The situation is complicated and this realizes several of Dessen's goals. Instead it becomes a metaphor for the conflicts and confusions where individual choices are crucial and even then a right choice has results that aren't easy, but are necessary for growth and change. In Benz's Oh, Jackie , North's initial sexual self-explorations are a joyous wonderment, a foray into curious and exciting lands of expectation. And then suddenly, her Uncle Judd enters the equation, fondling her breast and turning his love of photography into a vehicle of abuse and blackmail for future secret meetings. Suddenly North's experimentations are tinged with confusions about her arousals.
Sexuality is fragile because it requires so much trust to give one's body to another.
Feelings from infancy are stirred up. Being both loving and sexually intimate is difficult for many people and it's so important to being fully human. Children are easy prey for predators. To rebuild what's lost can take a lifetime. Both authors share the gift of words and story weaving.