Quite outside the problem of the pre-pubescent vampire in sexual situations (Yes yes, I understand Butler was playing with gender concepts and sexualization and all that), this book really wasn't very good for one overwhelming reason. The protagonist never loses. There's never any question that she'll lose. Every conflict she's in, she'll simply be extremely clever or manipulate some other person into doing her dirty work for her. I've held off reviewing this book for a long time, because Butler has a sterling reputation as an author, and when I read the book had just recently died. But the truth is, the book's fundamental flaw is not made up for by all the interesting gender foo. I should probably read some of her other, presumably better, stuff.