All the Bright Places Character Analysis

Theodore Finch

Seventeen-year-old Finch is one of the novel’s protagonists and is Violet’s love interest. He lives with his mom and his sisters Kate and Decca. Finch is tall and handsome—but despite his good looks… read analysis of Theodore Finch

Violet Markey

Seventeen-year-old Violet is one of the novel’s protagonists and is Finch’s love interest. Nine months before the novel begins, Violet and her older sister Eleanor were in a car crash that killed Eleanor, a… read analysis of Violet Markey

Eleanor Markey

Eleanor was Violet’s older sister who, at age 18, died in a car accident nine months before the novel begins. Violet and Eleanor were extremely close and ran the web magazine EleanorandViolet.com. After Eleanor’s… read analysis of Eleanor Markey

Violet’s Mom

Violet describes both her mom and Violet’s dad as perfect. Her mom is a writer and always encouraged Violet’s passion for writing—so it’s difficult for her mom to cope with the fact that since Violet’s… read analysis of Violet’s Mom

Violet’s Dad

Violet’s dad is a teacher; he’s often in the living room wearing headphones and grading papers alongside his wife, Violet’s mom. Violet describes both of her parents as perfect, in part because it… read analysis of Violet’s Dad

Finch’s Mom

Finch, Kate, and Decca’s mom has been sad and disaffected since her divorce from Finch’s dad a year before the novel begins. She drinks wine whenever she’s at home and, in Finch’s… read analysis of Finch’s Mom

Finch’s Dad

Finch, Kate, and Decca’s dad is a tall, burly, former hockey player from Canada. In the present, he’s married to a woman named Rosemarie and lives with her and his stepson, Josh… read analysis of Finch’s Dad

Kate Finch

Kate is Finch and Decca’s older sister; she’s about 19 and has been out of school for almost a year when the novel begins. She didn’t go away to college because, since their parents… read analysis of Kate Finch

Decca Finch

Decca is Finch and Kate’s eight-year-old sister. She’s bluntly honest and emotional throughout much of the novel. Finch tries to do his best to check on Decca and make sure she’s doing okay, since… read analysis of Decca Finch

Mr. Embry

Mr. Embry is Finch’s school counselor. They meet every Friday and, after Mr. Embry catches Finch on the belltower at school, he insists they meet on Mondays as well. Mr. Embry is a serious… read analysis of Mr. Embry

Josh Raymond

Josh Raymond is Rosemarie’s eight-year-old son and Finch’s dad’s stepson (though Finch and Kate suspect that their dad may actually be Josh Raymond’s biological father. He’s a small boy with glasses and a… read analysis of Josh Raymond

Amanda Monk

Amanda Monk is one of the popular girls at Violet and Finch’s school. Before Violet’s sister Eleanor died, she was one of Violet’s best friends—but after this tragedy, Violet decided that she didn’t have… read analysis of Amanda Monk

Charlie Donahue

Charlie is one of Finch’s best friends. He’s an athletic Black boy, but because he doesn’t want to be “a Black stereotype,” Charlie refuses to join any sports teams at school and instead joins… read analysis of Charlie Donahue

Gabe “Roamer” Romero

Gabe, who goes by “Roamer,” is one of the novel’s antagonists. He’s a senior on the baseball team at Finch and Violet’s school who’s extremely popular and is dating Amanda Monk for most of… read analysis of Gabe “Roamer” Romero

Ryan Cross

Ryan Cross is the most popular senior boy at Violet and Finch’s school and. Up until a month or so before the novel begins, he was Violet’s boyfriend. Violet describes Ryan as stable, reliable… read analysis of Ryan Cross

Brenda

Brenda is one of Finch’s best friends. She’s overweight and wears her hair in bright colors. She’s overprotective of Finch because she sees him as a “gentleman,” and she’s concerned throughout the novel that… read analysis of Brenda

Rosemarie

Rosemarie is Finch’s dad’s mousy, deferential second wife and Josh Raymond’s mom. Finch knows that his dad cheated on Finch’s mom with Rosemarie before his parents divorced, but it’s somewhat murky when Rosemarie… read analysis of Rosemarie

Jordan Gripenwaldt

Jordan Gripenwaldt is the editor of the newspaper at Violet and Finch’s school. Though Violet doesn’t know her well, she thinks that Jordan is the kind of girl she should be friends with—Jordan is… read analysis of Jordan Gripenwaldt

The Three Brianas

“The three Brianas” sit with Brenda, and eventually Violet, during lunch at school. They’re nice, smart, and driven girls, but Violet never gets to know them well enough to refer to them as… read analysis of The Three Brianas

Mrs. Kresney

Mrs. Kresney is Violet’s school counselor. Violet has been seeing her since her sister Eleanor died, nine months before the novel begins. Mrs. Kresney is a caring woman who smiles often. However, Violet is… read analysis of Mrs. Kresney

Minor Characters

Principal Wertz

The principal of Bartlett High School, Principal Wertz is only a periphery figure in Finch and Violet’s lives. When he does appear and interacts with Finch, he seems to think of Finch as a troublemaker and a problem to be solved.

Suze

Suze is one of Violet and Amanda’s friends; like them, she’s extremely popular. She briefly dates Ryan Cross during the novel, and several years before the novel begins, she had sex with Finch.

Mr. Black

Mr. Black is Finch and Violet’s U.S. Geography teacher. He’s a large man who wheezes while he talks; Violet and Finch occasionally make fun of him for this.

Demetrius

Demetrius is the current facilitator for the Life Is Life support group, which provides group therapy for teens who are thinking about suicide or who have survived suicide attempts. He’s a Black man with green eyes.

John Ivers

John Ivers is an elderly, self-described “thrill seeker” who constructed two rollercoasters, the Blue Flash and the Blue Too, in his backyard.

Mike Carmichael

Mike Carmichael owns the world’s largest ball of paint.

Mrs. Mahone

Mrs. Mahone teaches Violet’s Russian Literature class.

Mr. Kappel

Mr. Kappel is the baseball coach and gym teacher at Finch and Violet’s high school.

Lara

Lara is one of Brenda’s friends. As Violet gets to know her, she invites Lara to contribute to Germ.

All the Bright Places Characters