liam stewart – Zakiya N. Jamal

POLL: Who’s the Best Man Crush Monday? Pt. 2

Posted on September 11, 2015September 12, 2015 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Blog

Last week I asked you guys who’s your favorite Man Crush Monday thus far and because I’ve done so many I divided it up into two parts. Although there were many great contenders last week including Four from Divergent and Gale from The Hunger Games, the winner has been determined.

In a very close race the winner is Jace Wayland from The Mortal Instruments series. I love Jace and I could talk about him for days but I already did that in another post so I’ll spare you all.

This week we have part two of the man crush battle. Vote below to choose who you think is the best man. After a winner is decided there will be a final vote between the two to see which man is actually the most crushable. I’ll be posting the final battle on Saturday therefore you only have 24 hours to vote for your fave in this round, so don’t miss out.

Don’t see your fave on the list? Let me know in the comments who’s your favorite fictional man and I’ll try to include him in an upcoming Man Crush Monday.

Woman Crush Wednesday: Suzume “Zu”

Posted on August 19, 2015 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Blog

Zu was the bright little dot of sunshine in The Darkest Minds trilogy. That’s not to say she didn’t have her own issues and problems. She doesn’t speak and has seen her fair share of darkness. Even so, the fact that she’s pretty young compared to everyone else and the crew (Ruby, Chubs, and Liam) feel responsible makes Zu one of the key elements that keeps this little family together.

I really liked the journey Zu goes on in the books. Spoiler if you haven’t read the series yet! Zu eventually does speak and when she does she has a lot to say. Being quiet, she’s a great listener and has seen and heard things no child should have to witness. She hates what the dystopian America she lives in has done not only to the children that have abilities but also to the adults that have turned to drastic measures to survive.

Zu wants to live in a better world. A safer world where she and her friends don’t need to be afraid anymore. Where they don’t have to run and hide? I think the fact that Zu, who believe is only seven in the books, can eloquently say what everyone is saying and thinking.

She’s brave, a little funny, and wise beyond her years. She’s an adorable little girl and one of my favorite characters in this trilogy. Also, there’s apparently novellas centered around Zu that I haven’t read yet but I’ve heard are really good so check them out as well.

“Everyone is so afraid of each other,” Zu continued. “I don’t want to look at a grown-up and assume they’re thinking of how much they can get for me. I don’t want them to look at me and think of how badly I could hurt them. Too many…too many of my friends are in pain. They’ve been hurt very badly by what they’ve been through, but they’ve taken care of me. That’s the other side of everything. Because there are people who are afraid, and then there are people who are so brave. We only survived being hungry and scared and hurt because we had each other.” – In the Afterlight

Man Crush Monday: Cole Stewart

Posted on June 22, 2015June 22, 2015 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Blog

If someone asked me the best thing to come from The Darkest Minds trilogy I’d say the Stewart Brothers hands down. Besides the fact that they’re both hot with a southern charm that’s just to die for, they’re both great people even though they handle things very differently.

I won’t discuss Liam here because he already had his Monday. Today’s all about Cole. Cole has this bad boy/tough guy exterior but he truly only cares about two things: keeping his little brother safe and finding a cure for IAAN, the disease that gave kids powers.

This post is going to be spoiler free so I won’t go into all the wonderful things Cole does in the trilogy and just how amazing he is but I will say that at first I was weary of Cole. I wasn’t sure if we could trust him or not mostly because he was such a wild card. Even so, one can tell from his actions that he has the best intentions and just wants to do what he believes is right, any way he can.

Also, side note, did anyone else, just for a second, kind of like him with Ruby. Just for a second! No, just me? Okay that’s fine. Anyway, Cole is awesome and I might dare say my favorite Stewart (although Liam comes in a very very close second). His sass and smirk are great and he has a heart of gold. I’d reread the trilogy just for him (well, the last two books anyway).

“You gotta stand up and walk, Gem. You have to walk out of here. Not just for them, but for yourself. Come on. You have to walk out of here on your own two feet. – Cole Stewart, In the Afterlight

Man Crush Monday: Liam Stewart

Posted on May 4, 2015May 21, 2015 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Blog

Try to picture the sweetest guy you know. Now multiply that by 100. That’s Liam Stewart. He’s sweet, caring, strong, and the male lead in The Darkest Minds trilogy.

As a Psi kid, a teen with a superhuman ability (in Liam’s case, telekinesis), Liam has gone through a lot including having to leave his parent’s home to escape being put in an internment camp for Psi kids. He was then a soldier for the Children’s League before he left and was then put in a camp that he later breaks out of, causing a lot of casualties that he hadn’t anticipated.

Liam is a natural born leader who believes the best in everyone and he always does his best to protect those he cares about, which is almost everyone. Plus, he’s the perfect southern gentleman. Although his naivety can sometimes be annoying, in this dark series of books, his positive outlook is illuminating.

“‘[Liam’s] so busy looking inside people to find the good that he misses the knife they’re holding in their hand.'” – The Darkest Minds