Characters (Novel)

Characters

[edit]Major characters

Wanderer "Wanda"  – Wanderer is the main character, a parasitic alien "Soul" inserted into Melanie Stryder's body in the first scene. She received her name due to the number of planets she has lived in, having never settled on one she truly liked. She is later nicknamed "Wanda" by Mel's Uncle Jeb and her brother, Jamie. Initially only interested in enjoying her new life, Melanie's refusal to die off as expected forces her to make choices she otherwise would not have, and she slowly develops sympathy for the human characters, eventually acknowledging that they have a right to their own lives, and attempting to sacrifice herself so that Melanie can have her life back. She is uncomfortable with violence, and enjoys being a storyteller, a role she indicates having held in previous hosts. Her physical capabilities are determined by her host.

Melanie "Mel" Stryder  – Melanie is a 21 year old human (she was 17 when she met Jared) who was captured and infested with a Soul after years of evading the Seekers. Melanie survives Wanderer's implantation into her body, and resists the Soul's control as best she can. She likes the feeling of being physically strong and berates Wanderer for neglecting to keep her that way. She has a temper and may be considered volatile compared to docile Wanderer. Melanie is passionately in love with another human, Jared Howe, and shares a strong bond with her younger brother, Jamie. It is clear from their relationship and previous interactions that their years on the run made her extremely parental. Despite initial anger at Wanderer for stealing her life, they eventually become unwilling allies, and finally develop friendship and a bond that mirrors a sister's.

Jared Howe  – Melanie's lover. Jared is 26 years old when he and Melanie first meet (in most of the story, he is 29). Loving, aggressive, and somewhat excitable in Melanie's memories, by the time Wanderer meets him he has become quite bitter. He bears a grudge against Wanderer, and is unable to empathize with her for most of the book. He starts to change his views on the Soul, however, when he sees her comforting a dying friend. He is somewhat of a rival to Ian O'Shea, who sees him as competition for Wanderer's affections. He also has a parental relationship with Jamie, whom he continued to care for after Melanie's capture. He is described as being muscular and tall, with tan skin, sienna-colored eyes and naturally dark, but sun-bleached hair. His survival skills are an asset to the group, and he is considered responsible and capable by most other characters, but his rational thinking sometimes becomes a bother to the more sentimental humans.

Ian O'Shea – Wanderer calls Ian "as kind as a Soul, but strong as only a human could be." He has a strong dislike of the Souls in the beginning, but quickly abandons it once he begins to empathize with Wanderer. Other characters seem to view him as mostly level-headed. However he does have a temper; he shows violent and aggressive reactions when Wanderer is at risk, particularly when it is his brother attacking her. Ian befriends Wanderer and gradually falls in love with her, telling her that "[she] is beautiful", not just the body she wears. At the end of the book, he is in a relationship with Wanderer, who has been put into a new host body. He is described as being tall and muscular, with black hair, sapphire blue eyes, and fair skin.

Jamie Stryder  – Jamie is Melanie's younger brother and is 14 years old when he first meets Wanderer. His behavior and emotions are generally childish, representing an idealized innocence; unlike most characters, he holds no animosity towards Wanderer for stealing his sister's body or life. He quickly comes to view Wanderer as a substitute sibling, and draws her into the group with his interest in her stories and opinions. Despite his apparent innocence and naivete, Jamie wants to be treated like an adult; he yearns to go on raids with the others, and is uncomfortable with the coddling he receives when he is injured.

Uncle Jeb  – Jebediah "Jeb" is Melanie's eccentric uncle. He was one of the first humans to suspect an alien invasion, and thus constructed an elaborate hide-out in caves beneath the Arizona desert. He maintains strict control over the hideout by virtue of having the only firearm. He believes Wanderer can fit in with the humans, and pushes for this to the point of creating great strain within the group. He is calm and deliberate in his decision-making, and despite being one of the most welcoming towards Wanderer, nonetheless does not hesitate to explain and justify the humans' perspective to her. He is witty, curious, and loves a good laugh.

The Seeker  – The Soul responsible for finding Melanie's family. Mutual spite towards the Seeker is the basis of Melanie and Wanderer's early relationship. She is described as unusually irritable and edgy for her species. She mocks Wanda for not being able to completely drive out Melanie's spirit. This is later revealed to be due to her insecurity at having failed to subdue her own host, who remembers her name and recovers most of her personality when the Seeker is finally removed. Both the Seeker and the host are extremely unlikeable.

