Liz is the novel’s protagonist. She describes herself as “tall, black, broke Liz Lighty” (9). Liz dresses very simply, usually with “a white V-neck T-shirt, black skinny jeans with holes in the kneecaps, and high-top black Chucks. Sometimes I switch the game up and opt for a cool thrifted logo tee from the ’80s or ’90s, but for the most part, this is it” (22). She begins the novel with a great deal of insecurity about herself; this is manifested primarily through the way she styles her hair. Liz’s often has “every strand slicked down and tightly arranged so that my curls don’t get too out of control” (69).

Liz’s tight control over her hair also translates to her control over her life. Liz struggles with anxiety and panic attacks; she has everything in her life planned out and she has worked hard to get there. After her mother passes away from sickle cell anemia, Liz’s anxiety only gets worse. When she fails to get the Pennington orchestral scholarship, however, Liz begins to cede some of that control. She joins the race for prom queen and finally steps into the limelight.