Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of substance use, addiction, sexual violence, and sexual content.



Sex is the central motif in the story and the one that bleeds the most into all aspects of Lily’s and Lo’s lives. The story opens with Lily waking up after a one-night stand and being picked up by Lo, who worries about her safety in such situations. Lo is protective of Lily but simultaneously takes advantage of her sexual compulsions by teasing her and always drawing her into his influence. Lily constantly thinks about sex when she isn’t having it and even gets caught watching porn in class one day. She misses family events to have sex and disconnects from them to keep her addiction a secret. Lily enjoys having sex in the moment but always feels strange and guilty afterward: “My confidence has sputtered out with my climax, and all I feel is the heat of shame blooming across my ears” (34).

Lily’s sexual addiction began when she was just 11 years old and started watching pornography. When she wasn’t watching it, she was waiting to watch it. This evolved into going into mature chatrooms and eventually having sex.