Paisley is the novel’s viewpoint character and protagonist. She is a smart, sarcastic teenager who has a lucrative hobby as an influencer and makes videos and podcasts about true crime. She is from a financially well-off and loving family, though her parents wish that she would spend less time online and that her hobby wasn’t so gruesome. They often compare her to her brother, Blaine, whom she sees as the “golden child” (4). Despite these caveats, her parents and brother are mostly supportive of her, and Paisley is close to them. At the novel’s beginning, she craves adventure and sees the island trip as an exciting getaway from her normal life.

During her ordeal on the island, Paisley matures and must draw on her strengths. She is attentive to detail and research, remarking that a “lack of accurate facts and knowledge can really screw you over” (97). This helps her to stay a step ahead of the killers for most of the novel. She is also brave and risks her life several times to help others in danger, even though she is afraid. At the novel’s end, her fate is left unknown after Liam grabs her and pulls her into the ocean.