Girlfriend in A Coma (novel) - Characters

Characters

Karen

Thrust into a coma after having a glimpse of the future, Karen is the tragic figure in this novel. She has a vision of the future she carries into her coma. Upon returning from her coma, she has the mind of a seventeen year old, and a daughter, Megan, physically the same age as she is mentally. She constantly wonders what the future and technology has really given humanity.

Richard

The boyfriend of the comatose girlfriend, and the father of her child, Richard’s struggle through life is one of the primary focuses of the first part of the novel. He was a close friend to Jared. Jared’s death and Karen’s coma cause Richard’s mental state to be quite weak. A frequent alcoholic, Richard struggles with addiction while waiting for Karen to possibly wake up.

Wendy

The smart one of the group, Wendy moves on to become a doctor working in the Emergency Room of the hospital. While the other characters seem to disappear into addiction or misery, Wendy gives herself to her schooling and work. She later gets together with Linus, though her heart still bears feelings for Jared.

Linus

Shortly after high school, Linus leaves to travel the world in a quest to find himself. He spends quite a stay in Las Vegas. But what Linus finds does not give him the closure that he searches for. Instead, it leaves him feeling emptier than when he left. Linus later marries Wendy.

Pamela

Pamela is the supermodel of the group. She leaves the group to enter into the decadent lifestyle of the rich and famous. Pamela constantly name drops different celebrity names in conversation, and hints at many drug-induced exploits. She has a problem with heroin. She later marries Hamilton, whom she indulges with in her heroin frenzy.

Hamilton

Hamilton is an eccentric member of the group. He, too, has a problem with heroin. He later marries Pamela.

Megan

Born to Karen while in her coma, Megan is raised by Karen’s parents. She is a rebellious child, finding solace in thoughts of death. Her father, Richard, leads a tertiary life as her father, distant yet there when needed. She dates a very low class man named Skitter. She later becomes pregnant by Skitter.

Jared

A high school friend of the main cast, Jared was very promiscuous. He was also a jock. At the beginning of the novel, he has already died of leukemia and exists as a ghost. The leukemia progressed rapidly, giving him little time after learning of his disease. He is the only other presence to visit the main cast after the End of the World.