You Go First

Charlotte Lockard is one of the novel’s protagonists, and half the chapters are narrated in the third person through her point of view. Charlotte is smart, logical, and quirky with a wide range of interests, especially science and word puzzles. Although Charlotte is conscientious and interesting, she only has one real-life friend at the beginning of the novel and struggles to understand the social rules of middle school. She also has a hard time processing her emotions after learning that her father had a heart attack and is in the hospital getting emergency surgery. The Impact of Family Dynamics on Young People is clear with Charlotte because she’s so affected by her father’s illness that she struggles to pay attention at school. Once she finally does visit, her anxiety dissipates because she sees that her father isn’t as sick as she thought he was. For Charlotte, facing her problems is a more effective strategy than trying to evade them.

Charlotte’s friendship with her best friend, Bridget, is dwindling because they are developing different interests, and Bridget and the other kids bully her. However, her long-distance friendship with Ben helps her develop the courage and wisdom to strike up a new friendship with a more compatible real-life friend, Magda.