friday for this week is Stephanie Perkin's first novel, Anna and the French Kiss.  Lola and the Boy Next Door is the companion novel to this book!  It happens to also be unFREAKINbelievable!!!  You can check out our review of it here.


Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Published by: Dutton

Date Published: December 2, 2010
Reviewed by: Honorary Sis Beth
Sister Says: Fun, Flirty, and Fabulous

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris - until she meets Etienne St. Clair: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost - relationship back home.

As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near-misses end with the French kiss Anna - and readers - have long awaited? (-Goodreads)
                                 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(((((Squeals))))) Anna and the French Kiss.....where have you been all my life!??!!? Just thinking about writing this review makes me giggle like a school girl.

First, I am going to start with the setting of the book. Ahhhhh....Paris. Stephanie Perkins does an unbelievable job navigating through the streets of Paris. I felt like I was Anna experiencing the places for the first time. It is the perfect setting for a lost girl to find herself and a Parisian/English/American hottie! Many times, I almost bought a one-way to Paris because of this book.

Speaking of hottie....St. Clair! ((((Big Sigh)))) Please don't get mad at me, but to be honest, I could not figure out why he made the crush tournament, but after reading this book....omigosh....definitely crush-worthy!!!! Broken, smart, smooth, sexy, and foreign....he has stolen my heart! In all seriousness though, I felt like his character was really well developed and executed perfectly. His struggles were palpable, his problems realistic (mostly), and his relationships deep. My only problem with him is I have a hard time pronouncing is name, Etienne, but I can deal with that!

Anna was so great. I can totally see some of myself in her. Not the obsessively compulsive clean part, but the totally neurotic and over-thinking part. In fact, some of her antics hit a little close to home


*****warning spoiler alert******
*
*
*
*
ahem.....Dave. *****end of spoiler*****


 But, Anna was so likable and frustrating at the same time; that is what I loved about her. Seeing her step out on her own for the first time and navigate Paris, was just fun. I enjoyed seeing Paris through her eyes. Her growth throughout the book is just incredible to see. Not to mention her coffee connoisseur attitude after a few months in Paris....love it! :-)

This book was so much fun to read, I just want to read it over and over. It was flirty, fun, and definitely, bloody fantastic!!!! If you haven't had the chance to read it yet, move it high on you TBR self because it is worth every minute!

Buy it.....Read it......Love it!!!!

YA Crush Tourney: St. Clair vs. Puck (Match #2) goes to St. Clair

AND WINNER IS...

ETIENNE ST. CLAIR

Here it is, folks. A battle between two hot YA guys that together span several centuries, continents, languages, realms, and even species. Sensitive Gorgeous English/French/American guy vs. Hot Hilarious Trickster Fairie. Who will it be? Well, two super fans of each are here to help you decide!

Some general rules before we begin:

There may be some spoilers in the following post. We've tried to keep it fairly general, but overall, this Tourney will not be spoiler-free. So beware.

Secondly, You are welcome to write your own comments about either character in the comments section, but we will not tolerate rudeness. The minute it crosses over from logical argument into character bashing, your comments will be deleted and your vote canceled.

Now. Let the games begin! (May the odds be ever in your favor!)

St. Clair (Seed 9)

St. Clair is represented today by Melissa, follow her on twitter @3fixedhearts. Etienne St. Clair is a character from Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. It's a fabulous read, which we unfortunately haven't written a review of yet, but you can learn more here.

Personality

Étienne St. Clair...there is so much charm in him it is difficult to know where to start. He is adored by everyone because of his magnetic personality. MAGNETISM: the phenomenon of physical attraction; the strong attractiveness of something. That is St. Clair. He is smart, witty and 'ridiculously attractive'. But it is his charm - he is so charming to everyone, drawing all types of individuals to him - that makes him stand out. Though he sometimes hides it, he has incredible depth in his emotions. St. Clair feels things on a deeper level than he lets on. Deeper than most boys. He knows just what to say, how to say it and when to say it to make anyone feel better. He is also extremely intelligent. Oh, and he is romantic and flirtatious without even trying. He will draw you in with his charm. He will flirt with you - forcing you to surrender. Yes, he does have his moments when he seems to disappear but he never runs away - like many boys do. And he always defends his girl (his 'true' girl). He will defend you, as his love, forever. He will move mountains for you - he will move to another country for you. While witty and funny and a wonderful friend he may be, there is no escaping his charm and magnetic personality. He will draw you in and turn you in to one of 'them' - one of those girls who swoon.

