Marama Whyte: There is no doubt that as far as female characters go in Young Adult fiction (and even in fiction generally), Hermione Granger is the one to beat.

You would be hard pressed to find a better role model than Hermione. She is not only brilliantly intelligent, but is always willing to help others. She has an enourmous amount of empathy, and it isn’t limited by species – something that is often disregarded when we think of her. She is brave, funny, kind, and will do anything for her friends. But she can also be petty, she can get in over her head, and can hold a grudge with the best of them. She is human.

In comparison with almost indestructable Katniss, or demigod Annabeth, Hermione truly emodies the experiences of a young woman growing up. Sure, we haven’t faced down a troll in the bathrom, or campaigned for the rights of House Elves. But haven’t we all felt insecure about the way we look, or fallen for someone who doesn’t even notice us, or been made to feel bad about our achievements? And just like Hermione, we have all been through the trauma of meeting new people, trying out new things, and breaking the rules.

Even more admirably, while she can absolutely hold her own in a fight, unlike Katniss or Annabeth, fighting won’t ever be her first instinct. Hermione is always conscious of what she is fighting for – and it is always to protect those she loves.

Selina Wilken: While Annabeth may be the underdog between the two lead female characters in smash hit book (and movie) series, she definitely should not be overlooked!

When reading Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series, Annabeth may at first glance remind the reader of Hermione Granger, albeit a polished-up version. Roughly the same age when the series starts, Annabeth is a clever know-it-all, who vexes Percy with her at times snooty attitude and desire to follow the rules. But, like Hermione, she soon comes to appreciate Percy/Harry’s rule breaking ways, and becomes an invaluable ally and friend.

This is where the comparison ends. Annabeth is described as more physically attractive than Hermione (although by the seventh Harry Potter book, we are to understand that Hermione has developed into a beautiful young woman, too), but not a knockout beauty like the daughters of Aphrodite. And other than this, she has a lot of flaws which make her seem more realistic, and endear the reader to her.

Hermione is a wonderful female role model, no doubt about it. But a lot of young girls find it hard to measure up to Hermione’s almost inhuman (ironically, since Annabeth is the demigod) capacity to retain and process knowledge.

Annabeth is smart, too, but she also has ADHD, and reading is hard for her. But she advances despite of this setback. She is also a girl with an obsession, something we can all relate to (for us it’s fandom, for her it’s buildings, but you get the idea). She’s brave and self-sacrificing, but can also be selfish and scared. She falls for the wrong guy (Luke), and struggles to find her way when old friends betray her.

While Annabeth is never a point-of-view character in Percy Jackson, she is many people’s favourite because, above all else, she is relatable. She has actual superpowers, and yet reading the series, we can all see ourselves being Annabeth. She kicks butt, like the other literary heroines on the list, but she does it while acting like a 12-year-old girl.

Ariana Quiñónez: As the breakout leading heroine in this new female-driven YA movement, Katniss was never anyone’s sidekick.

But what’s perhaps most unique about Katniss, is that despite her “heroic” presence, she still feels so real. She’s unreasonable and she’s scared, and while she might be selfless towards those she loves, she’s also mercilessly selfish in protecting them above everyone else, too. Katniss is flawed and human; she doesn’t want to save the world, she just wants to survive it.

Is she tough? Yes. Is she harsh? Yes. She has a right to be. Her upbringing was the most difficult of the three heroines’ (yes, even Annabeth who was homeless in the woods for a while) because she was never taken care of; she was always the one taking care of others. Katniss grew up knowing she couldn’t afford to act like a kid.

And while Katniss may not be the brainiac out of this trio, she is a more relatable and realistic kind of clever. The girl’s got street smarts, and she pays attention to things others don’t. She doesn’t get a fantasy life where she can fly around the world doing whatever she wants without adult supervision. Adults in power manipulate every aspect of her life to the point where she hardly sees it as her own anymore.

So her wars aren’t won with magic spells or divine intervention, and she can’t afford to be selfless and honorable. She’s a survivor; she does what she has to do. It feels real, and it feels relatable: we can’t count on hocus pocus to help us out. All we can count on is ourselves. When it comes down to it, Katniss is just a regular person who managed to overcome overwhelmingly difficult circumstances, and her lone superpower is an intense willingness to survive. She’s only human – just like us.

Did any of our arguments sway you? Or do you already know exactly who to vote for? Now it’s up to you to make sure your choice heroine makes it to the top, and reigns supreme over her competition.

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We will publish the winner of the poll next Monday, once the poll closes at 12:00 EST.

Tell us who you voted for and why!