Chloe Crumb is the protagonist of Mr. Stink. Chloe is a 12-year-old girl who lives in England with her parents and younger sister, Annabelle. She is characterized as a shy and awkward girl who finds it difficult to connect with others socially. Chloe feels ostracized within her family because she is not as pretty and talented as her younger sister, who her mother favors: “The more Annabelle achieved, the more Chloe felt like a failure” (39). She is also lonely at her private school because she has not made friends with the other girls, and she is tortured by a cruel bully named Rosamund: “She was always bullying Chloe, picking on her for eating too many sweets, or being poorer than the other girls at school, or for being the girl neither team ever wanted on their side in hockey matches” (19).

Sad and lonely, Chloe takes comfort in food: “Filling herself up with chocolate, crisps, and cake felt like being given a much-needed hug” (66). Chloe also finds comfort in her imagination; she has a rich imagination and a talent for storytelling. Part of her interest in Mr. Stink is due to her curiosity about where he came from: “Chloe was the kind of girl who loved being alone with her thoughts.