Character Analysis
Hollis Wells, CEO and President of Gutshot Textiles, is a Kranial Kidz-watching, pink-loving woman who also just happens to be Lindsey's mom. In a stroke of pure coincidence, she happens to be one of the only people who actually watched the game show that Colin won (you know, because he's a brainiac).
At first, the boys think Hollis is just a fun-loving gal who watches Home Shopping Network and QVC all day. But Hollis is no richy-rich—she works very hard, and it's not long before Colin, Lindsey, and Hassan figure out that there's more to the story than Hollis is letting on. Eventually, they get to see the real Hollis: a hard-working woman who's desperately trying to keep the company afloat to save jobs in Gutshot.
Hollis may be filthy rich, but she's actually working extra hard to help others, which blows them away. It's a pivotal moment in the novel, because it prompts Colin and Hassan to reflect on their own lives—Hassan registers for more classes, and Colin starts thinking about his own relationships, including starting one up with Lindsey after hearing the news. There's no doubting that Hollis "took good care of us every one" (9.7), as Starnes tells the trio in their first interview. We're just not sure anyone knows just how much she's taking care of everyone else.