Story so far
Rickson first confronted Juliette with a wrench and suffered a knife wound in his leg. Identifying his father as Rick the Plumber, he wanted her and her noisy machines gone, but later helped Solo climb the stairs. He helped gather the younger children for their move, feared the newcomers wanted their silo, and supported Hannah’s refusal of an implant. Their visit to the other silo brought further violence and treatment for Rickson’s injuries.
Rickson has tried to protect and control the younger children through frightening accounts of strangers. He claimed his father removed a poisoned pill from his mother so that he could be born, and said men once forced women to bear children by cutting pills out. With food dwindling, he regarded the people living and working with him as family, shared a tomato with Hannah and Miles, and expected newcomers to fight over food and women as adults had before.
He initially favored hiding again, but helped topple a server for the meeting and cared for the baby while Hannah helped prepare it. Outside, he put an arm around Hannah as they looked at the sky. At the warehouse, the possibility that other people might arrive has become another reason for him to argue that the group should leave.
Appearance
Rickson is a teenage boy; no further lasting physical description is established.
Role
He acts as a protective member of the surviving children’s family, though distrust of outsiders strongly shapes his advice.
Relationships
Elise — Rickson helps teach Elise about God and uses warnings about strangers to influence her behavior.
Juliette — He initially attacks Juliette and distrusts the newcomers, but later helps clear space for the survivors’ meeting.
Earlier in this series
Also appears in books you've already read — spoiler-safe to their endings:
Sources — 34 recorded facts, by chapter
Chapter 6
- Rickson heads down the staircase with the others ahead of Jimmy and Elise.
- Elise reports Rickson’s belief that the newcomers want their silo rather than to rescue them.
Chapter 7
- Rickson eats fish caught as the floodwater retreats.
Chapter 11
- Juliette imagines Rickson and Hannah sharing a private kiss and talking about another child.
Chapter 19
- Rickson uses a flashlight to inspect the generator-room wall where the digging sounds originate.
- Rickson hurries after Jimmy toward the arriving visitors.
Chapter 22
- Rickson gathers the twins before the group leaves.
- Rickson asks why the doctor cannot come to their silo instead.
- Jimmy understands that Rickson fears being assigned a color and a job instead of caring for his family.
Chapter 23
- Miles says Rickson used to be a twin.
- Rickson supports Hannah when she refuses an implant.
- Rickson does not know what a chit is.
Chapter 28
- Rickson is injured in the scuffle and receives treatment from Juliette’s father.
Chapter 29
- Rickson used to reassure Elise that the youngest children were safest when fetching food.
Chapter 43
- Rickson used frightening stories about strangers to make Elise and the twins behave.
- Rickson claims his father removed a poisoned pill from his mother’s hip so that he could be born.
- Rickson says men once forced women to have babies by cutting pills out of their flesh.
- Rickson says people born without a pill in their hip will never have one.
- Rickson has warned Elise not to touch the black and yellow farm wire.
Chapter 50
- Rickson finds little food while searching the depleted farm plots.
- Rickson regards the people who live and work with him as family.
- Rickson predicts that the newcomers will fight over food and women as their parents did.
- Rickson believes his group will have to fight back to survive.
- Rickson recalls that adults left the children alone during the earlier fighting.
- Rickson shares a tomato equally with Hannah and Miles.
Chapter 51
- Rickson helped teach Elise about God and night prayers.
- Rickson dislikes it when Elise cries.
- Elise can read better than Rickson.
Chapter 59
- Rickson initially supports hiding again to survive the violence.
- Rickson celebrates toppling a server with Miles.
Chapter 60
- Rickson looks after the baby while Hannah helps prepare the Town Hall.
Chapter 61
- According to Juliette’s father, Rickson thinks he had a brother, but his father refused to discuss it.
Chapter 63
- Rickson puts his arm around Hannah as he looks at the sky outside.
Chapter 64
- Rickson argues that the possibility of other people arriving is another reason to leave the warehouse.