Coraline is a sassy and adventurous child and the titular protagonist of the book. Her favorite thing to do is explore outside. She is a picky eater, and she is of the age where she is outgrowing many of her toys. As an only child, as well as being the only child living in the divided house, Coraline is lonely. She tries to interact with her parents, but they are busy with work and tend to neglect her need for stimulation. Because of her loneliness, adventurousness, and boredom, Coraline is a perfect target for the other mother.

Coraline’s adventurousness draws her to the mysterious door at the beginning of the book, and her fascination with the door persists until she eventually finds the other world. Coraline is both enchanted and uneasy by her adventure in the other world. Despite the promise of the place—attentive parents, delicious food, and interesting neighbors—Coraline has the intuition to know something is off. Her cleverness helps her to maintain caution even when everything seems perfect.

Once her parents are taken, Coraline shifts gears. Coraline knows she must return to the other world if she wishes to see her parents again.