Lola is a 12-year-old Dominican girl growing up in Paterson, New Jersey. She experiences a profound sense of alienation at home and in her neighborhood, eventually adopting a punk-goth aesthetic as an act of rebellion. She possesses a strong intuition, frequently experiencing overwhelming physical premonitions about incoming life changes. Seeking independence from an abusive household, she attempts to escape her turbulent family life by running away to the Jersey Shore.

Belicia is a Dominican immigrant and single mother raising two children in New Jersey. She works multiple jobs to maintain her household after her husband leaves the family. A survivor of severe physical trauma in her youth, she projects her unhealed pain onto her children through physical violence and harsh verbal reprimands. A breast cancer diagnosis further destabilizes her sense of self and her control over the household.

Oscar is Lola's younger, overweight, introverted brother. He relies on books, science fiction, and role-playing game designs to escape the hostility of his home environment. Prone to stress eating, he generally cowers or retreats during the violent altercations between his mother and sister, choosing avoidance over confrontation.

Aldo is a 19-year-old white man who works near the boardwalk in Wildwood, New Jersey. He pursues a relationship with the underage Lola, offering her a temporary escape from her mother's home. He expects Lola to cook and clean for him, exhibits racist attitudes, and treats her dismissively while complaining constantly about his own living situation.

Karen is a teenager living in Lola's mostly Puerto Rican neighborhood. Her alternative style draws teasing from local kids, but she provides Lola with much-needed companionship. She actively assists Lola in physically manifesting her rebellion against Belicia.

Abuela is Belicia's mother who lives in the Dominican Republic. She takes Lola in, providing her with a stable, respectful environment far removed from the violence of New Jersey. She holds the historical context regarding the brutal events that forced Belicia to leave the country years earlier.

Tia Rubelka is Belicia's sister. She occasionally visits the house to assist with domestic labor when Belicia's cancer treatments leave her incapacitated. She aligns closely with Belicia's authority, later participating in the physical confrontation to bring Lola home.

Tio Rudolfo is Belicia's brother. He struggles with a heroin addiction but remains connected to the family unit, joining Belicia and Rubelka at the coffee shop to physically block Lola from leaving town.

Aldo's father is a 74-year-old military veteran who shares a house on the Jersey Shore with his son. He maintains strict, hostile control over his property, keeping the refrigerator padlocked, and openly resents Lola's presence in his home.

Lola's father is an absent figure who married Belicia and left the family after three years. His departure forced Belicia to work multiple jobs to support Lola and Oscar entirely on her own in a new country.