Character Analysis
The Cat's Meow
Will's dad has a rule when it comes to beautiful girls: "Never be nervous when talking to a beautiful girl. Just pretend she's a person, too" (12.86). Elise is one rare exception for Will, who usually follows his dad's rules to the letter. Instead of pretending she's a person, Will often describes Elise in feline terms, immediately describing her a "Persian cat" (16.7). He later thinks of himself as a mouse being toyed with by Elise. If only that were true.
Elise initially comes off as snotty. "Will couldn't tell if that was their way to conceal vulnerability, or if they were both a bit mean-spirited" (17.5). That is shockingly observant for a fifteen-year-old. Elise is a little bit of both. She is concealing her vulnerability in a mean-spirited way.
We can't really get around the fact that like the other female characters in this book, Elise is defined by her relationship to a boy. The meanness that defines her personality is the result of the fact that she's upset about her boyfriend, Ronnie Murso, who is missing and presumed dead. Other than that, Elise's role is to enlighten Will about what it means to be "Awake"—even though she herself isn't sure what that entails.
What we can gather about being "Awake" is that it means having superpowers and being in control of them. Elise is like a fortuneteller who gives advice straight from the last fortune cookie you ate: "Never forget to remember […] the things that make you glad. And always remember to forget… the things that make you sad" (17.20). And while she might be able to read minds, it also seems like she is just super observant.
Elise wakes up—or should we say Wakes Up—near the end of the book when she develops a new superpower. Which…is…to…scream loudly. Like, really loudly. No, we're not joking. Will has super-strength, magic sonar, telekinesis. Elise yells. Hey, maybe after all this is over, she'll have a career in opera.