Parents Weekend

Blane Roosevelt is one of the five capstone students, characterized by his unique backstory—abducted at age 10 because of his mother’s position of power in the government—and by his attitude toward the security protocols he’s had to endure as a result. He assigned himself the code name “Beavis” and plays practical jokes on his mother’s security team. His arc culminates in a transformation from immaturity and nonchalance to admiration of his mother’s strength and ambition and a serious plan for the future. Blane’s character also facilitates the book’s exploration of frat culture.

Cynthia and Hank Roosevelt are Blane’s parents. Cynthia’s job makes her a high-profile target, thus adding to the list of potential leads in the investigation and commenting on the costs of power. Her security team’s performance of background checks on other students and families subtly establishes the tension between individual privacy and public safety. Later, Cynthia’s fear for Blane’s safety threatens the persona of invincibility she projects, reinforcing the duality of public image versus private reality. Hank’s infidelity prior to their divorce and his failing career have provoked resentment and hostility in Cynthia, but the harrowing experience of parents weekend leads them to improve their relationship and put Blane’s needs ahead of their anger toward each other. That change, along with Hank giving up alcohol and rekindling his success as an author, demonstrates how hardship can lead to growth.

Stella Maldonado is one of the five capstone students and one of the novel’s more complex characters. She can be careless with Felix’s feelings, but is quite empathetic toward Natasha. She’s the charismatic sun around which Felix and Libby orbit, oblivious to the power she wields, yet she experiences an inversion of that dynamic in her fascination with Natasha. Stella’s past behaviors are a source of doubt, early on, as to whether the students are truly missing: “Dr. Maldonado shrugs. ‘Stella can be … tricky. It isn’t the first time she’s ghosted us’” (126). This exemplifies the procedural challenges of investigating missing persons cases in a college setting. Stella’s relationship with her parents examines the effects of infidelity, especially through changes in parent/child dynamics. Stella’s confession in the sea cave marks a turning point in the chain reaction of harm, misunderstanding, and blame that has created so much chaos. Her friends’ responses illustrate the complex relationship between secrets, remorse, forgiveness, and redemption.

David and Nina Maldonado are Stella’s parents. Their relationship demonstrates the traumatizing effects of infidelity, both within the marriage and on the lives of others. This is especially apparent in Cody Carpenter’s mental health crisis following his mother’s affair with David and his father’s death by suicide. David’s affairs are motivated, in part, by a need for validation from women. His internal conflicts with temptation and guilt humanize him and offer an honest portrayal of the complex factors that can lead to—and arise from—marital problems.

Libby Akana is one of the five capstone students. She has tried to be the perfect daughter since cancer took the life of her younger brother, Timmy. Her efforts to protect her parents from further stress and take care of their emotional needs illustrate an inversion of the typical parent-child relationship and is one of the book’s many examples of changing family dynamics. Libby’s sense that her parents don’t love her as much as Timmy reveals how trauma can shape one’s identity and sense of self.

Ken and Amy Akana are Libby’s parents. Ken’s role as the judge in a celebrity trial makes him a target of public anger, adding to the list of possible motives for the students’ disappearance. His reaction to the trauma of Timmy’s death is to exercise total control over his emotions, landing him the nickname “No Drama Akana” (23). This public image of Ken, alongside the secret of Amy’s affair, contributes to a thematic look at the duality of public image versus private reality. Ken and Amy’s marriage is part of the book’s depiction of marital conflict in the context of trauma, grief, secrets, and resentment. Their resolution shows how the truth coming to light can mend and strengthen relationships.

Felix Goffman is one of the five capstone students, haunted by a childhood reputation as the weird kid who struggled to make friends. His status as a scholarship student amid mostly affluent families also makes him feel like an outsider. Felix is motivated by his crush on the charismatic Stella and by a desire to protect the first real friends he’s ever had. Natasha’s unfair accusations about him on Rizz demonstrate The Role of Social Media in Shaping Narratives and Justice. Felix’s integrity, devotion, and heroic act of self-sacrifice position him as a sympathetic character. His death at the novel’s climax emphasizes the incongruity between justice and revenge. It also reinforces the narrative’s fidelity to realism—the practice of portraying real life in art and literature without idealization—by foregoing an unrealistic outcome to a scenario so rife with trauma and other risk factors.

Alice Goffman is Felix’s mother and the dean’s administrative assistant. Her role as a single parent and her history of abuse from Felix’s father have created a very close relationship between Alice and her son: “It’s been the two of them against the world for so long” (19). At times, she seems blinded by an inability to see her son as flawed, though her perception of him proves to be fairly accurate. Alice is motivated by an instinct to protect Felix. This creates an internal struggle that explores loyalty as a motive for keeping secrets. Alice and Felix’s characters demonstrate that quiet, gentle people who tend to get bullied can be strong, courageous, and heroic when it counts.

