64 pages • 2-hour read
Liane MoriartyA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Meet the key characters, with insights into their roles, motivations, and relationships.
Cherry is a petite, middle-aged woman with gray hair who wears a silver brooch. A widow mourning a recent loss, she is highly logical and relies heavily on math and statistics. Her sudden outburst of fortune-telling on the flight is uncharacteristic of her usual quiet life in Hobart, Tasmania. She quickly gains internet infamy as 'The Death Lady.'
Daughter of Mae
Widow of Ned Lockwood
Ex-wife of David Smith
Close friend of Bert
Close friend of Jill
Fellow passenger of Leo Vodnik
Fellow passenger of Sue O'Sullivan
Fellow passenger of Ethan Chang
Fellow passenger of Paula Binici
Fellow passenger of Eve
Passenger to Allegra Patel
Allegra is an Indian American flight attendant who suffers a back injury while helping a passenger with heavy luggage. She carries emotional baggage from a past breakup and proceeds cautiously in new romances. A family history of depression makes Cherry's grim prediction particularly unsettling for her.
Leo is a 42-year-old civil engineer known for his elegant clothes and wild hair. His demanding job places immense pressure on him, causing him to frequently neglect his family responsibilities. Cherry's prediction that he will die in a workplace accident at age 43 forces him to reevaluate his work-life balance.
Husband of Neve
Father of Bridie
Father of Oli
Son of Mira
Friend of Ethan Chang
Fellow passenger of Cherry Lockwood
Paula is a former contract lawyer turned stay-at-home mother. She has a history of obsessive-compulsive disorder that resurfaces after hearing Cherry's prediction. Desperate to protect her baby boy from an early death by drowning, she throws herself entirely into preventative measures.
Ethan is a 29-year-old software engineer who recently injured himself while attempting rock climbing. He is grieving the sudden loss of a friend and views himself as a mild-mannered person who avoids physical altercations. Cherry's prediction of his death by assault at age 30 makes him hyper-vigilant of his surroundings.
Best friend of Harvey
Flatmate of Jasmine
Rival of Carter
Friend of Leo Vodnik
Friend of Lila
Romantic interest of Faith
Fellow passenger of Cherry Lockwood
Sue is an emergency room nurse, mother to five adult sons, and grandmother to seven. She is enthusiastic, practical, and heavily invested in planning for her retirement. Hearing that she only has three years left to live prompts her to aggressively seek medical testing.
Wife of Max O'Sullivan
Friend of Caterina
Passenger to Allegra Patel
Fellow passenger of Cherry Lockwood
Mae is Cherry's late mother, who worked under the moniker 'Madame Mae.' She operated as a fortune teller, relying on a strict belief in determinism and the inevitability of fate. Her approach to life directly contrasts with her daughter's reliance on logic and mathematics.
Mother of Cherry Lockwood
Eve is a 24-year-old newlywed traveling to her honeymoon in her wedding dress. She is financially inexperienced and discovers severe debt shortly after her wedding. She finds Cherry's prediction of intimate partner homicide entirely unbelievable due to her husband's gentle nature.
Timmy is Paula's infant son. He displays a natural affinity for water from a very early age, which heavily contrasts with the prediction that he will drown at age seven.
Dom is a personal trainer and Eve's new husband. He is known for his extreme kindness but suffers from a lifelong habit of sleepwalking and sleep-talking, which causes him severe anxiety following Cherry's prediction.
Husband of Eve
Jonny is a handsome pilot working the Hobart-to-Sydney flight. He is open about his vulnerability and affection, actively pursuing a relationship with Allegra and encouraging her interest in aviation.
Romantic interest of Allegra Patel
Max is Sue's cheerful, practical husband. He refuses to entertain the idea of psychics and tries to keep his wife grounded when the predictions begin to take a mental toll on the passengers.
Husband of Sue O'Sullivan
Jasmine is a wealthy frozen-fish heiress sharing an apartment with Ethan. She encourages Ethan to seek a second opinion from a psychic regarding his prediction.
Flatmate of Ethan Chang
Girlfriend of Carter
Carter is Jasmine's handsome but volatile boyfriend. He is highly possessive and quickly develops an aggressive jealousy toward Ethan.
Boyfriend of Jasmine
Antagonist to Ethan Chang
Harvey is Ethan's deceased friend and former coworker. Described as peculiar, pessimistic, and sincere, his sudden death from an aneurysm deeply affects Ethan's outlook on life and mortality.
Best friend of Ethan Chang
Brother of Lila
Neve is Leo's wife. She typically acts as the soother in their relationship but becomes increasingly distressed by Leo's high-stress job and the looming deadline of his predicted death.
Bridie is Leo and Neve's 11-year-old daughter. She struggles with mathematics at school and develops a keen anxiety after overhearing the details of her father's predicted death.
Daughter of Leo Vodnik
Daughter of Neve
Kayla is a 19-year-old passenger who receives a prediction of death in a car accident. She attempts to alter her fate by driving with extreme caution.
Fellow passenger of Cherry Lockwood
Acquaintance of Eve
David is Cherry's handsome, half-Korean first husband. A cardiologist by trade, he eventually moves Cherry across the country to Perth, straining their relationship.
Ex-husband of Cherry Lockwood
Ned was a highly energetic high school math teacher who originally met Cherry at university. His sudden passing leaves Cherry in a state of profound grief right before she boards the flight.
Husband of Cherry Lockwood
Luca is a practicing psychic who explicitly rejects the concept of preordained destiny. He advises Ethan on his romantic life and channels insights about Ethan's deceased friend.
Spiritual guide to Ethan Chang
Mira is Leo's mother, a resident of Tasmania. She receives a clean bill of health right before the flight and eventually forms a bond with Cherry through an aqua aerobics class.
Mother of Leo Vodnik
Lila is Harvey's sister. She is friendly and understanding, helping Ethan process his grief over her brother's sudden death.
Sister of Harvey
Friend of Ethan Chang
Faith is Harvey and Lila's cousin from Tasmania, currently considering a move to Sydney. She immediately catches Ethan's eye when they meet.