Noah is a thirteen-year-old gifted artist who views the physical world through a lens of colors, constantly creating "mind-paintings" in his head to process his surroundings. Introverted and highly imaginative, he prefers spending his time creating art or wandering the woods rather than socializing with peers. He desperately desires acceptance, particularly concerning his admission to the California School of the Arts, while also processing an emerging awareness of his sexuality.

Jude is Noah's twin sister, a secretly talented artist who builds intricate, temporary sand sculptures of flying women on the beach. Originally sociable, bold, and her father's favorite, she transforms into a highly superstitious, isolated teenager who enforces a strict "boy boycott" upon herself. She attends the California School of the Arts, where she relies heavily on magical thinking and protective rituals to survive family tension and profound personal guilt.

Dianna is an art history professor with a passionate, whimsical personality and a strong belief in signs, miracles, and cosmic destiny. She fiercely advocates for her children to attend art school, projecting her own unfulfilled creative ambitions onto them. Her intense focus on Noah's drawing talent inadvertently sparks deep jealousy within the household, while her marriage simultaneously faces growing friction over ideological differences.

Benjamin is a scientist who approaches life with strict rationality, logic, and a demand for concrete facts. He acts as the grounded counterweight to Dianna's whimsical beliefs, which causes significant arguments in their household. He relates easily to Jude's outgoing nature but fails to understand Noah's introverted disposition, frequently pressuring his son to adopt tougher, more traditional masculine traits.

Guillermo is a famous, larger-than-life stone sculptor who channels profound personal heartbreak into massive, violent, and brilliant works of art. He is an eccentric figure with a messy, chaotic lifestyle, but he possesses a deep well of kindness and wisdom. He serves as a powerful artistic influence in the community, taking in lost souls and creating awe-inspiring pieces that captivate those around him.

Brian is the new boy who moves in next door to the Sweetwines. He is a star baseball pitcher at a boarding school who also harbors a deep fascination with science, astronomy, and collecting meteorites he calls "sky litter." He projects a calm, confident exterior that makes him instantly popular with the neighborhood girls, but he carries deep anxieties regarding his place in the world and his personal identity.

Oscar is an English-accented young man with a troubled past who carries a camera and a penchant for pushing social boundaries. After struggling with addiction, he lives under the protective wing of Guillermo Garcia, trying to stay clean and rebuild his life. He is impulsive and charming, searching for the girl his mother prophesied he would one day meet in a church.

Grandma Sweetwine is Benjamin's deceased mother who continues to exert a massive influence on the family from beyond the grave. She left behind a handwritten "Bible" filled with eccentric superstitions, herbal cures, and magical beliefs. Though she is physically gone, her presence is felt constantly, particularly by Jude, who relies entirely on her rules to navigate a terrifying and unpredictable world.

Zephyr is an older neighborhood boy who spends his time surfing and bullying younger kids. He acts tough and aggressive to maintain his status, though he shows a slight hesitation when it comes to Jude, harboring a crush on her that complicates his vicious interactions with her brother.

Fry is a large, aggressive teenager who regularly torments Noah in the neighborhood. He is cruel, crude, and quick to resort to physical violence or the destruction of property to assert his dominance over those he perceives as weaker.

Sandy is an academic advisor and faculty member at the California School of the Arts. He is deeply concerned about his students' potential and pushes them to find true, authentic meaning in their work rather than settling for careless execution or emotional distance.