The Alchemyst

Fifteen-year-old Sophie Newman is one of the protagonists of The Alchemyst with her twin brother Josh. Their parents are archeologists working in San Francisco, and at the beginning of the story Sophie and Josh are working in a coffee shop and a bookstore, respectively. Sophie jokes that Josh “got all the ‘doing’ genes, whereas she got the ‘thinking’ genes” (206).

Outspoken and inquisitive, Sophie does not hesitate to ask pointed questions and often demonstrates her quick thinking in times of crises. She investigates when she notices Dee and his Golems approach Flamel’s bookstore, for instance, and she later relies on her newly acquired knowledge to repel Dee’s attack in Ojai. Josh is the only person she trusts completely, but she also cares about her friends when they are in danger.

Throughout the course of the story, Sophie grows more and more confident in her magical abilities. At first, she only wants to go back to her normal life. When her powers are awakened by Hekate, she is nearly overwhelmed by her senses and has an emotional breakdown. However, once the Witch of Endor teaches her Air magic, Sophie is able to fight off Dee’s undead army.

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