Content Warning: This section contains discussions of ableism.

Emerson, the protagonist and narrator of Float, is a 12-year-old American boy with brown hair and an unusual ability: if he is not tied down or wearing weighted clothing, he will float away with no way to get back down again. He has had this ability since birth, so he’s learned to walk around wearing a weighted vest and, initially, weighted shoes. Emerson is so afraid of heights and of his own potential death that he has spent most of his life isolated from other children. At home, he spends the majority of his time playing video games. At school, he feels alienated because everyone knows that he is different. Because his RISK factor poses such a significant danger to his own safety, he is classified as a level five. Most other level five RISK kids are a danger to those around them. At the beginning of the story, Emerson lacks self-confidence. He wishes he could be funny and charming, but he always feels a little bit lost and out of place.

The arc Martin crafts for Emerson sees him moving from a place of fear and isolation to one of community and vivacity, propelled by

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