It is a truth universally acknowledged that siblings are like *sifts through various colorful names, and decided to be nice instead* .. weeds.

 

You never ask for them, but they pop up any way, and want to share your food and water, and grow up in your space, and siphon off your .. everything, and basically just annoy the living hell out of you. And I believe (though I could be wrong), that they are most annoying when you look at them from the eldest-sister-perspective, which I believe am qualified to speak from.

 

Yeah. Siblings are annoying.

 

But somehow, I enjoy reading about sibling relationships, and their interactions. It’s weird. It totally is. I can’t stand my little sister in real life, but I somehow go looking for a similar dynamic in my books. (Tell me I’m not alone??) There’s just something endearing about seeing the sisters and brothers (or twin sisters or twin brothers, which is something I really really like seeing in books) of our main characters annoying or supporting (or both) them. Bless their fictional YA sibling-y relationship thingy. I love it.

 

So what do I want to do today? Shower you with a list of my top 10 favorite sibling pairs (or groups). Because everyone likes organized lists. And showering (at least, I hope?).

 

 

1. Kell & Rhy Maresh, A Darker Shade of Magic

 

I love this duo so. very. much. Kell and Rhy, on the outset, seem a bit like polar opposites: Kell is quiet and shy and frown-y, while Rhy is waayy more social and flashy and out there. And yet .. they get each other so well while still managing to irritate the other. And tease each other. And have I’m-better-looking-than-you contests. But Kell would die and kill to protect Rhy, and seeing that caring older sibling dynamic is gorgeously adorable.

 

                                                                         (PS. Isn’t that cover beautiful? Because it totally is.)

 

 

2. Lada & Radu Dragwyla, And I Darken

 

One of my absolutely favorite thing about Lada and Radu (besides the fact that Lada is a visciously protective older sibling and Radu is about as mean as freshly spun cotton candy), is the fact that Lada comes up with fabulously quotable sisterly love quotes, such as:

 

 

“If anyone is going to kill you, it will be me. Understand?”

Radu nodded, snuggling into her shoulder. “Will you protect me?

“Until the day I kill you.”

She jabbed a finger into his side, where he was most ticklish, and he squealed with pained laughter.

 

 

Talk about sibling goals.

 

3. Chloe & Ivy, Things I Should Have Known

 

So Chloe is the younger sister, and Ivy the elder. Chloe is more outgoing and all over the place, and she tries to get her sister to be as social as she is, with minimal results. And I really really like plotlines like that. Oh! And Ivy has autism, something that Chloe does not see as “burdensome” or “annoying” (I cannot tell you how irritated I am when a character has this point of view. Thankfully, Chloe is way better than that). These two remain one of my all-time favorite sister pairs. Go them.

 

 

4. Will & Cecily Herondale, Clockwork Prince

 

Shadowhunter-y siblings! That have endless, say it with me, endless banter. And compete stab-ally. And are very skilled in the art of annoying each other. Least to say, I like them very much. And, of course, we have this gem of a conversation:

 

“Do you even care where I’m going?” he said. “What if I were going to hell?”

“I’ve always wanted to see hell,” Cecily said. “Doesn’t everyone?”

“Most of us spend our time trying to stay out of it, Cecily. I’m going to an ifrit den, if you must know, to purchase drugs from vile, dissolute criminals. They may clap eyes on you, and decide to sell you.”

“Wouldn’t you stop them?”

“I suppose it would depend on whether they cut me a part of the profit.”

 

Oh my goodness.

5. August & Ilsa Flynn, This Savage Song

 

Is anyone surprised, really? Anything and everything involving my little precious lost monster August Flynn (<333333) is going to end up on a top ten list. EVERYTHING. And this case is no different from the rest. I love love love August’s relationship with his older sister, Ilsa, because both are so very sweet, together and apart. They both are a bit insomniac and like to look up at stars (I relate to both of these things so. very. much.) and that’s kind of a bonding-thingy that they share.

 

 

 

6. Julian & The Blackthorns, Lady Midnight

 

Julian is basically the Mother Hen and has taken it upon himself to raise 6 children. Since he was 12. All alone. And he’s kind of the father figure in their lives and he goes to get them groceries and he cooks and cleans and irons and all that, which I find exhaustingly adorable (and that’s an adverb-adjective pair I never thought I’d use in casual speak?? And yet here I am). Plus, if he leaves them unattended (or carelessly baby-sat), this happens:

 

“And why is Tavvy in a bag of sugar?”

Mark shrugged. “He wanted to be in a bag of sugar.”

“That doesn’t mean you should put him in a bag of sugar.” Julian’s voice rose. “Or practically destroy the stove. Or let Drusilla drink—what is in that glass, Dru?”

“Chocolate milk,” Dru said promptly. “With sour cream and Pepsi.”

Julian sighed. “She shouldn’t be drinking that.”

 

Firstly: what even. And secondly: I’d give anything to see that. That seems very entertaining (I’m a mature human being, I swear).

 

 

7. Angelica & Benedicta, The Beast Is an Animal

 

Okay, these two are the anomaly of the list. Why? A) They’re twins (!!), and B) They’re a bit, ah, evil. They’re soul eaters, and twins, and are basically creepy reverse-mirror images of each other, and they devour people’s souls when hungry. And this, somehow, amuses me. It amuses me very very much.

 

8. Starr & Sekani Carter, The Hate U Give

 

 

So, I think these two are the farthest in age apart? Yes, I think so. Starr is eldest, and Sekani is basically an elementary school kid, and despite the tense, serious mood of this book, I love how Sekani manages to diffuse the tension. He’s really annoying, and just .. cute. And Starr’s reaction to him is such a typical older-annoyed-sister response.

 

 

9. Henry & Sadie Page, Our Chemical Hearts

 

Aaand I think these two are also quite far in age apart? But in a reversed way. Henry is the younger, a bit too-emotionally high strung teenager, and Sadie is an adult, and his older sister. And though they do not have too many interactions, the few they do have count. Big time. Sadie is supportive, and patient, and there-for-her-brother.

 

Case in point:

 

“I could tell you all about the science of what your brain is going through right now. How it’s processing a pain as intense as hitting a nerve in your tooth, but it can’t find a source for that pain, so you kind of feel it everywhere … Heartbreak is a science, like love. So trust me when I say this: you’re wounded right now, but you’ll heal.”

 

Nice.

 

10. Ronan & Matthew Lynch, The Raven Boys

 

Okay, one of my favorite tropes of EVER is the big-mean-bad-boy-with-a-ridiculously-soft-side. And ladies and gentlemen, Ronan Lynch fits this category perfectly. He’s rude to everyone else but his little brother, and he doesn’t want to show it but he totally cares.

 

Ha. I see you back there, Ronan. I see you.

 

 

 

 

 

So, add to my list: What are some of your
all-time favorite sibling groups? Is there
a pair above that you feel is most
similar to YOUR sibling dynamic? Got any
sibling- y recs for me? Talk to
me, guys. I’m actually quite friendly.
(unless you’re my sister, in which case:
get off my blog, sis. You have your own).