Ava Chen is the protagonist and the female romantic lead; as such, the novel is told partially from her perspective. Ava is 22 years old—four years younger than Josh and Alex—with raven hair, a delicate face, rosebud lips, and dark brown eyes. Ava has a passion for photography, and while it serves her well as a part-time job, she is also an assistant at the McCann Gallery. Ava’s father, Michael Chen, has never claimed to disapprove of her decision to pursue photography as a career, but while he pays her tuition at Thayer University, he does not pitch in for photography equipment.

Alex nicknames Ava “Sunshine,” and a ray of sun is how everyone tends to see her. With her “silvery laugh” and positive attitude, Ava is seen as soft-hearted and fragile to her friends and family. Despite the show that Ava puts on, however, Alex understands that there are layers of trauma lurking beneath the surface, noting “the way she carried herself, like she’d seen it all—the good, the bad, the downright ugly—and still believed in goodness” (17).

Ava considers herself the polar opposite of her brother, Josh Chen. She shies away from attention and “would rather have a small group of close friends than a large group of friendly acquaintances” (4).