Who doesn't love mothers? I absolutely adore my mother because she's not just a mother - she's my friend, my editor and the only person I can take criticism from (and even then not really well).
So for UK's Mother's Day I want to make a post honouring five YA moms that just get it. There's so much literature about bad parents, but for today, we are focus on the good ones. So in random order, here are five of my favourite YA mothers.
1. Sally Jackson: Percy Jackson - Rick Riordan
Is this even a surprise? She's supportive, loves her son and trusts him enough so that he can go save the world. She doesn't bug him with calls and annoying texts - she believes in him and that's all a child really needs. Percy's mom is my favourite YA mom because she lets her child grow on his own, while letting him know that she supports him.
2. We Were Liars - E. Lockhart
Okay, let me explain this before you start judging me. We Were Liars is not a book about mothers, but it is a book about family. Cadence is damaged, severely mentally damaged, and her mother is doing just about anything to keep her daughter from falling apart. She organises her whole life around the wellbeing of Cadence and that's impressive. She knows what horrible things have happened, but she gives her daughter space to figure it out on her own. The Sinclair family might be all messed up and the mother wasn't always the best mother, but she's trying to be.
3. Molly Weasley: Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling
No, not Harry's mom. Though dying for your child is a sign of being a great mother, I just don't feel like I know enough about her to rank her on this list. Molly Weasley however is FANTASTIC. She loves all her children and she protects them no matter what. I mean, hello the Bellatrix scene? Molly Weasley deserves all the mom cred she can get just for that, let alone the years she spend caring, feeding, providing and worrying about her children.
4. Paula: Trouble - Non Pratt
I know my YA Book Prize thing is over, but I couldn't not include this mother. Her 15 year old daughter gets pregnant and yes, she gets angry for a little bit, but then she's completely supportive. Understanding. Loving. Helpful. Just being an AMAZING mom. There's a special shoutout here to the grandma in Trouble - she's even more kickass and the mother of the mother so she counts too. And 1.why is there no Trouble fanart? Get on that internet! 2. Thank you to the lovely Non Pratt for reminding me of Paula's name!
5. Narcissa Malfoy: Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
I REALLY didn't want to put two Harry Potter mothers on here, but YA authors: you just don't do enough good mothers. While Narcissa might not be everyone's top pick, I can really appreciate her. She's in a tough position: her husband wants to be buddies with Voldemort and she just wants to protect her son. In the end, she risks everything to make sure her son is safe. That's all she wants: to hear that Draco is safe. Losing everything over that is a big deal and I believe only a great mother would risk that.
So those are some of my favourite moms and it was a struggle to even find five I liked! But I'm sure that means more that I forget the mothers in YA stories than that there are none, so let me know who you would put on this list and why!