You Are Not Alone

Shay is the novel’s protagonist. At the novel’s opening, she “is desperately lonely” (72). She lacks a large friend group and recently ended an unhappy romantic relationship. She is also in love with her roommate Sean, who already has a girlfriend named Jody. Shay feels like the third wheel when Sean is with Jody, and spends as little time in their apartment as possible. She was recently downsized from the firm where she worked as a data analyst and struggles to find a new position.

Without a romantic partner, friends, or a professional community, Shay feels adrift. She suffers from deep feelings of insecurity and does not have a strong sense of self-worth. Her insecurity leaves her vulnerable to Cassandra and Jane’s manipulations after her upsetting experience witnessing Amanda’s death by suicide. As she struggles with obsessive thoughts about Amanda’s death and her own personal troubles, Shay turns to Cassandra and Jane without pausing to assess why these strangers have such a sudden interest in her. She accepts their help and involvement in her life without question, not realizing they are trying to frame her for murder until they drug her and call the police on her.