Melanie
Melanie is the pubescent main character of the book. She is a timid teenager trying to explore her path in life. She is thrust into her Uncle's life after her parents die in a plane crash, and she suffers under his care, fighting with her instincts and trying to assert herself. She struggles with her sibling relationships (hints of incest in the book) and her self-identity that her Uncle defiles at every chance he gets.
Uncle Philip
Uncle Philip is the "evil" character of the book. He is the puppeteer and makes everyone in the household work for his success. He abuses Melanie and Finn every chance he gets and manipulates their sibling relationship so that the love and trust dissipates. He is often described as devious and "sick in the head". Uncle Philip's has a wife named Margaret and takes in Melanie and Finn after their parents die.
Finn
Finn is Melanie's brother. He is a more stubborn and "awakened" character. He is able to identify Uncle Philip's ulterior motives and wants to kill him. We can see a relationship between him and Melanie that comes off as almost incestual, however, both siblings struggle with the environment that Uncle Philip has subjected them in. Finn can be seen as more of a protector for Melanie and his hatred for his Uncle builds up throughout the book.
