Ben is the cool teacher. You know, the one who doesn't wear a suit, and who almost seems more like a friend than a teacher. This is probably the reason his students follow him to begin with: they l...

Laurie, editor of the school paper, is the most with-it girl in school. We've heard that one before, right? Yep, like Ben, Laurie is something of a type. But even though she isn't fully fleshed out...

David is the Mr. Popular to Laurie's Miss Popular. He's star of the football team and is well-liked and admired by most of the kids at school. But, unlike Laurie, David doesn't feel so successful....

The Wave is all about types, and Robert Billings is no exception: he's the school loser, to use the novel's rather cruel terminology. Ben thinks that part of Robert's problem is that he's living in...

Christy is Ben's rock. Oh, and his wife. Her strength and independence allow her to help Ben when he gets too caught up in The Wave, threatening both of their careers as teachers. And the strong re...

Like her best friend Laurie, Amy is pretty, smart, and popular. Unlike Laurie, Amy doesn't always show how smart she is. The novel suggests that Amy hides her excellent math skills because she's af...

Carl Block and Alex Cooper both work with Laurie in the publication office of Gordon High's school paper. Like Laurie, they are immune to the charms of The Wave. In fact, Carl and Alex are the ones...

The Wave brings together students who previously had nothing in common. But, in doing so, it forces them to give up some of their individuality. Why is this? Well, the things that unite them in The...