Tex is a fifteen-year-old, easygoing teenager living in the rural town of Garyville, Oklahoma. He loves animals and finds simple happiness in the natural world, often feeling out of place in the confines of the city. He gets into minor trouble at school with youthful pranks and relies heavily on his older brother to manage their household while their father travels the rodeo circuit.

Mason is a disciplined, ambitious 17-year-old who shoulders the adult responsibilities of the McCormick household. A talented athlete, he views his basketball scholarship as his only ticket out of a small-town life he desperately wants to leave. He is fiercely protective of his younger brother but often feels overwhelmed by the constant stress of poverty and absent parenting.

Pop is an itinerant rodeo rider who spends months away from his sons, following his own whims and entering poker tournaments. He has a history of bootlegging and approaches life with a casual recklessness. He views himself as unaccountable to the daily needs of his household, leaving his oldest son to handle the burdens of poverty.

Jamie is a feisty, opinionated teenager raised alongside four older brothers in the wealthy Collins family. She holds strong feminist views and fiercely protects her independence, pushing back against the traditional gender expectations of her father. She actively resists being tied down by small-town romance.

Johnny is Tex's wealthy best friend who enjoys dirt-biking and engaging in minor rebellions. He benefits from the financial stability of the Collins household, a contrast that occasionally strains his friendship with the impoverished McCormick brothers.

Lem is a young man from Garyville who marries as a teenager and starts a family early. Struggling to support his wife and child with a gas station job, he turns to dangerous and illicit ways to make money. He holds deeply traditional views on gender and family roles.

Cole is the strict, wealthy patriarch of the Collins family. He holds a low opinion of the McCormick boys, viewing them as a bad influence on his children due to their lower socioeconomic status and lack of parental supervision.

Negrito is Tex's beloved horse and loyal companion. He represents Tex's deep connection to the natural world and serves as a major source of comfort before financial hardship forces the family to sell him.

Clare is the deceased mother of Mason and Tex. She died when Tex was only three years old, leaving a lasting psychological impact on the family and serving as the frequent subject of Tex's sleepwalking episodes.

The hitchhiker is a desperate, armed individual who hijacks the McCormick brothers' truck. His dangerous actions force the boys to make a split-second, life-threatening decision on the highway.

Bob is one of Jamie and Johnny's older brothers. He occasionally helps transport his younger siblings and attempts to assist his peers when they find themselves in trouble.

Charlie is another older Collins sibling, known around town for hosting lively parties. He irresponsibly encourages the underage teens to consume alcohol.