A slightly naïve freshman, Haley is a thoughtful young woman who wants to excel and is an excellent soccer player. Haley gets concussed, leading to her having to “sit the bench” (4) for the remainder of the season, which coincides with the rape of her roommate, Jenny. As “the defining activity of [Haley’s] life […] come[s] to an abrupt end” (32), she finds herself having to develop a new understanding of who she is and what is important to her.

Over the course of the novel, Haley is developing her strengths as a courageous, outspoken person who believes in the truth. She begins standing up for both herself and others, leading even older students to respect her for her “braver[y]” (306). Despite external pressures from many sources, including a slightly dysfunctional mother in addition to peers at the college, Haley manages to stay true to her own individual compass.

By the conclusion of the novel, Padian illustrates Haley’s growth through her public actions, her private choices, and her developing maturity in her romantic relationship with Richard. In many ways, Haley’s position as a protagonist in the novel is to provide readers with a character who is easy to project onto: Haley’s journey represents many common struggles of young adults who are in a college

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