The Candymakers

“The only problem was that Logan didn’t have much experience with other kids.” 

Since childhood, Logan has been isolated in the factory and isn’t used to being around other kids his age. Experiencing other children makes him both nervous and excited, and his friendships with these children prove to help him develop as a character. 

“But every night, after he listed all the things he was grateful for (which took a solid twenty minutes) and when the comforting shapes around him became too dark to see, the fear crept in and whispered in his ear, You don’t have what it takes to be a candymaker.” 

Logan is a complex character who is simultaneously confident and unsure of himself. He is grateful and content with the life he lives, but he also dreams of friendships with people his own age. He enjoys the process of making candy, but he is also afraid that he won’t be a successful candymaker like his father. It’s this fear that creates the initial tension at the beginning of the novel.

“Logan cleared his throat, held up the notepaper, and read, ‘Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” 

Logan’s mom writes him a brief note every day. On the morning that the contestants arrive, Logan reads his note out loud to the other contestants as a greeting because he doesn’t know how else to introduce himself. This note is significant because it reveals one of the major themes of the novel. Because of this concept, Logan appreciates the other contestants even more after they’ve revealed their potentially damaging secrets.