Linda is the 15-year-old protagonist, raised in an abandoned commune in rural Minnesota. She lives with her emotionally distant father and overbearing mother, who Linda resents for misunderstanding her and because she doubts that her mother is her biological parent. Linda is an outsider and a loner who struggles to connect with other people. To her, this is partially because of the way she looks: “I was flat chested, plain as a banister. I made people feel judged” (7). Her habit of observing leads her to make judgements of others, which in turn causes her to feel judged. This talent for silent observation causes Linda to digest information differently than others; she pretends to know “what [is] happening in other people’s lives before explanations [are] offered” (118). 

Linda wishes to appear knowledgeable and aloof, traits she associates with adulthood. Her lifelong isolation has hindered her ability to effectively communicate with others, resulting in her propensity for watching rather than speaking. Twice in her life, Linda attempts, unsuccessfully, to bridge this isolation; first, with Lily, her beautiful classmate that accuses their teacher of sexual assault. Linda feels drawn to Lily, captivated by her beauty and power, but she resents her for her false accusations.