The cornerstone of Carey’s narrative, Melanie is an enigma. Part ravenous monster, part curious student, her emotional growth over the course of the story allows Carey to address important themes: what it means to be human, and whether we really are so different from those we label “monsters.” Melanie outwardly appears to be like any other child; she has a crush on her favorite teacher, she loves the stories of Greek mythology, and she is frightened by the unknown—especially Dr. Caldwell, who only appears to whisk away children who never return. When Melanie scents Justineau for the first time and her true nature asserts itself, the brutal transformation is shocking to both readers and her, and yet her developing maturity allows her to cope with that shock.

Melanie is also special, as both Justineau and Caldwell recognize. She is immensely bright and inquisitive, and she displays a wider and more complex range of emotion than the other children; she is, in effect, more human. Further, she evolves. She develops a keen self-awareness that she faces head-on despite the disturbing implications. She learns not only reading, writing, and history, but also empathy and forgiveness. She respects Caldwell’s knowledge despite the urge she feels to exact revenge for all the children Caldwell has dissected.