Mark Wong is one of the five capstone students and the only one who has no parents present for parents weekend. His nickname, Tommy Boy, characterizes his physical appearance and his “jokester” personality. Mark uses comedy to develop an identity separate from his father’s and to protect himself from his father’s reputation: “It’s something he learned as a kid after his dad’s arrest: Make yourself the clown before they clown you” (183). This inherited reputation leads Natasha to call Mark a predator on Rizz, demonstrating the role of social media in shaping narratives and justice. Because of the shame and judgment his father’s crimes cause him, Mark is eager for acceptance by his peers—he pledges a fraternity, develops a prankster persona, attempts to bond with Natasha at the frat party, and saves his friends by attacking their captors—all as a means of personal validation. Getting critically injured allows Mark’s character to serve as a ticking clock in the plot, increasing the narrative stakes and creating suspense.

Andrew Wong, Mark’s father, is a convicted sex offender who molested teenage girls on the swim team he once coached. His crimes, his estrangement from Mark, and the suggestion that he has not attempted to rehabilitate himself serve as social commentary, a source of character development for Mark, and a parallel to Professor Turlington’s role as a predator.

Natasha Belov is the student whose death incites the book’s action. The nature of her death and the circumstances leading up to it prove to be at the center of the mystery surrounding the five’s disappearance. Her victimization at the hands of Professor Turlington demonstrates the traumatic nature of harassment, especially when power dynamics are involved. Traumatized, Natasha lashes out at others on social media, perpetuating a chain reaction of harm. Professor Turlington’s ability to portray Natasha as a troubled liar and himself as her victim illustrates the duality of public image versus private reality.

Natasha’s parents, Ivan and Iza Belov, are the story’s antagonists. The book’s central conflict revolves around solving the five students’ abduction and preventing their murder. The abductors and would-be killers, Mr. and Mrs. Belov, are the source of this conflict and the main obstacle to its resolution. It is worth clarifying this definition because the Belovs are not necessarily the only “bad guys” of the story or even the worst ones. Several factors add nuance and complexity to their role and characterization, including their reliance on misinformation, which reinforces the role of social media in shaping narratives and justice. The Belovs are overcome by grief and anger in the wake of their daughter’s murder and motivated by a desire for revenge.

Jay McCray is the chief of Campus Safety Services, the university’s police force. He works closely with Keller throughout the investigation, fulfilling the ally archetype, and proves immensely helpful despite certain federal authorities and parents undervaluing his authority and competence. McCray’s character is informed by Jay Gruber, the chief public safety officer at Georgetown University, who supplemented the author’s knowledge about university police procedures.

McCray’s motivation is noble: He joined the university’s police force because he likes “helping [young people] navigate their inevitable mistakes” (201). McCray’s character demonstrates knowledge, humility, integrity, and dedication. He sacrifices his own safety at the sea caves to protect Keller and save the students’ lives. His heroism echoes Keller’s and contributes to the book’s tone of admiration and respect for law enforcement figures.

Annie Hafeez, affectionately dubbed by Keller as Annie the Intern, is the college junior who aids the investigation through her position at Campus Safety Services. Annie’s character develops the novel’s depiction of Gen Z culture. She serves as a crucial source of knowledge about the campus, technology, and social media, subjects that prove central to the investigation. In this way, Annie embodies the archetype of the sage, a character whose knowledge and wisdom provide the context that the hero needs. Annie’s enthusiasm, passion, and dedication to the investigation make her an asset to Keller and to law enforcement in general.

Annie applies her investigative instincts to finding clues on sites like Rizz and PrankStool, thus helping to reveal the role of social media in shaping narratives and justice. Her character’s growth also becomes one of the few good things to emerge from the parents weekend nightmare, in Keller’s view: “But helping a young woman find her purpose—making sure the Bureau took notice of an applicant with such promise—is something Keller will always be proud of” (303). This adds balance to the tragic aspects of the story and the heartbreaking parts of Keller’s job.

Jonathan Turlington is a professor at Santa Clara University, and, while he doesn’t fit the definition of antagonist, he might be viewed as the story’s real villain. He’s a sexual predator and a murderer. Within the thriller genre, he fulfills the conventional shapeshifting character: He hides his real nature, creating obstacles to the protagonist’s search for truth. Jonathan’s dialogue with Keller characterizes him as an effective manipulator. His convincing portrayal of himself as the innocent victim of a vindictive young woman, when in fact he has victimized her, demonstrates the duality of public image versus private reality.

Jonathan’s harassment is the cause of Natasha’s mental health crisis, which in turn causes her to harm others in a chain reaction of conflict and trauma. Jonathan’s exoneration by the university after the administration received a formal accusation against him prompts questions about a school’s obligation to both students and faculty and about the complexities of identifying truth within the context of power dynamics, gossip, and anonymous accusations.