Looks

First: The hair. The "I-pretend-I-don't-care-but-I-really-do' hair. Breathtaking, dark, thick 'you wanna run your fingers through it when you are making out with him' hair. You wanna run your fingers through it even when you are not making out with him. Hell, you want to run your toes through this perfect head of hair - hair that looks so beautiful and smells so clean and boyish. Then the eyes: big, brown beautiful eyes. Eyes that look deeply into you, reading your every thought. Described as weapons against the female race. Perfectly shaped lips- very useful. White teeth, with a twinge of imperfection making him real. Stylish - dresses cute! Wears cute pajama pants when he has a sleep-over with you. The way he carries himself...confidence and charm ooze. Though he is not tall, he carries himself tall - and having him your size, ladies, has tremendous advantages (wink). The whole entire St. Clair package deal: ridiculously attractive, charismatic look that, like his personality, draws you in. You can't help but stare at him.

Talents

Bilingual. OH. MY. GOD. What is hotter than hearing a boy speak with an English accent? What? Oh, Étienne saying sweet nothings in your ear in FRENCH. Helloooo! Girls. Étienne St. Clair - first, his French name is hot and fun to say. He will speak to you in his sexy, English accent - which every girl knows is a deal-maker. Then, he will bust out (BRADLEY COOPER STYLE) in perfect French, sealing the deal. He draws - an artist. But sort of an undercover one, one that does not boast. He is rather shy about his talent. Another talent? Knowing amazing facts, especially history. He is definitely the one you want on your team for trivia games. Did I mention he speaks with an English accent and can talk to you in French, while kissing your neck? TALENT.

Special Attributes

Back to the charm and magnetism. Rarely does a boy posess such traits as does St. Clair. Rarely does a boy have the ability to draw you in with such power that you are forced to surrender. You actually give up and fall into the crush. It is unavoidable with St. Clair. He is strong and yet vulnerable at the same time - making him so attractive to us girls. He is a history expert and actually enjoys reading everything he can about history. Like I said, pick him for your trivia team. He will back you when you need it. He will stand by you. His wit and friendly sarcasm will keep you laughing - especially when you need it most. It is really his magnetic personality and good looks that make him special.

What makes St. Clair better than Puck?

Both Puck and St. Clair are friends to the girl throughout the book. Both have you wondering, "Will they ever get together?" I have to say, Étienne is much more charming and flirtatious. Though Puck is funny as hell and a best friend who would stand by you, he doesn't have that magnetism that Étienne was born with. Étienne is sort of a bad boy because he is such a flirt and he is taken - so the 'I want him but can't have him' factor is there. But having him as only a friend is unacceptable. The way he charms you, enthralls you, captivates you...flirts with you...turns you on so you think about totally wanting to make out with him...that is what makes Étienne St. Clair so crush-worthy and so entirely hot! You don't want to be just a friend. He is fun, fun-loving and funny, yes, but you totally want to jump his bones...and that is no laughing matter. With Puck, you laugh at his jokes, want to elbow him in that 'you're so funny, like my brother' way and are glad he always has your back. But you don't really look at him and get chills and heat in your body at the same time. To borrow a line from a movie (since Anna loves movies), Étienne makes your heart beat faster and slower at the same time. Definitely more crush-worthy and holding more swagger and swoon-factor. I DO NOT want to be only his friend. Puck, sure, buddy, we can hang out. Étienne...just hanging out would kill me. I would surely die a painful death having to just sit next to you, while you flirt and charm.

Anything else you’d like to add?

Did I mention he speaks with an English accent and can bust out hot sexy French stuff while kissing you? Oh my.

Puck (Seed 24)

Puck is being represented today by Krazzyme. Visit this advocate here: http://youngreadersathome.blogspot.com/ or follow on twitter (@kadburytweets). Puck is a character from The Iron Fey Series by Julie Kagawa. If you'd like to know more about the series, check out our review here.

Personality

Puck is charming, funny, sarcastic, playful, mischievous, trustworthy (if he really likes you, i.e), and has a wicked sense of humor.

Looks

He has striking red hair, green eyes and a killer smile.Can't imagine it? You might wanna look at

Talents

Puck can shift into a raven,so obviously he can fly.

He can kick @$$ without breaking into a sweat!

He's quickwitted

He's nerveless

AND his BEST TALENT: He can lighten up any situation!

Special Attributes

He's immortal and a faerie,so he can't grow old!

He's also the court jester.

He's been around forever(remember Puck from A Midsummer's Night's Dream? That's him).

What makes Puck better than St. Clair?

Puck has always been there for the woman he loves.

He's willing to die for her and he expects nothing in return.

He's warm and never tries to push people away.

He's fun and very HOT.

He's reliable and goes to extreme lengths to make his friend happy!

Anything else you’d like to add?

Puck=PURE AWESOME

You'd be a fool not to vote for him!

Team Puck, work your magic, don't let St. Claire win!!!!!

Now the time has come to weigh your options. Think carefully. This post will be open for 40 hours (8am Wednesday- Midnight Thursday). Now...

Vote!

VOTING IS NOW CLOSED!