Love Interest

Character Role Analysis

Hester

When we first meet Hester, she's better known as "Hester the Molester," a sex-crazed adolescent who both thrills and terrifies all of the boys that cross her path. Even John can't help but be attracted to Hester, and she's his cousin, for crying out loud! He gets, ahem, a little excited when Simon and Noah force him to kiss her. Still, John's attraction aside, Hester is really Owen's love interest. At first glance, Hester and Owen seem to be complete opposites – after all, she's kind of big and aggressive while he's tiny and delicate. Nevertheless, they seem to be attracted to one another almost immediately. We see this when Hester and Owen first meet: she doesn't subject him to the same violence (read: "doink-pulling") as the other guys. She tickles him instead. They remain in each others' lives until Owen dies; they go to a dance together in high school, and rumor has it that Owen loses his virginity to Hester. He moves in with her during college; she begs him not to go to the army and makes herself sick over it. Hester and Owen may be an unlikely couple, but they're definitely an item. Thus, Hester is our love interest.