The Westing Game
Ellen Raskin (1978)
“Sixteen strangers inherit a millionaire's puzzle — but the real mystery is who they truly are.”
EraContemporary / Postmodern Children's
Pages182
Difficulty★☆☆☆☆ Accessible
AP Appearances0
Character Analysis
Thirteen years old, fiercely competitive, overlooked by her mother, and the only person to fully solve the Westing puzzle. Her braid is her defiant mark — anyone who pulls it gets kicked. She is the novel's true hero not because she is the most heroic but because she is the most honest: about the game, about herself, about what she wants. Her eventual friendship with Flora Baumbach is the most emotionally complete relationship in the novel.
How They Speak
Blunt, competitive, impatient with social performance. Short sentences. No apologies.