Moth is a 17-year-old high school student who recently lost her parents and brother in a car crash. Living with her aunt in a Virginia suburb, she feels deeply isolated and burdened by survivor's guilt, finding herself one of the few Black students at her new school. Though she previously loved dancing, she has given it up to punish herself. She possesses a deep connection to her late grandfather's Hoodoo teachings, even though she tries to suppress those memories to cope with her grief.

Sani is a Diné teenager who recently moved to Virginia to live with his mother and stepfather following his parents' divorce. He is a talented musician who sings and plays guitar, but his difficult home life and separation from his ancestral roots in New Mexico have caused him to stop playing. Managing an unspecified mental illness and an abusive household, he finds an unexpected and immediate connection with Moth.

Aunt Jack is Moth's maternal aunt and current guardian. Following the tragic accident involving her sister's family, she struggles profoundly with grief, resorting to heavy alcohol consumption as a coping mechanism. Overwhelmed by sorrow, she creates an unstable and lonely environment for Moth.

Moth's late grandfather was a knowledgeable Hoodoo rootworker who passed down ancestral traditions, folklore, and magic to his granddaughter. Though deceased, his presence lingers strongly in Moth's memories and dreams, serving as an important spiritual guide and a source of foundational wisdom.

Sani's father is a Diné medicine man who resides in the Navajo Nation in New Mexico. Deeply rooted in his cultural traditions, he attempts to guide Sani from afar but insists strictly on Sani taking his prescribed medication. His physical distance from Sani contributes to the teenager's sense of displacement.

Jim is Moth's late father. He shared a deep love for Shakespeare with his wife, Marcia, which inspired them to name their daughter after a character from A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Marcia is Moth's late mother and Aunt Jack's sister. Before the accident, she was highly supportive of Moth's passion for dance, frequently driving her to various dance studios so she could pursue her dreams.

Zachary is Moth's late brother. Before his untimely death, he and Moth shared a creative bond, maintaining a special tradition of writing a new "Summer Song" together every year.

Sani's mother is a white woman who recently divorced Sani's father and moved Sani to Virginia. She enforces Sani's medication regimen but remains complicit while her new husband mistreats her son.

Sani's stepfather is a hostile presence in Sani's new Virginia home. He is physically and emotionally abusive, creating a toxic environment that ultimately drives Sani to seek refuge elsewhere.