Mason Buttle is a 12-year-old middle schooler, and the protagonist and narrator of the novel. He lives in a small town called Merrimack, on an apple orchard that has been run by his family for generations. He has experienced an incredible amount of sadness in a short span of time—first the death of his grandfather, then his mother, and finally the accidental death of his best friend, Benny, the year before the novel takes place. Mason has several learning disabilities that make it impossible for him to read and write. He also sweats excessively, and has synesthesia, which causes him to experience some emotions as colors.

Mason is the largest boy in his class and is bullied. At the beginning of the novel, he struggles to find confidence in himself, but with the help of Grandma, Uncle Drum, Calvin, and Ms. Blinny, he’s able to rewrite his story and find his own kind of intelligence and self-confidence by the end of the novel. He learns how to accept himself as a whole person, including his positive traits and his disabilities.