Ruby Oliver

Ruby Oliver is the main character and narrator of the story. She is seventeen years old with blonde hair, glasses, and an adorable gap between her two front teeth. She describes herself as neither pretty nor ugly, but constantly questions her ability to attract boys. Ruby is on the swim team, plays lacrosse, and lives in a houseboat with her eccentric parents. Ruby's mother sometimes describes her as being self-involved and spoiled, but deep down, Ruby truly does care what people think about her, so much so that she actually suffers from panic attacks. For the most part, Ruby is a confident, attractive teenager, but when it comes to romantic relationships, she's a total mess. Ruby is neurotic and self-loathing, although her relationship with her psychiatrist, Doctor Z, is helping her "flush away" some of these negative emotions. At the opening of the novel, Ruby is thrilled...