Chris is a 12-year-old boy from Vancouver coping with the recent death of his father. He lacks outdoor experience, getting intensely seasick on his uncle's boat and arriving on the Alaskan shore without shoes or survival knowledge. Despite his physical disadvantages, he possesses deep empathy and a strong desire to make himself useful in the wild. He holds proxy funerals for the victims of a distant tsunami by burying items that wash ashore.

Frank is a 15-year-old boy who survives the sinking of the sailboat alongside Chris. He quickly claims the cabin's only bed and attempts to assert dominance by bragging about the outdoor skills his own deceased father taught him. Bitter, easily angered, and quick to give up when his efforts fail, he hides his profound fear behind a harsh, bossy exterior.

A massive, territorial grizzly bear roams the Alaskan woods where the boys wash ashore. Driven entirely by wild instinct, the bear views the humans as intruders in its hunting grounds and presents an ever-present, lethal threat to their survival.

Uncle Jack is Chris's free-spirited, risk-taking relative who organizes a sailing trip along the Alaskan coast. He operates a small sailboat and possesses a deep comfort with the unpredictable ocean. Following the recent death of his brother, he attempts to step in as a positive male figure for the boys, tossing a life raft to them during the storm.

Chris's late father is a former accountant whose sudden death in a traffic accident leaves his family grieving. He is remembered by his son as a man who traded a sense of fun for endless work hours. His passing serves as the catalyst for the Alaskan sailing trip.

"Cabin Guy" is the unknown builder and previous occupant of the small wooden shelter Chris and Frank inhabit. Though physically absent, he leaves behind critical supplies, including an old radio and a copy of the book *Kaetil the Raven Hunter*.

Thursday is a large, highly intelligent wild raven inhabiting the forest near the abandoned cabin. Capable of mimicking human speech, the bird shows a curious interest in Chris after the boy respectfully buries another raven's remains. The bird provides a sense of companionship in the desolate woods, dropping items like a lighter to the boys.