Amy—who will also be known as the Girl from Nowhere—is the girl at the center of the story’s mystery. She’s subject Thirteen in Lear’s experiment, a combination of vampire and human. Her middle name, Harper, is a tribute to Harper Lee, the author of To Kill a Mockingbird, and implies that like Boo Radley, though Amy is different from the other innocents in the Colony, it would have been wrong to kill her. Amy manifests compassion and gives those around her a chance at redemption. Bellafonte means “beautiful fountain” (4). After she becomes a trial subject, she holds the potential cure to the virus inside her.

Amy is constantly surrounded by strange events. For instance, animals react wildly to her presence at the zoo—but is usually peaceful. She is compassionate and kind. She doesn’t fear the virals, but aches for their suffering and confusion over what and who they are. She instills fear in those who don’t understand her, and awe in those who do. Despite her long life, Amy retains childish exuberance for things like snow angels. She views the world with curiosity and heartache, and only Lacey and the Twelve understand her perspective.

When Wolgast sees her, he thinks, “Whatever had happened to the girl had taken the idea of home away” (122).