Jess is a 16-year-old girl dealing with grief and a permanent leg and foot injury from a severe car crash. Uprooted from her life, she travels to the remote Yukon wilderness to live with a father she barely knows. She relies on her intelligence and stubbornness to navigate both the harsh environment and her complicated feelings of resentment. She documents her experiences in a notebook, determined to leave a record of her time in the wild.

Bo is a large, black, half-wolf and half-husky mix belonging to Jess's father. Although initially intimidating and aloof toward Jess, he quickly forms an intuitive bond with her. Bo is adapted to the harsh Canadian wilderness and uses his natural instincts to navigate the environment and aid his human companions.

Jess's father is a hardened outdoorsman living off the grid in the Yukon territory. Having abandoned his family years ago due to mysterious past troubles, he possesses extensive wilderness survival skills but lacks emotional awareness regarding his daughter's trauma and physical limitations. He attempts to instill self-reliance in Jess, insisting that she must learn to be smart if she cannot be physically strong.

Raph is a dangerous and ruthless criminal to whom Jess's father owes a significant debt. He arrives at the remote cabin demanding money and the retrieval of buried goods. He operates without mercy, willing to use extreme measures to ensure his demands are met and his secrets are kept.

Griff is a gruff-looking but kindhearted pilot and the best friend of Jess's father. He serves as Jess's escort into the Canadian wilderness and offers her rare moments of humor and warmth during a stressful transition. He recognizes Jess's struggles and provides her with a notebook and pens, tools that become vital to her mental well-being.

Jess's mother was a pilot in training who died in a brutal car accident shortly before the events of the novel. Her memory provides Jess with a source of comfort and motivation in the wilderness. She represents the safe, civilized life that Jess lost.

Daniel is one of the criminals working alongside Raph to collect a debt from Jess's father. He assists in forcing the retrieval of a hidden crate on the property.

An unnamed pilot who flies the criminals into the remote Yukon territory. He participates in the confrontation over the buried crate and the hidden money.