Lina Mayfleet
Lina Mayfleet is a smart, inquisitive girl who dreams of being a messenger in Ember because she loves running. When she is assigned to work in the pipeworks, she trades jobs with Doon Harrow. The two strike up a friendship and work together to decipher the instructions on how to leave Ember.
Doon Harrow
Doon is a bit gruff on the surface but is genuine and friendly deep down. He is curious about the generator that runs Ember and thinks he can fix it, so he trades jobs with Lina Mayfleet to get underground and closer to the generator. The two become friends and when they find instructions for how to leave Ember, they solve them together, helping each other out and escaping.
Mrs. Murdo
She takes care of Lina and her little sister Poppy when their grandmother, their former caretaker, passes away. She is kind-hearted and warm, caring a lot about Lina and Poppy.
Lizzie Bisco
Lina's best friend. Lizzie is a bit naive and materialistic. She is dating a man named Looper who brings her extravagant things by stealing them from the dwindling storage supplies, and Lizzie doesn't see anything wrong with this.
Poppy Mayfleet
Lina's little trouble making sister, Poppy, is a one-of-a-kind toddler who chews up the "instructions for egress" and makes this book such a mysterious thriller.
