The Tricksters is intended for the mature young adult, and, therefore, contains several frankly sexual, although discreet, scenes. Near the end of the novel, for instance, Felix and Harry make love in the hills above Carnival's Hide and in other scenes, there are frank discussions of sexual desire. The central secret revealed at the end of the novel involves a previous affair between Harry's father Jack and Christobel's best friend Emma. The topic, however, is approached discreetly and is central to the theme of Harry's initiation into adulthood. Mahy's teen-age heroines are strong, intelligent, and imaginative figures who actively participate in the events around them.