All of the characters in "Sudden Silence" deal with problems. If you are refering to Jesse, who is the main character, his problems stem from the death of his brother Bry. Jesse finds himself falling for Chloe, the girlfriend of his deceased brother Bry. Jesse struggles with this realization. Jesse's other main problem in the novel is his guilt over his brother's death. Jesse feels as though he could have done more to prevent Bry's death.