James Sveck is the narrator of the novel. James is a newly graduated high school student who is expected to go to Brown University in the fall. James is very anti-social and he prefers the idea of buying a house in the Midwest to attending a school with a large number of students his own age. James' family does not like this idea and each tries in their own way to talk James into attending Brown.
James' parents are divorced, his mother thrice divorced as the novel progresses. James has a fairly good relationship with both his parents despite lingering tensions from their marriage. However, James resents their concern on a certain level and resists their attempts to help him deal with his emotional behaviors.
James has had a panic attack while he was attending a special conference in Washington, D.C. that his therapist seems to think is related to his lingering feelings regarding the terrorist attacks that took place on September 11, 2001. James begins to face these emotions, but makes only small amounts of progress as the novel reaches its conclusion.
