City Spies

Mother is the leader of the spy group that comes to be known as City Spies and the novel’s deuteragonist. He begins as an MI6 Secret Agent, but soon finds himself developing bonds with children who have been orphaned as a result of various types of Adversity. Mother is inspired by each child’s intelligence, resilience, and unique abilities, and takes them in one by one. Over time, they form a unit that becomes more like a family than an organization; this is why Mother refers to himself as such. Mother’s name is also a symbol of James Ponti’s desire to break down gender norms and stereotypes. He presents Mother as a flamboyant, witty, and deceptive but deeply caring man who sees himself as the mother of the children under his cares. He is eccentric in his speech, dress, and manner, and maintains an air of mystery until the very end. His name changes “depending on the situation” (14), as he takes up whatever identity is necessary to complete a mission or get closer to finding his children. Aspects of Mother’s previous life begin to reveal themselves as he tells the story of losing his children and wife, being burned in a fire set by Umbra and then saved by Paris, and searching the globe for his lost children.

Mother guides the children of City Spies while allowing them to grow, prosper, and develop a sense of independence and self-efficacy. He creates what he calls “Motherisms,” which are adages designed to inspire and instill lessons that the children can apply to their spy work and personal lives, such as “You cannot achieve what you cannot believe” (236). He appreciates fine art and children’s literature, and regularly makes references to author and British spy Roald Dahl. Mother is always part of the children’s missions but often separate and performing his own tasks. He investigates the art museum to discover clues about Sinclair and helps the children reason through their dilemmas. In the novel’s conclusion, Mother continues searching for his children, and Brooklyn gifts him the snow globe from her abuela in a symbolic gesture of mutual hope and understanding. Mother provides Brooklyn, Sydney, Kat, Paris, and Rio with a family that they otherwise may never have had, as well as a purpose and a place to hone their abilities.

Sydney is the team’s lead advocate for justice and their physical trainer. She is welcoming and open and embraces Brooklyn readily when she meets her. Sydney wakes Brooklyn in the mornings, peps her up for the day, and trains her to be in better physical condition for spy work. She becomes Brooklyn’s first friend of the group as a result. Sydney is helpful in the way she teaches Brooklyn about the group’s dynamics and how individual members get along. She explains why Kat seems standoffish, helping Brooklyn feel more comfortable and grow into a more understanding person. When Mother first meets Sydney, he is searching various boarding schools for his daughter. While inquiring at a specific school in Australia, an explosion destroys the statue of the school’s first headmistress. Mother then meets Sydney (then called Olivia), the girl responsible for that and many other acts of justice and decides she would be a great fit for the team. He finds her to be “fresh and honest” (129) and unwilling to compromise her beliefs. Mother impersonates a police officer and pretends to arrest Sydney, similar to how he saves Brooklyn. Sydney’s sense of humor is also one of her dominant traits, as she is always teasing Brooklyn and maintains a constant sense of optimism. She is always by Brooklyn’s side, coaching her and helping her in any way she can.

Paris is the unofficial “older brother” of the group and oftentimes acts as its leader when Mother and Monty are absent. The others rely on Paris for stability, confidence, and to remind them of their strengths. Paris also guides the group both literally and figuratively, as he leads them through the catacombs of Paris and also leads them toward better versions of themselves. Paris is also the original member and the first child Mother adopts. Mother is not searching for Paris when he finds him; instead, he is on a mission to lure a criminal from Umbra using plagiarized art pieces. At the factory in which he is setting up his sting operation, he finds a makeshift bed on the floor, lined with books that are alphabetized. Moments later, he meets Paris, who is alone in Paris after escaping Rwanda. The two develop a relationship, and when Mother is trapped and an attempt is made to burn him alive, Paris saves him by taking him out through the catacombs. Throughout the novel, Paris demonstrates his resolve, his ability to Prevail Through Adversity and guide others to do the same, and his deep concern for others. Paris is also highly observant, and instantly remembers the guard from the night of the fire. He is resourceful and shows this when he manages to distract the guards who come looking for Sydney and Brooklyn in the server room at Asgard. When the others are in the midst of facing their fears, they remember what Paris tells them: “You are much braver than you realize” (344).

