Silly Love Games
Ultimately, this is a novel about a relationship that comes very close to never coming to fruition. The two protagonists are clearly attracted to each other, and a chemistry is immediately established. Rather than acting on those impulses, however, they devise an inexplicable set of rules intended to purposely keep them apart. The result is, naturally, that the relationship is not allowed to be nurtured and explored in a normal fashion. Inevitably, the absurdity of these arbitrary impositions onto the organic course of love being allowed to develop naturally, things go wildly off course, and they only manage to wind up together purely by the most unlikely of coincidences coming to light. Although intended to be a portrait of glorious romantic fantasia, the theme that is pursued is that playing silly games with love only serves to increase the already high risk of two people ever finding their ”soul mate.”
Life Before Love
The flip side of the theme outlined above—the theme that more accurately reflects authorial intent, perhaps—is that life is about more than devoting oneself to another person. The inexplicable imposition of rules to be followed by the characters over the years they arbitrarily decide to keep parted from each other—like how many boys to kiss or romance novels to read—could be interpreted less as impositions upon the organic growth of love and more as a commitment to exploring life experiences. Fallon decides she will not pursue falling in love until she has turned twenty-three. This choice is not arbitrary on her part, however. It is the age arbitrarily chosen by her mother to which Fallon agrees without any rational opposition. This decision does allow her—while forcing Ben by default—to experience certain life experiences before committing to the pursuit of a romantic relationship. It is certainly possible to interpret the overarching theme of the novel in this way.
Self-Identity
Fallon’s father is a relatively well-known actor. Fallon herself has always dreamed of becoming an actress, but in the very first chapter, her father advises her to give up on that dream because she has recently become somewhat disfigured after being trapped in a fire. Immediately, then, the story begins examining themes related to persona and self-image in the wake of external impositions of identity. It is only because Ben overhears this cruel advice that the relationship between them gets off to a stuttering start. Ultimately, the ironic revelations of exactly what brought the two together serve as a commentary on the degree to which self-identity is dependent upon the behavior and actions of others.
