Lauren's sexy adventures

 Lauren is what most people might call a "wild spirited" girl in this book, she does as she pleases and has a passion for creating change. Additionally, she also has sex with a couple guys.

In chapter 10, Lauren mentions to Keith that her father once beat her after he caught her having sex with a boy in the bushes. Lauren is 12 at the time that this happened. 

This moment caught me way off guard because of Lauren's age and the odd nature of the story. I liked Lauren's character a lot but this part threw me for a loop. Why was Lauren having sex with someone at 12 in a bush? What goes through your head for that? Was that really her choice or a nod to something else? And who was this dude? Is he relevant to the overall story?

In a section where Lauren is worried if Keith is getting money through drugs and they are discussing things, the sexcapades of 12-year-old Lauren felt very out of place. In retrospect, Keith did ask if her father ever beat her, and this was the instance that he did, but it really just puzzled me. 

If anyone else came across this moment and paused even momentarily, let me know what you think? And also, what do you make of 12-year-old Lauren?

Comments

  1. L. MoffittMay 21, 2021 at 7:16 AM

    Haha, I love the title of this post. Yes, I was thrown by the fact that Lauren had sex at such a young age and was so matter-of-fact about it. On the one hand, I find it disturbing; on the other hand, I suppose Butler is at least trying to be somewhat realistic about sex, specifically female sex. Sometimes, though, I do think Butler made Lauren almost too mature for her age. But then this world is a brutal one, so I guess people grow up fast...

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