Brian Character Analysis

Brian, cousin to Sophie and Cody and son of Stew, is in many ways the polar opposite of Cody’s personality. Whereas Cody is laid-back and not very serious most of the time, Brian is always meticulously organized, obsessed with order, and almost grimly serious. Brian constantly checks his watch, makes lists of the crewmembers’ duties, and barks orders at Sophie and Cody. It’s very apparent that Brian is highly intelligent, but he lacks interpersonal skills and is very guarded about displaying his feelings. After the crewmembers aboard The Wanderer encounter the nearly fatal wave at sea, however, Brian begins to lighten up. He even surprises Cody by making a joke out of the wave. While Brian is a relatively static character compared to Sophie and Cody—who go through more substantial changes—Brian lets go of some of his seriousness, and begins to relate to Sophie and Cody more by the end of the book.