Eli is the main character of the novel, and its narrator. When the novel opens, it has been six years since he has let anyone touch him. He blames himself for the deaths of his twin brother and his grandmother, and thinks that touch is for people who deserve better than him. He lifts weights and runs constantly, making him the most physically powerful person in the Compound. However, his physical pursuits are a byproduct of shame and guilt he feels over past decisions. He works on his physique because it “was a lot easier to perfect than the inside” (10).

Eli’s character also represents the idea that children inherit their parents’ traits. He worries throughout the book that he is like his father, the manipulative Rex, a man who uses people to get whatever he wants. Lexie, his adopted sister, also thinks that Eli is like Rex. The worse Rex’s behavior becomes, the more self-loathing Eli feels, as long as he thinks that he is like him.

Eli’s deepest torment comes from the secret that he lured Eddy away from the RV on the night the family came to the Compound. Until he reconnects with Eddy online he believes that he is responsible for Eddy’s death.