Kat is the team’s pattern decoder. She is from Nepal and is best known for using her ability to decipher patterns to win a contest and provide her old school with a handsome donation. Kat is skeptical and cautious about new people, as well as sarcastic, cutting, and occasionally insulting. However, Sydney expresses how Kat’s flaws are well outweighed by her strengths, elaborating, “Kat is absolutely amazing. And if the cost of that is a little social awkwardness, then the price is well worth it” (178). Kat struggles to navigate social situations at times, displays savant abilities in decoding, and comes off as peculiar to others about her routines and possessions. The other members of the team accept Kat exactly as she is and appreciate everything she brings to their lives. Kat “sees the world in patterns and equations. That’s what she’s such a stellar code breaker” (137). It is Kat who figures out where to get a key to Asgard, and it is Kat who deciphers the codes of Sinclair Scientifica’s inventory to determine that every company attacked by the Purple Thumb was owned by it. In the novel’s conclusion, Kat demonstrates how much she has warmed up to Brooklyn when she gives her a hug and professes, “When we get back to the FARM, you can come into my room and borrow any items of mine that you want” (356).

Rio is the team’s deception master and a flat character defined primarily by this trait. He was found by Mother while living on the streets of Rio de Janeiro and earning money by performing magic tricks. Mother saw his skills as being impressive and potentially useful to the craft of spy work, and Rio was alone and agreed to join. Rio struggles with his confidence as a member of the team and ability to lead the group, and this shines through most when he attempts to lead a reconnaissance mission on Brooklyn and Brooklyn discovers his entire plan. The experience is such a blow to Rio’s self-esteem that he still has not fully warmed up to Brooklyn by the novel’s conclusion, although he does compliment her skills as a spy. Rio is desperate to be taken more seriously and seen as more mature and capable, and when Kat asks him to lead the tasks of retrieving the key for Asgard, Rio proves himself by executing it with perfect success. Despite Rio’s cold attitude toward Brooklyn, he recognizes that she is there for the long term and teaches her the art of deception. Brooklyn relies on what Rio taught her to escape The Professor in the novel’s climax. 

Monty works with the spy team. She helps Mother take care of the children and works as a cryptographer and weather analyst. Monty is kind, endearing, and understanding, and welcomes Brooklyn with open arms. She is a static character who maintains these traits through the novel. She buys Brooklyn new clothes and helps her feel comfortable in a new environment. Monty also introduces Brooklyn to Ben, the team’s supercomputer. Monty and Brooklyn share a love of computers and the power they can have, and Brooklyn admires Monty for being a woman who pursues her passions. Monty plays more of a supervisory role on missions, being present for support, but not involving herself directly with the tasks of the mission. She is a deep thinker and inspires the children to do the same, asking them philosophical questions about art and science and challenging them when they make assumptions. In the novel’s conclusion, Brooklyn begins to view Monty as the mother she never had and feels as if she has finally found her family.

Charlotte is an ex-member of the spy team who was banished after Mother discovered she was using her hacking abilities to funnel money from innocent banks. Mother’s spy group upholds values of Justice and uses their skills to improve the world, not harm it; therefore, Charlotte’s greedy nature did not fit with their creed. Charlotte is introduced as she rides a train to the FARM and spends time hacking the first-class passengers for fun and thinks, “This is my practice. This is my breathing” (165). During the competition, the team hacks Charlotte’s computer by tricking her into believing they’re helping her. Brooklyn and Charlotte become quick rivals who regularly compete over who is the better hacker. The difference between them is Brooklyn’s desire to use her skills for good. While Charlotte remains an antagonist through most of the novel and illuminates the darker aspects of Brooklyn’s personality as they compete with one another, she surprises everyone when she assists the team at the novel’s climax and apologizes for what she did. Charlotte’s arc is a minor aspect of the plot but demonstrates how a person can redeem themselves through selfless acts.