Wren Clemmens is the protagonist and narrator of the book. She is a 14-year-old girl living in Orange County, where her family moved from San Francisco when she was 12. She has an older sister named Annabella and a younger brother named Morris, but of the three siblings, Wren is the most affected by the move. It triggers a whole set of circumstances that causes Wren to spiral into substance abuse and delinquent behavior, leading her parents to eventually send her to a wilderness therapy camp in Utah. This eight-week time period forms the central plot of the book.

Wren is a fiercely independent and determined young girl, even though she is missing the structure and guidance that she sorely needs during this crucial time in her life. When her family moves to Orange County, she longs for company and acceptance and finds neither in her family or in her school. She also grows resentful of her parents’ habit of unfavorably comparing her with Annabella. This is an early indication that Wren longs to be her own person, even though she is still discovering who she is. Her eventual friendship with Meadow becomes an avenue for Wren to explore her identity and express her inherent need for independence.