Character Clues
Character Analysis
Family Life
It's fitting that the whole story of Sam's real identity came out because Tia was making a family tree wall hanging. Since Kevin's hatred for anything paranormal is a huge tension in their marriage, this makes sense—why would he want Tia to know anything about his crazy necromancing family? Nick, who was booted from Kevin's life for having the curse (or the gift, depending on how you look at it), even tells Tia, "If you want to stay with him, you're going to have to hide what you are" (12.35). Wow. Talk about a doomed marriage.
The necromancy creates a similar division between Tia and Sam. When she finally reveals the truth about his past, Sam struggles with anger toward her in spite of his love for her. "Mom and Haley were the only family I had," he says, "and when you have so little, you want to hold on tight. I hated fighting with either of them" (14.30). The fact that the necromancy secret causes conflict in a family that hates conflict demonstrates its power and the ways it affects the characters' relationships. Want more family stuff? Be sure to visit the "Character" section.
Location
Place of residence can reveal a lot about characters, especially in stories that take place in both the paranormal and human worlds. Sam tells us early on in the story that he lives in a small apartment near the University of Washington in a neighborhood that is "nice, with a lot of trees and a small park" (4.1). Basically, the place screams average, reflecting Sam's attitude about himself and his life at the beginning of the book. Before his encounter with the necromancer world, he's just another fast food fry cook.
By contrast, Douglas's giant, creepy castle broadcasts his villainy. "Casa Douglas was huge" Ramon observes when he arrives on the scene to rescue Sam, with "a sea of grass," "huge, detailed sculptures," and "crazy marble columns" (24.3). If that doesn't point to a maniacal, bloodthirsty necromancer looking to eliminate all possible competition, we don't know what does.
Physical Appearance
In a book jam-packed with bizarre entities, McBride takes full advantage of visual details to paint a picture of this strange cast. Often, these physical descriptions create drama in the story by emphasizing the drastic difference between characters—or between how characters look and how they really are.
Check out Brooke, for instance. According to Sam, "Brooke looked like a cheerleader from a dairy commercial: bouncy blond ponytail, clear blue eyes, and a wholesome smile that could turn any guy into man-putty" (1.18). Not only that, but she spends a lot of time seductively drinking milkshakes in front of Frank in an effort to get him to make mistakes and have his dreams of fast food greatness shattered. She might seem wholesome, but it's really all just a façade. This girl's not messing around.
Then there's Douglas, who, as our villain, is basically Mr. Dourpants. "He was skinny," Sam describes. "No, lean. But he gave off the impression of being much bigger than he was. His shoes weren't like anything I'd seen in a department store, and his charcoal suit looked expensive. He held an old-fashioned doctor's bag in his left hand" (1.92). Whoa. If this guy doesn't give you the creeps, you're not paying attention. After all, Douglas actually is much bigger than he seems.
Type of Being
Hold Me Closer, Necromancer features a wide variety of creatures that populate McBride's paranormal universe. When Douglas attends the Council meeting in Chapter 7, we get introduced to no less than six different species, including fey hounds, vampires, satyrs, furies, and werewolves (Douglas, as the Council's resident necromancer, is the sixth). They also spend part of the meeting arguing about pertinent issues to their specific communities, such as whether or not satyrs should wear pants.
The types of beings that comprise these characters also create some unique challenges for Sam. For one thing, he spends a good chunk of the book locked up in a cage with a very sexy, very naked girl who's actually a werewolf, which has to create some confusing emotions.
For another, Sam's time with Bridin is the first occasion he has to truly question his identity in light of the knowledge he's received from his mom. When Bridin asks what species he is, "I almost said 'human.' But then I realized that wasn't the right answer. Not anymore […] 'Necromancer. Or at least that's what people keep telling me'" (19.68). And indeed, a necromancer he is. Though in this book, that doesn't have to be a bad thing.