Kiss the Villain

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of sexual content, graphic violence, sexual violence, rape, cursing, and emotional abuse.

“Tonight, I’m going to hurt someone. […] It can be just anyone, The target of my night of mayhem needs to be a miscreant who’s as bad as me. Or worse. On paper, everyone is worse than me, though, so there’s that, I guess.”

As the opening line to the novel, this passage both reflects Gareth’s ingrained arrogance and attests to his skewed perception of himself. Given the tone of his narration, he implies that he is an anti-hero of sorts, one who counters unsavory characters out of some undefined sense of duty. In reality, he is attempting to publicly humiliate a rival to his gang, the Heathens, simply because he can.

“You’re such a good boy, Gaz. I never have to worry about you. I’m so glad you’re this dependable, son. Responsible. Reliable. Perfect. Perfect. P.E.R.F.E.C.T.”

Through Gareth’s father’s perspective, Kent outlines both the guiding moral principles and expectations that have been, in Gareth’s view, unfairly placed upon him, as well as their isolating effects. While he will later reveal to desire his parents’—specifically his father’s—validation, it nevertheless burdens him psychologically to contend with it ceaselessly. The emphatic tone of his father’s comments and the emphasis on perfection highlight the high pressure he is under.

“I like that none of them caught a whiff of this side of me. The side riddled with urges and voids, and a thirst so deep, Kill would look like a saint if they realized.”

Here, Kent underlines the discordant and competitive relationship Gareth has with his brother. He takes pride in the fact that, unlike Killian, who is publicly known for his antisocial personality disorder diagnosis, he can maneuver within their family and in society, unknown and unseen. This quote introduces the theme of