Protagonist

Character Role Analysis

Matthew Walsh

Even though he often feels hopeless and ineffectual when dealing with his mother, Matthew is a hero—to his sisters, at least. He manages to protect his siblings and works tirelessly to get them out of their awful home situation, and even if protecting his sisters means having to throw himself in Nikki's path, Matthew does it. He even goes to the police and gives a statement against Nikki, which infuriates her further. Start to finish, Matthew takes center stage in this book, and we root for him as he does the right thing while all the odds are against him.