THE UNCROSSING is a
retelling of Rapunzel with contemporary, queer interpretations of the classic
tropey characters from curse-driven fairy tales. Prince Charming-type guys,
prone to chasing after girls who are trapped, silent, or literally comatose
(come on, man), have not traditionally been awesome at consent. So I knew my
Prince Charming for this story, set in a contemporary fantasy world,
would be careful with consent. He would be aware of boundaries and
navigate them in a way that would feel normal, integrated into the story, but
still deeply important to him.
And maybe even sexy. Sexiness in YA—not just sexual content, but specifically
sexual content that's appealing and aspirational—is a tricky topic, intricately
interwoven with our convictions and personal boundaries. For me, I want to make
sure that relevant issues of safety and consent are always prominent, and that
swoony moods imbue those conversations and moments. Affirmative consent is sexy!
Of course, when we say "consent is sexy," we mean that consent is a minimum
requirement for sexiness. Even if the conversation is awkward, or asking for
permission leads to a painful rejection—in other words, even when the process of
establishing consent isn't particularly sexy—it's still necessary.
Without working through these moments, characters can't establish the base they
need to have truly connected, meaningful sexual encounters. In YA in particular,
the romance isn't just aspirational—it's certainly great to show fun, inspiring
relationships, but we want to honor the awkward and the painful, too. Mistakes
and failures lead characters to growth and help readers understand what kind of
world they want to create.
Establishing consent is an ongoing process, not a one-time question and answer.
Over the course of a novel, there are lots of opportunities to explore different
facets, to watch the conversations go better and worse—or from "just okay" to
"really great."
One of my personal favorite conversations in THE UNCROSSING is not
actually between the main characters, but earlier, with a character destined to
become an ex. I tried to render the hollowness of a relationship that both
characters are basically fine with but neither really wants, the awkwardness of
that poor connection, to make a contrast to the other, deeper relationships in
the story.
Without at all minimizing the importance of traditionally no-means-no consent, I
also wanted to show how truly enthusiastic consent is about striving for
something better and higher than "not technically illegal" in our relationships.
Enthusiastic consent is the foundation of a warm, equal relationship.
Cross your heart and hope to live...
Luke can uncross almost any curse—they unravel themselves for him like no one
else. So working for the Kovrovs, one of the families controlling all the magic
in New York, is exciting and dangerous, especially when he encounters the first
curse he can't break. And it involves Jeremy, the beloved, sheltered
prince of the Kovrov family—the one boy he absolutely shouldn't be falling for.
Jeremy's been in love with cocky, talented Luke since they were kids. But
from their first kiss, something's missing. Jeremy's family keeps generations of
deadly secrets, forcing him to choose between love and loyalty. As Luke fights
to break the curse, a magical, citywide war starts crackling, and it's tied to
Jeremy.
This might be the one curse Luke can't uncross. If true love's kiss fails,
what's left for him and Jeremy?
Fantasy Urban | Young Adult Fantasy
[Entangled Teen, On Sale: October 2, 2017,
Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9781976362897 / eISBN: 9781640633537]
Can
forbidden love break the curse?
Melissa Eastlake's debut novel, The Uncrossing, is coming in 2017 from
Entangled Teen. She's a 2017 Lambda Literary Fellow and studied creative writing
at Hollins University.
She lives in Athens, Georgia with her partner and
their dogs.
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