Sex and Love

Sex and love are prominent thematic motifs in the novel, and the narrative explores both the positive and negative manifestations of these dynamics. For example, the novel contains many scenes of sexual intercourse, specifically to demonstrate the inherent interconnectedness between physical and emotional affection. In both of the romantic relationships in the book—Verity-Jeremy and Jeremy-Lowen—sex is a prominent component of the relationships, corresponding to the intense emotional connections therein. As a notable counterpoint, Lowen’s relationship with Corey was based solely on sex, and the relationship was shallow and short-lived due to a lack of deeper emotional connection: “As soon as Corey figured out that I wasn’t the person my character was based on, he realized we weren’t compatible” (21). Thus, according to the novel, sex does not necessarily lead to emotional attachment, but emotional attachment often leads to sexual connection...