Allie Garvey

Allie Garvey serves as the novel's protagonist. In the first chapter, Allie is returning to her hometown to attend a funeral after twenty years. She is anxious and distraught, as she must face the two other individuals who witnessed the death of Kyle Gallagher when they were teenagers. It is clear that Allie is conflicted and plagued with guilt over her silence about how Kyle died. At the time of the incident, Allie was a plump, awkward, teenager, grieving the loss of her older sister who died of cystic fibrosis. As often the case when someone has a sibling with a chronic illness, Allie is dutiful and obedient in an effort to support the family's drive to care for Jill until her death. When the popular Sasha Barrows waltzes her way towards Allie, she predictably folds and tries to navigate the social setting that envelops the "cool...