Top Ten Tuesday: Dynamic sibling relationships in YA

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. This week’s theme is:

November 27: Platonic Relationships In Books (friendships, parent/child, siblings, family, etc.)

There’s often a big focus on romantic relationships in YA, and while that can be a lot of fun, other types of relationships often get pushed to one side. Books don’t need romance to be brilliant; it’s not mandatory and sometimes they’re far more interesting without it, plus other types of relationships are equally as important to read about. I have a younger sister, so I really enjoy reading about sibling relationships to see how they differ from, or are similar to, my own. As a result, I’ve decided to look at ten of the most interesting and dynamic sibling relationships in YA for this week’s post.

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Invictus // Far and Imogen are on the same time-travelling crew together and they have such a warm, tight-knit relationship. They always know how to help each other out and are each other’s biggest champions. One of my favourite scenes in the book was when Imogen walked in with a tub of Far’s favourite ice cream, sat down, and just coaxed him into talk all his fears and worries out.

Children of Blood and Bone // Tzayn and Zelie have an intense relationship, but one that’s built on a fierce love for one another and a desire to protect each other. They argue and disagree, but in their hearts they have each other’s best interests at heart and always try to save the other, rather than themselves.

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue // I loved Felicity and Monty’s relationship in this book because it was so real. Their personalities are very different, so they don’t naturally get on very well and criticise each other a lot, but in some of the more dramatic scenes, Felicity is immediately there for Monty and ready to help save him, despite earlier condemnations. Despite being in danger, Monty’s first thoughts are for Felicity and Percy, rather than himself.

The Caged Queen // Roa and Essie have such an interesting relationship because they’re telepathically linked. Although they can’t always hear each other’s exact thoughts, they can sense each other’s emotions, and this brings them closer together.

The Hate U Give // Starr, Seven, and Sekani have wonderful relationships with each other and always look out for each other in school and day-to-day life. They support each other even when they’re scared and have an incredibly close, unbreakable bond. I loved the way they interacted with each other in both the book and film.

The Wangs Vs the World // Andrew, Grace, and Saina have a really interesting relationship because they don’t get on very well, unlike some of the other siblings on this list. They’re distant, aloof and disinterested in what each other is doing. Like Felicity and Monty, their relationship is perhaps more realistic than some of the others, because of its imperfections. But as the novel progresses, circumstances make them realise new things about each other and care for one another more.

One // Grace and Tippi have one of the most distinctive sibling relationships I’ve ever read in a novel. As conjoined twins, they spend all their time together, and the book explores how this both brings them closer and pushes them apart as they grow up.

Gilded Cage // Although Luke and Abi spend most of the book apart, their actions are in each other’s best interests as they try to revolutionise their unequal society and fight their way back to each other. Their relationship as brother and sister is one of absolute trust and care.

Fangirl // Cath and Wren may be twins, but they have very different personalities, and as they head off to university together, they begin to grow apart. Cath tries to fight this, but eventually begins to accept that they won’t always be as close as they were when they were children. Yet, as she comes to terms with this, their relationship begins changes again and they become closer and more trusting once more.

Three Dark Crowns // One of the most volatile sibling relationships in YA has to be that of Katharine, Mirabella, and Arsinoe. Destined to fight each other for the crown, they grow up apart from each other, and are taught to despise rather than love each other. Knowing that they’ll likely have to fight and kill each other once their powers are fully developed doesn’t exactly make them close pals.

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What are some of your favourite sibling relationships in YA? Do you think there are any that represent you and your sibling(s) really well?