Quincy is a baking blogger living in New York City and the sole survivor of the Pine Cottage murders, a tragedy that earned her the media label of "Final Girl." She represses most of her memories of the massacre and curates a picture-perfect life with her boyfriend to maintain a sense of normalcy. Beneath the surface, she secretly harbors destructive impulses, including shoplifting and a dependency on Xanax. She is thrust back into her past trauma when she learns of the death of a fellow survivor.

Samantha is the second Final Girl, having survived a massacre at the Nightlight Inn. Unlike the other survivors, she has remained reclusive and successfully kept her face out of the press for years. She arrives in New York seeking solidarity, bringing a chaotic and unpredictable energy that disrupts Quincy's carefully managed life.

Franklin, frequently called Coop, is the police officer who saved Quincy at Pine Cottage by shooting her attacker. A former Marine who served in Afghanistan, he is highly protective of Quincy and remains a steadfast figure in her life a decade later. He frequently checks in on her but remains reticent about his own personal history.

Joe is a man who arrives at Pine Cottage on the night of Janelle's birthday party. The media and the police identify him as the killer responsible for the massacre. In the present, Quincy refuses to speak his name, referring to him only with masculine pronouns due to the deep trauma associated with him.

Jefferson is Quincy's live-in boyfriend and a dedicated public defender working in New York City. Unaware of Quincy's Final Girl status when they first met, he provides the grounded, everyday life she craves. He is highly focused on a high-stakes trial that could advance his career.

Lisa is the original Final Girl, who survived a brutal attack at her sorority house years before the Pine Cottage murders. She later became a child psychiatrist and used her public profile to help other survivors build support systems. Her sudden death serves as the catalyst for the novel's present-day events.

Janelle is Quincy's best friend from the past, an outgoing and sexually confident young woman. The trip to Pine Cottage is organized to celebrate her birthday. Her dynamic with Quincy is complex, colored by teenage insecurities and shifting loyalties.

Craig is a friend of Quincy and Janelle who attends the birthday trip to Pine Cottage. He is the boy Quincy hopes to lose her virginity to, but his careless behavior and shifting attentions create friction among the group before the tragedy unfolds.

Sheila is Quincy's mother, who became her primary guardian after her father passed away from cancer. She is highly focused on maintaining appearances, constantly pushing Quincy to be normal and move past the Pine Cottage tragedy as quickly as possible.

Jonah is a journalist who went to college with Quincy, though she does not remember him. He aggressively covers the Final Girls, tracking their movements and publishing stories that expose their private lives to the public.

Nancy is a state trooper who supported Lisa Milner after she survived the sorority house killings. She remains fiercely protective of Lisa's legacy and assists in securing her belongings after her death.

Rocky is an unhoused man who crosses paths with Quincy in Central Park. An altercation between them escalates violently, becoming a major catalyst for the ongoing police investigation involving Quincy and Samantha.

Detective Hernandez is a New York City police investigator working the violent assault case in Central Park. She is perceptive and persistent, carefully navigating the high-profile nature of the Final Girls while trying to uncover the truth.

Betz is one of the friends who travels to Pine Cottage to celebrate Janelle's birthday. She is observant and tries to support Quincy through the social pressures of the trip.

Rodney is a friend attending Janelle's birthday party at Pine Cottage, pairing off with Amy during the room assignments.

Amy is one of the friends on the fateful trip to Pine Cottage, spending most of her time with Rodney.

Detective Cole investigates the Pine Cottage massacre. He initially appears more sympathetic than his partner, but he ultimately uses harsh and pressuring tactics to try and break through Quincy's repressed memories.

Detective Freemont is a highly skeptical investigator assigned to the Pine Cottage murders. He openly doubts Quincy's innocence and believes her lack of memory is a convenient lie to hide her own involvement.