Fablehaven

Kendra is the main character and one of the protagonists in Mull’s novel. She is13and will be entering high school soon. As such, she is at a period of transition in her life, something that is especially pertinent to the young readers that the novel is aimed at.

At the beginning of the novel, Kendra is a rule follower, feeling nervous on her first secret expedition into the woods because she “was not a natural rulebreaker. She was in all the accelerated classes at school, got almost perfect grades, kept her room tidy, and always practiced for her piano lessons” (53). When she arrives at Fablehaven, she follows Grandpa Sorenson’s rules simply because she is told to do so.

As the novel continues, Kendra begins to rebel and think for herself. After finding the note telling her to “drink the milk” (67), she goes against Dale’s warnings and convinces Seth to try it for her. She opens a letter left partially visible after Maddox’s visit, even after trying to convince herself that she should get Seth to do it instead. Even thoughKendralearnshow to bend the rules in small ways, she continues to abide by the treaty that governs Fablehaven.