Character Analysis
As a geeky girl with a crush on Shaun, Lane doesn't seem like the most popular girl at school. In fact, Bailey makes fun of how she looks—maybe this is why she has such a hard time believing Kiriel when he tells her she's gorgeous. But while she might be insecure, that doesn't stop Kiriel from trying to hook up with Lane. She becomes one of his little projects while he's in Shaun's body.
One of the cool things about Lane as a character is that she presents us with an opportunity to pause and really appreciate some of the most incredible things about being human (and alive). When Kiriel finally gets to kiss her, he says:
It was amazing. The moment drew out longer and longer; minutes expanded and grew and seemed to wind sinuously around us. Pleasure stretched inside me, growing tighter and more intense as it lengthened, rather like one of the rubber bands in Shaun's desk drawer. (22.44)
Kiriel is experience being in a human body for the first time, and as we see here, it's pretty freaking cool. And we have Lane to thanks for some of our understanding of this. Plus, while at first, Kiriel is just after a good time, pretty soon he appreciates Lane more and more. She's smart, funny, and he finds her pretty to boot, taking readers through a whirlwind human romance as they both relish each step of the way.