Elena is a 14-year-old Puerto Rican girl who feels like an outsider in Paterson, New Jersey. She earns straight As at P.S. 13 but remains excluded from honors classes because English is not her first language. Classmates mock her physical appearance by calling her "Skinny Bones." She loves reading and develops a quiet crush on the boy who recently moved in next door.

Eugene is a teenager from Georgia who relocates to Paterson when his father is transferred for work. He attends honors classes and spends much of his time reading. His peers mockingly call him "the Hick" because of his Southern accent, which isolates him socially until he connects with Elena.

Mr. DePalma is a short, muscular physical education and science teacher at P.S. 13. He breaks up fights and calls conferences with the parents of difficult students. He enforces strict rules but displays intense emotional vulnerability during national tragedies.

Elena's mother is a devout Catholic immigrant from Puerto Rico who spends her days managing their tenement apartment. She harbors a deep nostalgia for her homeland and dreams of eventually buying a suburban house. She closely monitors her daughter's physical development and emerging interest in boys.

Eugene's mother is a nurse at St. Joseph's Hospital who recently relocated from Georgia. Unhappy about the move, she spends her weekends isolated behind a newspaper. Her delicate, doll-like appearance hides deeply ingrained prejudices regarding the neighboring tenement and its residents.

Elena's father works demanding late hours at a blue jeans factory to provide for his family in Paterson. He moved his family from Puerto Rico to New Jersey seeking better economic opportunities. He actively plans for the future, hoping to buy a suburban home and retire to a beach house.

Eugene's father relocated his family from Georgia to New Jersey after his company transferred him to a Paterson office. He is largely absent from the narrative and his family's daily interactions. When home on weekends, he remains emotionally distant and hidden behind the newspaper.

Gail is a student at P.S. 13 and a classmate of Elena. She participates in playground games and uses her physical presence to intimidate others. She targets Elena with taunts based on cultural stereotypes regarding Puerto Rican food.