Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of graphic violence, child death, child sexual abuse, and physical abuse.

In many scenes in the novel, Slaughter strategically juxtaposes graphic violence with the presence of childhood innocence. For example, the first child introduced in the novel is Michael’s son, Tim, who has an intellectual disability and maintains a childlike perspective on the world. Notably, Michael laments that Tim will spend his entire life in a state of suspended innocence, unable to progress or experience the full nuances of adult life. While this sentiment might appear heartfelt on the surface, it gains a more sinister cast with the introduction of Cynthia, the other child in Michael’s daily life, whom he has coerced into engaging in “adult life” far too soon. Michael’s sexual exploitation of his 15-year-old neighbor stands as the epitome of destroying a child’s innocence, and even in moments that reveal the full extent of Michael’s depravity in this regard, Slaughter inserts key images of innocence to emphasize all that his been lost. A prime example occurs when Michael confronts Cynthia’s dead body and reflects that he just bought her a stuffed animal. This innocent gift stands in stark contrast with the dire circumstances of her death and the mutilation of her missing tongue.