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Isabel “Belly” Conklin
The teen protagonist and narrator of the novel. Belly spends every summer staying with the Fisher family at their house on Cousins Beach, and she’s had a crush on Conrad, the eldest Fisher son, for years. The summer that she turns sixteen, Belly blossoms into a beautiful woman who must navigate romantic complications with three boys. During her time at the beach house, she discovers the heartbreak of first love and the importance of family ties and friendship.
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Conrad Fisher
The eldest Fisher son. He’s been the object of Belly’s crush for years and has always been somewhat aloof, but he proves particularly moody this summer. He quit the football team at school, broke up with his girlfriend, and started smoking. He seems increasingly drawn to Belly, yet also determined to put up a wall between himself and everyone else.
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Jeremiah Fisher
The younger Fisher son. Jeremiah is more outgoing than his brother, and he reveals that he has feelings for Belly during the summer she turns sixteen.
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Laurel Dunne
The mother of Belly and Steven. She’s been best friends with Susannah since the two women were nine, and their friendship is the reason the two families spend every summer together at Cousins Beach.
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Susannah Fisher
The mother of Conrad and Jeremiah. She is like a second mother to Belly, and the two have a very close relationship. Susannah has been fighting breast cancer for several years, and has been hiding the fact that she does not have long to live.
Cam
Belly’s summer boyfriend. Cam is a teenage boy who meets Belly at the bonfire on the beach. They met once before at a Latin Convention in Washington, DC, when they were both in eighth grade. Cam and Belly quickly strike up a friendship, and both Conrad and Jeremiah become jealous. However, the relationship fizzles out toward the end of the summer, when it becomes clear that Belly’s feelings for Conrad are too strong to ignore.
Taylor Jewel
Belly’s best friend. She wants Belly to do the same things that she does, such as joining the Spanish club, but Belly does not speak Spanish. Taylor feels jealous of the time that Belly spends at Cousins Beach. When she comes to visit one summer, she competes with Belly for the boys’ attention.
Steven
Belly’s older brother. The Conklin teenagers tend to bicker and tease each other. Steven can be obnoxious and frequently reminds Belly that she’s younger than the three boys. Early in the summer, he leaves Cousins Beach to visit colleges with his father.
Mr. Fisher
Conrad and Jeremiah’s father. He went to college with Susannah and Laurel. He’s a banker who spends a limited amount of time at the beach house each summer; when he’s there, his presence changes the dynamic of the house. Belly says that she stands up a little straighter when he’s around. Although Susannah suggests that Belly use his first name, Adam, she feels more comfortable calling him “Mr. Fisher.”
Professor Conklin
Belly and Steven’s father. He is a college professor and Laurel’s ex-husband. Belly feels somewhat distant from her father since the divorce, even though she spends the weekends at his apartment when she’s not at Cousins Beach.
Clay Bertolet
A Cousins Beach neighbor. He’s a year older than Conrad and tends to make Belly nervous. Clay invites the other teenagers to a bonfire on the beach one night.
Nicole
A girl who dates Conrad during the summer. Belly first notices her during the bonfire on the beach. Nicole later comes to see Belly as a rival for Conrad’s affection.
