This novel revisits, among other things, the years when HIV began to take its toll. It combines Milena's crisp writing, with serious and significant subjects and themes, which results in a text that is striking, mature and resonant. The themes explored in the novel, such as consent, the real cost of freedom, and the conflicting emotions that can fill our lives and our relationships; are very topical, even though the action takes place in the eighties, a period during which HIV was consuming lives at lightning speed. The novel provides a complex portrayal of Canada's young generation, and helps bring to light the passions, insecurities, and aspirations of our youth.