Pete Saubers is the protagonist of the novel, and is 13 years old at the beginning of the text. He is intelligent and his love of literature, specifically John Rothstein’s Gold trilogy, informs the themes of How Literature Shapes Lives and The Relationship Between Authors and Readers. His good grades and reputation with his teachers enable him to skip school without punishment, enabling much of his behavior during the novel. Pete also cares deeply for his family, using the found money to support his financially struggling family and ease the strain on his parents’ marriage. His initial inspiration to sell the notebooks comes because his sister, Tina, wants to attend an expensive private school, which he believes would greatly benefit her.

Ultimately, Pete’s love of his family, particularly Tina, saves him, giving him a way out of his obsession with the notebooks. When he initially contemplates burning the notebooks in the rec center basement, he doubts his resolve to do it because he loves Rothstein’s writing. This choice between Tina’s life and the notebooks emphasizes The Dangers of Obsession. However, Pete realizes that the fictional characters in Rothstein’s novels are “real to [Morris] in a way Pete’s sister is not” (402), recognizing that Morris’s obsession with the Gold trilogy has replaced his empathy for the real people around him.