Lips Touch: Three Times Theme of Memory and the Past

The characters in Lips Touch: Three Times can be quite preoccupied with the past—especially things like mythology, old curses, and past lives. You know, just the normal, run of the mill stuff that we all think about…

In "Spicy Little Curses Such As These," Anamique is totally haunted by a curse that someone put on her at birth—and can't even say that she loves James when she wants to. And in "Hatchling," Esmé suddenly finds that she has all these memories of things that never happened to her. Yikes. For her part, Kizzy walks right into a goblin trap despite having been warned about doing so for pretty much her entire life. In short, no matter what they do with it, the past informs each of our main girl's stories—for better and for worse.

Questions About Memory and the Past

  1. Why doesn't Kizzy remember her grandmother's goblin tales when she meets Jack Husk? How does Kizzy's story parallel with her great-aunt's run-in with goblins? What does this tell you about Kizzy?
  2. Where do all of Esmé's new memories come from? How much do these memories drive her quest?
  3. Do you think that the Druj Queen will remember her human past and understand love again? Why or why not?

Chew on This

Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.

Kizzy willfully forgets all of the goblin stories and warnings that she's heard throughout her whole life in order to pursue Jack Husk romantically.

Mihai is no longer like the other Druj because he actually remembers his origins. In remembering that he used to be a human, he is able to get in touch with his emotions—and his soul—again.