Frances Janvier

Frances Javier is the main protagonist and first-person narrator. She starts the book near the end of her 11th year of high school with dreams of attending Cambridge University after her graduation. While Frances is very smart and dedicated to her academics, it becomes very obvious early on in the novel that she actually feels trapped by her ‘school self’. She believes she does not have any worth beyond academic success, leading to many panic attacks, self-loathing, and isolation as she struggles to connect with others. This is particularly true with characters like Raine and Carys who Frances feels jealous of, believing they get to live their best lives while she cannot. This turns out to be far different than she imagined, and learning the truth behind their struggles is what allows her to learn more about herself.

Frances’s most important relationship throughout the novel is...