All the single ladies in Lips Touch: Three Times—Kizzy, Anamique, and Esmé—take center stage. They're just becoming women, too, so the book explores the complicated and sometimes messy experience of new womanhood, including the nitty gritty details of Mab starting her period and the Druj treating her differently because they start seeing her as a vessel for children. Kizzy's self-image changes drastically when a cute boy starts paying attention to her, Anamique falls dangerously in love, and Esmé finally stops hosting a Druj and becomes an ordinary girl. No matter their journey, though, one thing's clear: It ain't easy be a woman.
Questions About Women and Femininity
- Why doesn't Kizzy realize that she's pretty? Be as specific as possible, and back your answer up with evidence from the text.
- How does Anamique's beauty emerge over the course of the story? How does her relationship to herself change in line with this?
- Is Mab comfortable with her femininity? Why or why not? Is Esmé's growth as a woman healthier than her mother's?
Chew on This
Mab and Esmé have completely different experiences when it comes to becoming women. Whereas Mab's experience is jarring and violent, Esmé gets to grow into her womanhood and enjoy the physical and emotional changes that happen.
The goblins have a short window of time to steal Kizzy's soul. They target her while she's still growing into herself and doesn't feel that attractive yet because they know that they'll be able to lure her away more easily if she's still self-conscious and awkward.