Excerpt from Author’s Note at the beginning of The Aviary:
The role of Luc as a trafficker is not a full portrayal. Traffickers do hire handsome recruiters. One could argue he takes on this recruiter role as well. But while Luc practices psychological manipulation and certain tactics of pimps/traffickers, he does not practice the physical and sexual abuse which defines the sex industry. This is particularly important to note. While Serenity does undergo an identity struggle as well as issues with Stockholm Syndrome, this work is not meant to show how a good female protagonist can reform the bad boy as the false narrative of Pretty Woman exhibits.
Despite having this disclaimer at the beginning of my book and despite my work taking place in a future dystopian world, there will always be detractors who will proclaim I am perpetuating the “good girl falls for the bad boy” relationship. To my audiences, I say no. The following list is meant to be an accurate explanation of why Serenity falls for Luc…SPOILER…for a short time.
- Age. Serenity is a hot blooded sixteen year old. One reason I wrote her so emotional and fiery was to combat the introspective teens of common YA fiction. In our society, women in general are viewed as overdramatic and emotional for having normal reactions and feelings. Teen girls with undeveloped brains lack the maturity to process and understand all their emotions. Now, imagine being thrust into a survival situation. Instead of withdrawing, Serenity does the opposite. I wanted her to be real and raw. Especially when she’s had virtually no social contact up to this point.
- Background. Remember when I said no social contact? I mean no social contact. Serenity has spent most of her life raised with just her immediate family. While she knows the world outside is dangerous and men are violent, she has absolutely no experience or knowledge of how manipulation works or what it looks like. Despite her mother’s background, Serenity’s parents thought it was better to shield her from the real world. And she accepted that protection without a desire to know more. That is another method of grooming. Because it leaves her unprepared.
- Life. Midway through the book, Serenity is taken from the Aviary and dropped right into a graphicker’s (aka pornographer) studio. Luc saves her life by killing the graphickers. That level of intensity both terrifies and entices Serenity. And that reaction is normal. Her personality hearkens to the extreme.
- Time: “I’m his Swan.” At the point of the book where Serenity makes this revelation, weeks have gone by. Earlier, Serenity referenced how Luc has come to her room every night for a meal and their bargain to answer one question truthfully has ensued. To gain information about her parents, Serenity accepts without revealing any in depth facts about her life. She remains on her guard. Obviously, it’s impossible to relay all these conversations in one book, otherwise it would be 500 pages. It’s a given that Luc has used this time to continue his manipulation…and how it’s another aspect of grooming. This phrase also happens immediately following Serenity’s exhibit and after Luc has made her a stunning promise.
- Culture. When Luc takes Serenity on a trip to the Glass District, we get to see a glimpse of the culture. Serenity had already seen how the other girls treated Luc, how his family treated him. Finally, she saw how the culture idolized him. This is no less true of pimp icons in this day and age. They have their gold chains and bling. Luc has his black gloves and Aviary symbols. Like the typical recruiters, Luc is attractive, charismatic, and manipulative with years of experience in keeping girls under his control and enticing them to his world. He just happens to be on the elite side of sexual exploitation.
- Reality. I kept the progression of the Aviary to a month because it was loosely based on a real story. During one of the countless anti trafficking events I’ve attended over the years, I heard the story of a local girl. She had no grooming. She came from a good family. But she got involved with an older guy. Within three weeks, she ended up in sex trafficking. The breakdown does not have to take long for some. And one can argue, the breakdown does not LAST long for Serenity. She just loses her way for a short time.
- Identity. This is the main theme of The Aviary. For every coming of age story, the protagonist must fall in order to get back up again. The protagonist goes through trials which test their beliefs and how they view themselves. No less is true of Serenity. But when she gets back up, she fights even harder. And she fights hardest when she’s the most vulnerable and even after Luc has…..SPOILER……given up everything for her.
Serenity is not perfect. She is a fresh sixteen year old, unintentionally groomed through her own innocence and lack of knowledge. She was assaulted while abducted and forced into the Glass District. Auctioned off to Luc and his Museum, her body is branded and enhanced to perfection for exhibits. She spends weeks under Luc’s control in the Aviary. Punished for acting out. Forced to play along for the sake of finding her parents. Saved, seduced, sheltered, and sexualized by Luc. Bruised and bullied by other girls in the Aviary.
With all of that, no girl should be expected to have it all together. Can anyone truly fault a teenager for finding moments of happiness in her environment? Barring her sweet tooth, for Serenity, those moments are in becoming the Swan and her exhibit. Toward the end of the book, she reveals how much she loved the exhibits. Exhibits which came from Luc’s mind. Yes. That is Serenity’s flaw: dancing with the devil. But who to blame? The devil or his victim?
To those who may challenge me for perpetuating a Fifty Shades/bad boy mentality (which I refute in my Author’s Note), I urge them to read the book through the lens of these reasons. To give Serenity more grace as she is a teenager. Instead of chastising her and saying she should know better, instead the first reaction should be to chastise Luc, who is a mature adult with full knowledge of what he is doing. And ultimately, to see Serenity for what she truly is: human.