The novel focuses on Len Gray, a homicidal, suicidal student at Madison High School. We never meet Len, as he is dead when the narrative begins. Instead, we learn about him through his diary and secondary sources, such as interviews with Cameron and Carla.

Len’s diary exposes his destructive mindset. He directs his violence both inward and outward. The diary includes many references to his abuse of prescription drugs, and he also writes about being bullied. Though he doesn’t say he is traumatized by the bullying, the reader infers that bullying is one factor behind his homicidal actions.

Throughout the diary, Len refers to his thoughts as “scurrying little rats” (169), revealing not only his low self-esteem but his chaotic and disjointed mental state. He admits to his alienation, writing: “I told Cameron that I felt isolated and he said that we are all isolated, prisoners in our own skins” (174). At one point, Len compares himself to Quasimodo, the Hunchback of Notre Dame.

His father’s abuse and Brad’s bullying make Len more multifaceted and sympathetic than a simple killer. However, Len also shows lack of empathy for others. He is quick to turn on friends, such as Carla, who cools toward Len because of his cruel treatment of the defenseless turtles.