skygiants

I like to talk a big game about appreciating unlikable heroines, the real truth is that this probably only applies when those heroines are unlikable in ways that I, in fact, find likable.

This is an interesting insight and I'm chewing it over in my mind! I feel like this is perhaps true of most people? One thing that has always struck me about so-called anti-hero shows (Breaking Bad or Dexter) is the fact that many viewers clearly do just plain like and root for these supposedly unlikable characters - the creators seem to envision some level of ironic detachment in their viewers that often isn't there. Sure, Dexter's a serial killer, but he's likable!

I definitely think many people are willing to cut male characters more slack in this than female, but there are for instance diehard Regina fans in Once Upon a Time. And perhaps this is a result of narrative cues as much as anything? OUaT spends a lot of time and effort making Regina a complex and multifaceted character, just like Breaking Bad and Dexter do with their leads.

... anyway, going back to this particular book, it sounds like Andrea is unlikable in a way that just isn't much fun. I feel like if you're going to do creepy codependent siblings, you'd better go full Merricat or go home.