Bone Gap

Roza is a beautiful 20-year-old botanist from Poland. With her grandmother’s help and encouragement, she came to America to study botany at university. Roza has been defined by her looks for her entire life. Her grandmother taught her that there’s more to Roza than her beauty and that she doesn’t need a boy—she can be brave and strong herself. Roza doesn’t weaponize her beauty or use to it get attention. In fact, she resents how it makes her a perpetual target of harassment.

Like with Finn, there is a gulf between her Appearance Versus Identity.

Sean is Finn’s older brother and an EMT with aspirations to become a doctor. He had to put his life on hold to look after Finn when his mother decided to leave them and move to Oregon with another man. Sean cares deeply for others, like Roza, and is somewhat stoic in his interactions. He is cold with Finn and partially blames him for Roza’s disappearance. He is also worried that she left of her own accord. Like the other characters, he suffers from insecurity and the fear of not being wanted.

Petey is the beekeeper’s daughter. She is a fierce, tough teenage girl. Her father left them, and her mother is a pretty woman who takes care of bees. Petey didn’t inherit her mother’s face and is taunted all the time for her unusual appearance. Petey keeps people at arm’s length because of being sexually assaulted and false rumors that she is easy. Although Petey pretends to be rough around the edges, has an inner softness: She loves to read novels and lose herself in romance. She likes chatting with Roza and Finn over marshmallows and a fire. Like Finn and Roza, her appearance is different from her inner self.

Charlie is an old man who lives across the street from the O’Sullivan’s and loves his chickens. He seems to be in his own world and is part of the magic that permeates the book, like his chickens that produce colorful eggs and the way the Scare Crow shows up at his house. He reveals that his real name isn’t Charlie Valentine. Though he never confirms exactly who or what he is, it’s clear he’s more than human—he has lived a very long time and can slip through the gaps of Bone Gap. As the narrator writes: “He looked like the wizard from Lord of the Rings, except for the T-shirt that said BORN TO BE WILD” (15). Charlie is a good example of the novel’s magical realism, as he blurs both realistic and fantastical elements.

Miguel is Finn’s best friend. His noticeably large arms help Finn recognize him. He helps Finn build a neighbor’s fence and chats with Finn about girls, college, and life. He has a crush on Amber Hass, Petey’s best friend. He is insecure because Finn is so pretty by comparison and the way people treat him because of his skin color.

The Scare Crow is the novel’s antagonist. He is Roza’s nameless time-bending, multilingual, immortal kidnapper. He collects people like objects and enjoys betting on things. He poses as a professor at Roza’s university to ultimately kidnap her. He is obsessed with her beauty and wants to possess her for himself, no matter the cost to her. He pretends to be patient, but just wants her for himself and doesn’t bother to get to know her or what she wants. He doesn’t really see or love her and seeks shortcuts to make her love him. He is a selfish, cruel man who prioritizes his own needs and wants above all else. He is a flat character in that he doesn’t change throughout the novel. He is ruthless and selfish throughout and values only the superficial. When Roza cuts her face, he no longer wants her.

Through his character, Ruby shows the villainy of only prizing people for their looks and not their inner selves.

Honorata is Roza’s fiery, jealous roommate during college. She is also from Poland and resents Roza’s beauty. She assumes that because Roza is so beautiful, she must also be vain. Honorata takes out her insecurity on others, picking on other girls for their weight and anything else she deems less than perfect. Her low self-esteem leads her to date her misogynistic classmate.