Protagonist

Character Role Analysis

Ben Ross

No matter how strung out he is by the end of the book, Ben is our main guy. He's the young, creative teacher at Gordon High and the one who comes up with The Wave to begin with. Without him, we have no novel. Plus, we're rooting for him: he's a good guy who makes a mistake – and learns from it.

Laurie Saunders

If The Wave has a hero, it's Laurie. She actually takes risks to stop The Wave when it seems to be hurting her classmates. By publishing an exposé on The Wave, she exposes herself to violence and threats and she risks losing her boyfriend and her friends. But in the end, her bravery and confidence help put an end to The Wave before something really bad happens. Thanks, Laurie.