Peter Houghton
Peter is the central character of the story. He is a high school student who has faced a lifetime of bullying in academics which has not been successfully addressed by the system at any stage. This bullying notably extends beyond school, however, and can be traced right back inside his home where his older brother Joey was as much a perpetrator as anyone. And then there is Josie. The combination of being constantly undervalued and punished for it eventually leads to an explosion of repressed rage. And since the story takes place in 21st-century America, that explosion inevitably takes the form of a mass shooting inside Peter’s school.
Joey Houghton
The parents of Peter are partially implicated in his heinous act due to several domestic circumstances. One of them is the cardinal sin of parents with two kids: constantly making an unfavorable comparison of one to the other. Joey is the prototypical first-born Golden Child whose ability to convince his parents he can do no wrong makes his torturing of his young brother invisible. He was also addicted to heroin. By the time Peter goes on his massacre, Joey has already died in a car accident.
Josie Cormier
The impact of the behavior of those close to one of America’s school shooters is examined through the character of Josie. She is actually one of Peter’s few friends growing up and initially is willing even to stand up in defense of him against bullies. The lure of popularity in high school becomes far too tempting, however, and an ill-advised friendship with a girl named Courtney and an even worse decision to indulge in a romance with an abusive dumb jock named Matt ultimately lead Josie to a place she never had to be on a fateful day Peter arrives locked and loaded for revenge.
Lewis Houghton
Husband to Lacy, and father of Joey and Peter, Lewis Houghton is far more distant from his more sensitive, less masculine, weak, and troubled younger son than he was with Joey. The only way he can find to bond with Peter at all is through guns and hunting. A key moment in the book is a conversation in the basement of the Houghton home which ostensibly demonstrates this bonding by illuminating Lewis’ mindset that if he teaches Peter how to “respect” (properly use) guns then he will never “disrespect” (improperly use) them.
