The Maze of Bones

Fourteen-year-old Amy Cahill is the second of the two viewpoint protagonists and the older sister of Dan. Unlike her effusive and wisecracking younger brother, Amy is quiet and bookish, and she hates crowds. She has expansive knowledge of historical and cultural topics, which comes in handy when the siblings must interpret the clues. Amy is constantly researching in libraries, and librarians immediately recognize her inquisitive spirit and leap to help her.

Amy has trouble speaking up for herself and her family when put on the spot. She experiences social anxiety, especially in stressful situations with hostile and condescending relatives, and often finds herself stuttering or unable to speak at all. Despite this, Amy is determined to crack the mystery and honor her grandmother’s wishes. She also thrives on the intellectual challenge and uses her commendable research skills to crack the clues faster than their competitors. Over the course of the book, Amy grows more self-assured and finally finds her voice when she stands up to Jonah Wizard and the Holts.

Amy is devoted to her younger brother, and the siblings’ strengths and weaknesses complement one another, making them an effective team and spurring their character development. For example, if Amy sometimes relies on the more assertive and impetuous Dan to speak up or take action, Dan relies on the more introspective Amy to understand and cope with what he is feeling. The siblings’ ability to support and learn from one another contributes to the novel’s exploration of Competing Definitions of Family.

The matriarch of the rich and powerful Cahill family, Grace sets the central conflict of the story in motion by leaving her descendants the challenge to uncover the 39 clues. Grace is a morally ambiguous character whose mysterious motives cause conflict and debate among the main characters. She was a loving and caring grandmother to Amy and Dan, but despite being personally wealthy, she left them in the care of their miserly and neglectful aunt, Beatrice. Likewise, she sets up a high-stakes choice for her young grandchildren and her other descendants—to inherit $1 million or to participate in this clue quest—without articulating the serious dangers of the latter or clarifying its stakes. Grace serves as both the gatekeeper of wealth and the source of inspiration and information for the main characters.

McIntyre is Grace’s lawyer and the executor of her estate. She trusts him to carry out her final wishes, allowing him substantial power over her wealth and information. He serves as the closest thing to a mouthpiece for Grace from beyond the grave, communicating her wishes and preferences. He offers some extra assistance to Amy and Dan, communicating that Grace respected their personal character and nobility.

The story is bookended by two scenes in which McIntyre meets with a mysterious man in a dark suit who, by the end of the book, is implied to be the villain who burned down the houses of both Grace’s and Amy and Dan’s parents. McIntyre’s true allegiances and whether he has designs on the treasure himself remain unclear throughout this first installment in the series. However, his sharp nose and hawkish expression remind Dan of a “vulture”—a predatory scavenger—cueing the reader to be suspicious of his intentions.

Nellie Gomez is Amy and Grace’s most recent au pair, a twenty-something student hired by Aunt Beatrice to take care of the siblings full time. Always glued to her phone, Nellie embodies the disaffected youth trope, with dyed hair, a snake nose ring, and an aloof demeanor. She speaks Spanish with her father, who encourages her to prioritize her studies over her babysitting job; she also speaks French, which she learned from her mother.

Amy and Dan seek Nellie’s assistance to chaperone them on their trip. At first Nellie resists, wondering about her paycheck, but the siblings figure out that she can easily be wooed with promises of stylish Parisian adventures. While Nellie frequently functions as comic relief through her general irresponsibility and willingness to go along with wild and dangerous plans, she genuinely cares for Amy and Dan and ultimately becomes a surrogate family member for the siblings.

Great-Aunt Beatrice is the miserly and neglectful guardian in whose care Grace places Amy and Dan after their parents’ deaths. Selfish and greedy, Beatrice expresses little interest in the siblings and parks them in a separate apartment under the care of au pairs. Though wealthy herself, she leaves the siblings living in relative poverty. She flies into a rage when the siblings give up their $1 million each to participate in the clue quest. She clearly intends to steal their money and take advantage of them. She is an early example of The Damaging Power of Greed, foreshadowing the ways it will turn the Cahills against one another.

The Holts are an offshoot of the Cahill family who enter the clue competition as a family unit. Humorously army-like in their demeanor, as reflected by their patriotic names (parents Eisenhower and Mary-Todd and children Hamilton, Reagan, and Madison), the Holts operate like a regimented military brigade. They wear matching purple tracksuits and assemble into formation, following orders with precision. They bring along a ferocious, muscular pit-bull named Arnold to add to their intimidating aura. They make a formidable team, and the other Cahills fear their strength and athleticism. They are antagonists to Dan and Amy, as they also seek the treasure and are willing to harm their family members in pursuit of the clues. They represent brute strength.

Ian and Natalie Kabra are two wealthy, glamorous Cahill descendants who serve as Dan and Amy’s most formidable antagonists. Though young, the cutthroat and calculating Kabras inspire fear in other Cahills, including Irina, an ex-KGB spy, and Alistair, a globetrotting entrepreneur. The Kabras have preternatural abilities to keep tabs on other family members using their immense wealth and access to a private jet. They have no morals and operate out of cruelty and a desire for power.

Ned, Ted, and Sinead Starling are three triplet Cahills who serve as additional antagonists to Amy and Dan. Preppy and elitist, the Starlings are described as “Ivy-League, lacrosse team” clones (12). With their selfishness and greed, the Starlings act as explicit foils to Amy and Dan: McIntyre points out how Amy and Dan morally transcend their competition by being willing to help the Starlings, who would never help them.

Jonah Wizard is another antagonist, a young African American Cahill descendent who gives up his $1 million to participate in the clue quest. Jonah is a popular reality television star on a show called Who Wants to Be a Gangsta. He wears copious silver chains and speaks in affected Black-coded street slang whenever he gets in front of the camera, indicating his willingness to manipulate his image for personal gain. Motivated by power and greed, he pursues the clues even though he already has considerable wealth and fame. Jonah swipes clues from the siblings when they are at their most vulnerable, further characterizing him as someone who is self-interested and lacking in morals. Jonah’s father sports a business suit and constantly consults his BlackBerry. He functions more like an assistant to Jonah than a father, providing another point of contrast to Amy and Dan’s tight-knit familial bond.

Alistair Oh, a Korean member of the Cahill family, opts to participate in the clue hunt on his own. Alistair wears brightly colored suits and walks around with a diamond-tipped cane. He claims his wealth comes from inventing the microwavable burrito, though the Kabras claim he lost all his money on bad investments. Manipulative and self-interested, Alistair offers to help Dan and Amy and serve as their chaperone but exploits their vulnerability to steal their clue.