The Striker

Scarlett DuBois is one of the novel’s two protagonists and first-person narrators. The chapters titled with her first name are written from her perspective. Like Asher, Scarlett lives in London and devotes her life to her profession. Scarlett has been dancing since she was a little girl and teaches ballet at RAB in the narrative present. Five years prior, she suffered severe injuries during a car accident, and the subsequent, chronic pain has kept her from performing. She sees ballet as an extension of herself; without the ability to perform, Scarlett’s sense of self is compromised. In the narrative present, she’s trying to focus on work to distract from her breakup from Rafael Pessoa. When she meets Asher, she is reluctant to become romantically involved with another football star, but their unexpected connection gradually ushers her along her journey toward self-discovery.

Scarlett is a self-possessed, talented character whom others are drawn to. She’s “objectively, unequivocally stunning,” with “[g]lossy black hair, creamy skin, [and] light gray eyes fringed with thick lashes” (20). When Asher first runs into her at the Angry Boar, he likens her appearance to that of “a classic Hollywood star [like] Ava Gardner and Hedy Lamarr” (20). However, it isn’t just Scarlett’s good looks that attract Asher. He’s “met plenty of beautiful women, including movie stars, supermodels, and two Miss Universes” and hasn’t “given them more than a passing thought” (80). He therefore wonders if it’s Scarlett’s wit and talent that intrigue him or if he’s curious about her because he’s not allowed to be with her. Over the course of the novel, Scarlett proves herself to be strong-willed, independent, and uncompromising, despite her fears and anxieties. She is still dealing with the emotional fallout of her accident and breakup, but she is determined not to let her past define her.

At the same time, Scarlett learns to rely on Asher to face her fears and process her trauma for the first time. Before Asher, she has felt largely alone. She loves her brother and is close with Carina, but has never had a deep, meaningful, and reciprocal romantic connection she can rely on. Asher offers her this emotional safety and support. With Asher, she learns that “[s]har[ing] parts of their pasts, both the good and the bad, with each other” helps them foster trust and love (287). Indeed, she feels “more comfortable talking to Asher than anyone else [she’s] dated” (287). Their connection is based on more than sexual attraction and ultimately helps Scarlett to believe in herself and to pursue her dreams anew.

Vincent DuBois is a secondary character. He is Scarlett’s brother and Asher’s teammate, captain, and rival. Because Vincent knows how Scarlett’s accident and breakup hurt her in the past, he’s protective of his sister. He is particularly worried about her getting involved with Asher, as he doesn’t want to see her heartbroken again. Furthermore, he doesn’t like or trust Asher as a person. He believes that Asher has always had “it too easy” (381). Whenever Asher gets into trouble, he gets a pass and is offered “a record-breaking transfer deal and a renewed sponsorship” (381). By contrast, Vincent has to pay for his mistakes and is frequently punished by the Blackcastle coach when he fails to meet his standards. Vincent therefore takes himself seriously and is reluctant to trust Asher because he often behaves in a flippant or immature manner—never expecting to face consequences for his actions.

Vincent’s acts as an antagonist through most of the novel. He creates conflict in Asher and Scarlett’s relationship because he’s forbidden them from getting involved. They feel compelled to hide their relationship from him because Asher doesn’t want to create conflict within the team and because Scarlett doesn’t want to push her brother away. Once the three characters discuss their disagreements and misconceptions of each other, they resolve these conflicts, and Vincent is no longer the antagonist. He ends up supporting Asher and Scarlett because he wants Scarlett to be happy and values good relationships with his teammates.

Ron Donovan is another secondary character. He is Asher’s father and Pippa Donovan’s husband. Ron creates tension throughout Asher’s storyline, as Asher constantly worries about disappointing his father. He feels cheated by Ron because he’s always wanted him “to act like [his] father and not [his] bloody coach” (512). Desperate to free himself from Ron’s expectations, Asher transfers to Blackcastle to get away from him. This decision doesn’t ultimately heal their relationship.

Despite Asher’s frustrations, Ron has his son’s best interests at heart. He insists that he “cares about his son more than his team” and believes that he has done the right thing by pushing Asher to achieve his goals no matter the cost (513). Ron ultimately becomes Asher’s mentor after Asher is benched. Ron makes an effort to confront his son and to speak to him in an open, honest manner. He reminds Asher the importance of confronting his grief and caring for himself—lessons that usher Asher toward growth. Furthermore, once Ron and Asher repair their relationship, Asher is able to repair his relationships with Scarlett, Vincent, and his team.

Rafael Pessoa, Scarlett’s ex-boyfriend, is a minor character. He creates tension throughout Scarlett’s portion of the novel, as she frequently compares her burgeoning relationship with Asher to her dysfunctional dynamic with Rafael. When they were together, Scarlett thought she loved Rafael. She fell “head over heels for his cocky flashiness when [she was] too young and inexperienced to know better” (328). When she got into the accident, she began to see who Rafael really was. His disregard for her physical and emotional well-being made her understand that Rafael is “a self-centered dick” who falters in the face of adversity and is incapable of showing love when things get hard (329). In the narrative present, five years have passed since their breakup, but Scarlett often worries that she’ll inadvertently let herself get involved with someone as insensitive as Rafael again. Their relationship thus shadows her relationship with Asher until she finds the courage to confront him in person for how he hurt her.

Rafael’s character is also a device used to bring Asher and Vincent together. At the Sport for Hope match, the former rivals find themselves uniting over their shared distaste for Rafael. Teaming up against him to defend Scarlett gives them a common cause and leads them toward reconciliation.