Firestar.FG-6

I am 100% team Foster Keefe (Dex would also be acceptable, but I prefer him and Sophie as friends).

The main reason for this is derived for my dislike for Fitz. As soon as we meet him, he is set up as Sophie’s perfect crush, which is enough for his character to earn a very unimpressed “ughhhhh” from past me.

His character doesn’t gain much depth from then on. The boldest traits that stand out to me are that he’s good at pretty much everything, has great eyes, cares about his friends, and has a temper that makes him lash out at those same friends he’s supposed to care about. The only thing I truly liked about him was his stuffed animal and that I found all those gifts kind of sweet.

He’s also a lot more prone to being jealous of Keefe and Sophie’s friendship, and because of that he and Keefe’s relationship goes from best friends to rivals, something I blame mostly on Fitz.

His temperament is also in need of an adjustment. I understand that he endures hardships, (although so does literally every other character, and none of them are complete jerks because of it), and everyone feels pain differently, but that doesn’t mean he can say whatever he likes. Just because he’s hurting doesn’t mean he can lash out at others. I like characters with flaws, but not if they out weigh their strengths.

Keefe, on the other hand, is funny and sweet, and overall a much more likable character. Honestly, he reminds me of one of my friends 😛 he and Sophie’s relationship also develops slower, and he isn’t immediately introduced in a way that makes me think “Oh, great. Here’s the future love interest.”

-Big thing here, Keefe makes me laugh. I like reading funny characters, and Keefe pulls that off spectacularly.

His biggest fault is that he’s reckless and makes the same type of mistakes multiple times. This simply bothers me a lot less than someone who hurts others whenever their upset. When Keefe’s upset, he takes it out on himself, not his friends.

Third, while Fitz likes Sophie, it seems like Keefe cares about her more. He’s very conscious of her feelings, respectful of her, and while Sophie can’t talk to Fitz without risking setting off his temper, she knows that wont happen with Keefe.

[spoiler title=”Spoilers for book 8″]
Book 8 was what really cemented my dislike. He and Sophie are together, but instead of showing the best of them, it shows the worst.

First of all, Sophie spends a significant amount of time worrying because of Fitz, and getting comfort from Keefe. That says a lot.

Second, Keefe doesn’t use that closeness to try to ‘steal fitz’s girl’. He holds back his feelings so that he doesn’t hurt either of his friends, and tries his best to be happy for them. When he first talks to Sophie about it, he does say some nasty things, but immediately apologizes for them.

However, while Keefe still cares about Fitz, Fitz doesn’t return that favor. Several times, he acts jealous or suspicious of Keefe. He lets his romantic feelings for Sophie get in the way of his friendship with Keefe.

Third, the whole matching thing. He expects her to get matched for him, and then expects her to want to find her parents for him. When Ro asks him what happens if she doesn’t, he replies with ‘why would she do that?’ He’s always pressuring her to live up to his family’s standards.

And fourth. If you’ve read this book, you know its coming. The final nail in the coffin is the way Fitz behaves at the end of book 8. Sophie explains to him that she knows one of her bio parents, but can’t tell anyone, even if that means she’s unmatchable. Sophie’s obviously upset over the whole thing, but instead of being supporting (like Keefe is!), he gets mad that she won’t talk to him first before deciding something that is entirely her buisness, because it ‘effects him too.’ So, basically, they break up because Fitz wants Sophie to wreck people’s lives so that they can be together without his reputation being ruined.
[/spoiler]