William “Scoob” Lamar is the 11-year-old protagonist of Clean Getaway. Prior to the novel’s start, Scoob has had issues in school, and he was grounded when his father found out. However, when G’ma appears at the door asking him to go on a trip with her, he’s quick to say yes and escape his home. He even leaves his phone so that his father can’t contact him.

However, as the novel progresses, Scoob begins to long for home, especially as he realizes that his grandmother—with whom he is very close—is beginning to hide things from him. Throughout their journey, Scoob recounts the troubles he has had at school to G’ma. He feels disconnected from his father, who views him as a troublemaker. Much of this arises from the feeling that his father is unwilling to hear his side of the story, often painting Scoob as a “criminal” and saying things like “No son of mine will become a low-life criminal lie my father!” (38). This pressure later causes Scoob trouble in his computer class when he makes a mistake. Already hearing the way that his dad would chastise him for a “careless mistake,” Scoob opts to investigate when he misses a question on a digital quiz (95).