My Fault

Nick Leister is another of the novel’s protagonists and first-person narrators. At the novel’s start, Nick is 21 years old; he turns 22 in Chapter 25. Nick lives with his father William despite his desire for freedom and autonomy, and his character arc partially involves resolving his conflicts with his parents and gaining his independence. Like Noah, Nick has had a difficult home and family situation since he was young. His mother was never happy with William although she loved Nick. Over the years, she became “more and more obsessed with money” and ultimately abandoned William and Nick to be with Robert Grason, William’s former client (136). In the narrative present, Nick is still embittered about his mother’s abandonment and attributes his mistrust of women to their fraught relationship. Although he is close with his half-sister Madison, Nick doesn’t see his mother, an attempt to ignore these complex facets of his past. Over time, however, Noah helps him understand the importance of confronting his trauma to move beyond it.

Nick is a headstrong, determined, and fiercely loyal character. When he first meets Noah, he exhibits these traits through his frequently aggressive and violent behaviors. After Nick left home, he became involved with Lion and his gang. He started partying, racing, and fighting almost constantly, activities which granted him the illusion of freedom and self-expression. He also began to sleep with a string of women, many of whose names he can’t remember and none of whom he is interested in committing to. Although he’s promised William to drop this lifestyle, these pastimes feel like extensions of Nick’s independent identity and he does everything to protect them to feel in control.

Nick’s relationship with Noah changes how he thinks about himself, his trauma, and his intimate relationships. After he realizes that he’s in love with Noah, he promises himself that he is “going to change,” is “going to be a better person,” and is “going to treat her the way she deserve[s], no matter the cost” (287). Witnessing Noah’s pain and her strength makes Nick realize that he can express himself differently and that he can love more openly. He learns to express his emotions in a healthy manner, rather than through violence. By the end of the novel, Nick has “also […] caused a radical change in [Noah’s] life” (405). His care and protectiveness grant Noah the sense of belonging she’s craved, while Noah’s love has granted Nick the acceptance and devotion he’s craved. He is therefore a dynamic character who is transformed by his experiences and relationship with Noah.

Raffaella Morgan is a secondary character. She is Noah’s mother, William’s second wife, and Nick’s stepmother. She meets William not long before the novel begins and after they marry, she moves Noah and herself from Toronto to Los Angeles to start a life with her new husband. Because Raffaella has had a traumatic past, she’s eager to start over with William—her relationship with her first husband was abusive, unpredictable, and hostile. Now, she throws herself into her new Californian life with William because she wants to let go of her past and reinvent herself. Rafaella is desperate for Noah to love their new life, too. She knows what her daughter has been through as a child and is eager to protect her and give her a good home and family in the present.

Although Noah feels frustrated with Raffaella for moving them to Los Angeles, Raffaella is “one of [her] best friends” (9). She not only gives Noah “the freedom [she] want[s]” but she trusts Noah, which encourages Noah to trust her (9). Although Noah at times feels distant from her mother because she’s busy creating her new life with William, Raffaella frequently tries to connect with Noah by buying her things, giving her advice, and spending time together. The scene of them lying on the couch together in Chapter 32 exemplifies their closeness and captures Raffaella’s desire to protect and care for Noah after all they’ve been through.

William Leister is a minor, static character. He is Nick’s father, Raffaella’s second husband, and Noah’s stepfather. Noah is skeptical of him when they first meet because she resents Raffaella for marrying him and moving in with his family in Los Angeles. Nick also has a complex relationship with William because of their familial history and William’s constant attempts to get Nick to reform.

Over the course of the novel, William proves himself to be a loyal husband and dependable father figure. He not only takes care of and supports Raffaella, but he comes to Nick and Noah’s aid when they’re in trouble. His efforts to help Nick have a relationship with Madison also prove his loving and caring nature.

Jenna Tavish is also a minor, static character. Like William, her character doesn’t change because she plays a supporting role in the protagonists’ personal growth journeys. For years, Jenna has been one of Nick’s closest friends. She’s a key member of his social group and appears in all the scenes where Nick is meeting up for races, parties, or fights with his gang. Nick feels that he can count on her because they grew up together, and she knows about his past.

Jenna quickly forms a bond with Noah after she attends the races, too, and her friendship helps Noah adjust to life in Los Angeles. To Noah, Jenna’s friendship feels like “the one good thing” that comes of her first disastrous days in her new city (123). Jenna’s “joy, her sense of humor” makes Noah’s life easier and quells her loneliness (123). “With Jenna next to [her],” Noah can set aside her sorrow over Dan and Beth’s betrayal and engage in her new life (125). Jenna therefore helps Noah to integrate into Los Angeles and to feel accepted and seen.