Grim and Gram are Max's grandparents and legal guardians. They are his legal guardians because his mother is dead, and his father is in jail. Max's dad, Killer Kane, is in jail because he murdered his wife. Readers do not find out that information until fairly late in the story; however, we are clued into the fact that Max's dad is not well liked by either Gram or Grim. In fact, Killer Kane is both hated and feared at the same time. He is either never talked about, or he is talked about in hushed tones. Their hatred for him runs so deep that Grim actually refuses to say his name. Pronouns are used instead.
