Carter is a 12-year-old boy who fractures both legs during a family ski trip. Confined to a wheelchair in a ground-floor guest room, he relies heavily on screens to pass the time. He soon discovers how to access his town's public security cameras online. What begins as a way to watch his classmates turns into an obsessive habit, leading him to monitor strangers and investigate local activities.

Maddox leads a middle-school prank group called the "Chairmen of the Bored." He actively excludes Carter from social events, enforcing a lifetime ban from his clique. He spends considerable time with Lacey, walking her home and hosting parties. His public taunting increases Carter's feelings of isolation.

A group of unidentified individuals operating secretly in Sterling. They use a Zippy Airport Service van to move quietly through the area while wearing padded gloves. They hold exotic, endangered animals captive inside the abandoned old courthouse, sparking Carter's late-night drone investigations.

Lacey is a middle-school student and Carter's long-time crush. She visits his home as a student ambassador to deliver school assignments while he recovers. She shows interest in joining the Chairmen of the Bored prank group, pulling her closer to Carter's rival. Her relationship with Carter sours when his spying inadvertently gets her in trouble.

Martin is Carter's eight-year-old brother. He causes Carter's double leg fracture by crashing into him on the ski slope. Carrying heavy guilt for the accident, he acts as an eager helper around the house, fetching snacks and electronic devices. He remains loyal to Carter despite his brother's initially demanding behavior.

Ethan is Carter's best friend and acts as his other student ambassador. He willingly helps Carter investigate town activities early on, even searching dumpsters for clues. He grows uncomfortable with Carter's invasive habits, particularly when Carter hacks into a private yogurt shop camera, and peer pressure eventually strains their connection.

Carter's mother works as a professional photographer. She expresses frustration with Carter's constant screen use and enforces strict limits on his device access after he runs into trouble with the police. She owns the high-end photography drone that Carter eventually uses to continue his surveillance offline.

Mr. Grimes teaches middle-school math via Zoom. He appears visibly exhausted during virtual lessons, explaining to Carter that a visiting brother is disrupting his sleep schedule. He attempts to support Carter academically but loses patience when Carter fails to pay attention during remote instruction.

Carter's father takes the boys on their spring-break trip to Colorado. Divorced from Carter's mother, he challenges Carter's phone addiction on the slopes right before the accident occurs, pointing out his son's lack of attention to his surroundings.

A young local artist in Sterling whom Carter secretly nicknames "Needle-Nose." He frequently paces outside the Paris Art Shop to see if his first painting has sold. Carter misinterprets this nervous habit and calls the police, assuming Mr. Grimaldi is planning a burglary with his softball bat.

A uniformed police officer in Sterling. He visits Carter's home to discuss the strange animal sightings and shows him a witness sketch of a red panda. He warns Carter about tying up emergency lines with unverified reports but later takes his claims seriously when evidence mounts.

The owner of Lunch With Louie. He engages in a fierce business rivalry with a neighboring sandwich shop, which Carter watches through the town's cameras. The feud escalates into a public street confrontation involving kitchen tools and hired security.

The owner of Janine's Sandwich Emporium. She retaliates against Louie's business tactics and hires a security company to protect her storefront during their ongoing food war on Main Street.

Ethan's father. Following the community backlash from the incident at the art shop, he enforces the social ban on Carter, preventing his son from visiting the Peregrine house.

A large, endangered cat that escapes from the smugglers' holding cells. It prowls the streets of downtown Sterling, posing a direct physical threat to Carter's classmates until authorities tranquilize it.

The first exotic animal Carter spots on the late-night security feeds. Its appearance provides Carter with his initial clue that a smuggling operation is moving endangered species through Sterling.

An endangered marsupial native to Australia. Carter photographs it at night with his mother's drone before watching two smugglers capture it and throw it into their van.

A slow-moving animal that escapes the smugglers' basement holding cells. A smuggler climbs a pole and easily recaptures it with a net.