Kirsty Beale
Kirsty is fifteen-years-old. Her life is in turmoil after years of abuse at her step-father's hand. Although she was young when it happened, she knew it was wrong because her own father, who died, was a loving man. In contrast to those happy, younger years, her mother's second marriage has spelled nothing but harm to Kirsty who is sexually abused by her step-dad and then blamed for it, as is common in abusive situations. Even after the divorce, Kirsty and her family endure her step-dad's continued abuse when he drops off his daughter, Melanie twice a month. After Kirsty receives emotional support from her friend Dylan, she hopes the situation will improve. She remains in the dark concerning her brother and Dylan's plans until Ian has arrived shouting about his gun. In the ensuing conflict, Kirsty is killed.
Tim Beale
Tim is twelve-years-old when the book opens. He is full of masculinity-fueled rage at his step-father's abuse. When Dylan suggests the murder, he consciously manipulates Tim. Tim doesn't have the judgement to realize that there are other ways to solve this problem. He is, however, unable to kill the possum like Dylan wants. Wanting to end violence not commit more, he remains hesitant throughout the affair. He is injured by Ian when he arrives looking for the gun. The cops send him to the hospital and then to a psych ward where he spends his adolescence recovering and suffering severe guilt for the affair.
Melanie Cartwright
Melanie is Ian's daughter with Kristy's mom. She's the youngest sibling and is forced to spend custody weekends with her father twice a month. Although the family's conflict is centered around her, Melanie is largely left alone because of your youth.
Dylan
Dylan is a high school kid and Kristy's friend. After witnessing Ian's abusive tirade in the Beale household, he is reminded of his own traumatic relationship to his father who abandoned the family and moved to England to start over with a new family. Dylan concocts a plan to help Tim murder his step-dad, partially as a means of exacting vengeance of Dylan's own disappointing father. As the story progresses, it reveals more and more of the hatred fueling Dylan's plan. He actually bullies Tim into murdering a possum, but Tim won't do it. He kills the possum himself, as a demonstration that he's prepared to a kill grown man. After the violence plays out, Dylan is "rescued" by the police and let off without any suspicion that he planned a murder.
Ian Cartwright
Ian marries Kirsty's mom and together they have a daughter, Melanie. He abuses the entire family in various ways, once getting caught sexually molesting Kirsty. After the divorce, he obtains custody rights of his daughter and takes advantage of returning her ever other Sunday afternoon to continue to abuse the defenseless family. He verbally berates and threatens them, but he will not leave a mark so as to not get caught by the police. Finally, he pushes the family too far when he storms in demanding his gun, which Tim stole. He struggles for it with the boys -- Tim and Dylan -- until it goes off, accidentally killing Kirsty. Ian wounds Tim before killing himself.
