Ginny

Ginny is the novel's autistic, teenage narrator. She is extremely literal-minded, forthright, and misunderstood. Ginny does not like hugs and she is "good at learning" (163). According to her aunt, "[Ginny] couldn't crack a joke if [her] life depended on it'" (84). Ginny has "developmental disabilities," but she is also highly intelligent, resourceful, and inspirational (14). Ginny has been traumatized by an abusive upbringing, so she experiences debilitating anxiety that can often take her breath away or cause her to pick at her hands until they bleed.

Ginny spends much of her time "inside [her] brain" (9). In extreme instances, she can even fall completely into an alternate reality that is inundated with memories of her past. Ginny goes inward and loses touch with her surroundings. As a result, "it's hard for [her] to figure things out sometimes. [She] get[s] distracted and forget[s] to look at what [she's] supposed to...