Ghosts

Katherine is Nina’s oldest friend and is married to Mark. She has one daughter named Olive, who is Nina’s goddaughter, and during the novel, she gives birth to her son, Freddie. Nina sees Katherine as self-absorbed and overly concerned with her image as the perfect wife and mother. Katherine constantly makes Nina feel as though she is selfish for choosing to remain single, with Nina remarking, “Katherine always made me feel like I was taking part in a competition I couldn’t remember entering” (51). At the onset of the novel, it is clear that Nina and Katherine’s friendship is in trouble when Nina admits to no longer enjoying spending time with her best friend. Katherine is a static character through most of Part 1; however, in Part 2, she becomes a much more dynamic character as the birth of her second child pushes her to her physical and emotional limits.

After an argument, Nina and Katherine stop speaking, but Nina can’t let go of her longest friendship and misses Katherine every day: “She was my only close friend from childhood day I would be the only member left of my triumvirate family and she’d be the one person who could travel into my memories with me” (288). When Katherine shows up drunk at Nina’s apartment, she reveals a different side of her and it becomes clear that much of her personality is a facade. She confesses, “All I am at the moment is a mother. I’m not interesting, I’m not engaged with the world” (307). Seeing Katherine’s vulnerability helps Nina empathize with her friend, and they both recognize the need to work on their friendship. Katherine’s character underscores the struggles of young motherhood and the pressures society puts on women to appear and act a certain way. Katherine’s friendship with Nina reflects how growing up affects one’s relationships. Her relationship with Nina suggests that friendships can devolve if not tended to properly, especially in seasons of transition and growth.

Lola is Nina’s only single friend. Zany, magnetic, and a hopeless romantic, Lola is the stereotypical rom-com sidekick whose outrageous outfits, hilarious one-liners, and complete lack of concern for societal stereotypes provide comic relief throughout the story. Despite her flamboyance, Lola is also deeply insecure. Unlucky in love, Lola longs for the security of a relationship and the comfort of a traditional family. When Nina creates her first online dating profile, Lola becomes her guide, helping her understand the complex rules of using dating apps. Throughout the novel, Lola cycles through several relationships and experiences the highs and lows of modern dating. She and Nina bond not only through their shared singleness but also when they both experience ghosting from men they thought were “the one.” Nina and Lola often feel like they are watching life from the outside as their coupled friends celebrate traditional milestones like marriage and pregnancy, but they at least have each other. Lola says, “People don’t understand what it’s like to be us” (58).

Unlike her relationship with Katherine, Nina’s friendship with Lola is uncomplicated and effortless. Lola is Nina’s foil, as their personalities are vastly divergent. Nina explains, “she was a pathological people-pleaser—hell-bent on making sure every single person she came into contact with not only liked her but adored her and felt sensational about themselves in her presence” (56). Conversely, Nina is fiercely independent and cares little about how others perceive her. This contrast in personalities makes their friendship work as Nina helps keep Lola grounded and Lola’s relentless optimism helps Nina retain her hope. Lola not only brings color and humor into Nina’s life but also offers companionship, tenderness, and unconditional love.

Nina meets Max on the dating app Linx, and he is her first serious relationship since ending her partnership with Joe. Max is handsome and mysterious, and from the minute Nina meets him, she romanticizes his physical appearance as well as his personality, saying, “He was earthly and godly; elemental and ethereal. Both not of this earth and a poster boy for it” (34). Though Max is attentive to Nina when they are together, he reveals little about himself to her and never introduces her to his friends. Overwhelmed by her physical attraction to him, Nina misses the warning signs that Max is not the right partner for her and quickly falls in love with him. Max is a static character who makes promises to Nina but never fulfills them. He becomes a tremendous source of mental and emotional anguish for her when he disappears with no explanation.

Before meeting Max, Nina is confident and self-assured, but dating Max makes her doubt herself. By proposing marriage on the first date, declaring his love, and teasing her with talk of children, Max emotionally manipulates Nina and undermines her trust in herself. When he returns after his first ghosting, Nina explains her frustration to him: “You decided the entire pace of this relationship then you slammed on the brakes when it suited you. It was like I was just a lucky passenger along for the ride” (266). When Max disappears for the second time and never returns, Nina must accept that he was the wrong person for her and that she missed key warning signs of trouble. Max becomes another ghost who haunts Nina, but he ultimately helps her grow, and she reprioritizes her life after the relationship ends badly. Nina’s experience with Max highlights the complications of online dating culture and the risks associated with it.