Althea Carter

Althea Carter is one of the two main characters in the book. Althea is 17 years old and a junior in high school in Wilmington, North Carolina. Althea is an only child. Her father teaches history at the University of North Carolina and her mother lives in New Mexico, having left the family when Althea was six-years-old.

Althea is an artist who loves to sketch her friend, Oliver, in different situations. Althea and Oliver have been friends since they were 6 years old. Althea is a loner with no real friends other than Oliver. Althea has an angry undercurrent probably because her parents have always been so disinterested in her. She is also lost because she has been left to fend for herself most of the time. Althea's anger keeps most people at bay but she does gravitate toward some punk rock kids when Oliver is not available due...