Compare and contrast

The narrator and protagonist of the novel, Cadence is the oldest of the Sinclair grandchildren, and prior to Summer Fifteen seems to have been their leader. After Summer Fifteen she appears to need more guidance and confidence-bolstering from her cousins whom she feels are ignoring her, but she doesn't know why. Cadence values her family and treasures the summers they spend together. This is one of the reasons why she hates it when her mother and aunts begin to feud bitterly over their inheritances. Cadence is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder which prevents her from remembering exactly what happened during Summer Fifteen, but begins to remember things gradually in context when she is actually present on Beechwood again. The memories trickle back at first until she remembers all of the things she has been trying not to think about or recall.

Gat, as he is known, is not actually a true cousin; he is Aunt Carrie's boyfriend's nephew, but since Aunt Carrie and Ed have been living together for nine years, he is as much a cousin as the others. He is of Indian descent and just as his father is not considered a suitable husband for Carrie because of his ethnicity, Gat is considered an unsuitable boyfriend by Cadence's grandfather for the same reason. Despite this, he and Cadence care very deeply about each other and it is he who appears to her the most during Summer Seventeen, and he who seems to lead her to the truth.