Boyfriend Material

“The rational version of Luc, the one from the parallel universe where my dad wasn’t a famous shithead and my ex-boyfriend hadn’t sold all my secrets to Piers Morgan, tried to tell me I was overreacting. Unfortunately, I wasn’t listening.”

Luc’s difficulty trusting others is highlighted in the first scene of the novel. He shares the reasons behind his distrust and inability to be logical in emotionally vulnerable situations, providing the reader with factual information as well as insight into his coping mechanisms. It becomes evident that he has not yet healed from his past betrayals, leaving him in a state of limbo in which he cannot trust others. This passage also illustrates Luc’s casual way of speaking (“shithead”) to the reader.

“It’s the redheaded step-brainchild of an elderly earl with a thing for agriculture and a Cambridge-educated etymologist who I think might be a rogue AI sent from the future. Their mission? Saving dung beetles. And, as a fundraiser, it’s my job to convince people that they’re better off giving their money to bugs that eat poo instead of pandas, orphans, or—God help us—Comic Relief.”

Hall uses humor to build Luc’s voice in the novel. Luc’s comedic inner monologue disrupts tension built by the book’s more serious topics. Through Luc, Hall weaves jokes with important information, combining world building and levity. Hall aims to characterize Luc while not overwhelming the reader with history.

“‘Of course it does.’ Dr. Fairclough made an impatient gesture. ‘It makes you look like entirely the wrong sort of homosexual.’”

Dr. Fairclough incites the central plot of the book when pressing Luc to fix his public image. She also highlights the discrimination he faces as a public member of the LGBTQ+ community. Dr. Fairclough’s comment shows how his public image is at odds with his personal identity and shows that she is only interested in how his image impacts their charity. This is one of the more flagrant examples of the discrimination Luc faces.