Kyle O'Shea – Kyle, Ian's brother, is a fiery character with a strong dislike of Souls. This is implied to spring from the loss of his girlfriend, Jodi, who was caught and implanted early in the war. He is impulsive, and tends to take precipitous action without considering the group's opinion, which can lead to danger for himself. Due to this quality, he is not trusted to lead raiding missions. His hatred for Souls disappears when he realizes that his girlfriend cannot be saved, and he begins a relationship with Sunny, the Soul inside Jodi.

Doc  – A tall, slim human rebel who was a surgeon and serves as the rebels' doctor. He is shown as deeply affected by his patient's suffering, which in combination with the conditions, places him under great strain; this drives him to alcoholism, such as they can afford. He is very interested in finding out how the Souls invaded, and their surgical practices, attempting to rescue the victims of the invasion. His real name is Eustace. Some of his characteristics were influenced by Meyer's younger brother, Seth.^[5]

[edit]Minor characters

Magnolia "Maggie"  – Jeb's sister, Sharon's mother, and Melanie and Jamie's Aunt. She shows extreme dislike towards Wanderer and never accepts her, though her attitude softens when Wanderer is moved into Pet's body. She is extremely tough and stubborn.

Sharon  - Maggie's daughter, Jeb's niece, and Melanie and Jamie's cousin. Melanie is captured on a trip to Chicago to find Sharon. Melanie remembers Sharon as fun and vibrant girl in their childhood but the years have been hard on her and she is now cold and bitter. Like her mother, Sharon hates Wanderer and obsesses about the threat she poses, sometimes to the point of risking other priorities. Her dislike weakens when Wanderer is placed in Pet's body because Pet is impossible to hate. She is in a relationship with Doc. However, the relationship is strained due to Doc's acceptance of Wanderer and Sharon's own prejudice. She eventually reconciles with him at the end of the book.

Pet (Petals Open to the Moon) – Pet is the former host body of a Soul named Petals Open to the Moon, from which her name is derived. After Petals Open to the Moon is removed and placed in cryogenic storage to be shipped to another planet, it is found that Pet's mind either did not have a chance to develop, or did not survive implantation - she is essentially a blank slate. As a result it is decided that they will use her as a host for Wanderer after she is removed from Melanie. She is 17 years old, small and weak, with pale skin, gray eyes, and wavy blonde hair.

Candy  – Candy is the human who held the Soul of a Healer — that is, until Doc removed the Soul and placed it in a cryotank. At first, she shows signs of memory loss, but she eventually manages to recall her name and memories of healing that she shares with Doc.

Walter  –One of the older humans in the cave, he is slowly dying of cancer. He is very fond of Wanderer and defends her. When he nears his last leg, he grows disoriented and believes that Wanderer is his beloved wife Gladys. Wanderer stays at his bedside until it is time for him to die. Doc euthanizes him and the group holds a funeral for him. It is then that Wanderer fully accepts that the souls coming to Earth was wrong. Wanderer's caring attitude with Walter helps endear to the other humans, especially Jared.

Wes  –A young human in the caves, he is around 19-years-old. He has a crush on Lily despite her being older than him. Lily is initially oblivious of his feelings but eventually enters a relationship with him. When the Seeker attacks the caves, she shoots Wes and kills him. Lily is devastated and his death is the catalyst for Wanderer to reveal her secret of getting a soul out of a body and leave Melanie's body.

Lacey  –The Seeker's host. Lacey is an obnoxious whiner who drove the Seeker nuts inside her head. Wanderer removes the Seeker and Lacey is fully restored. Lacey annoys almost everyone but is immediately accepted, which slightly upsets the still sometimes shunned Wanderer.

Sunny (Sunlight Passing Through the Ice)  –The soul who inhabits Kyle's girlfriend Jodi's body. Sunny used to be a bear before coming to Earth. She was put in Jodi's body six years previous and began dreaming about Kyle. Upon learning that Wanderer could remove souls, Kyle recklessly raced out to find her and brought her back to the caves. Kyle grows fond of her and when Jodi is not revived, he reinserts Sunny and begins a relationship with her.