That Sik Luv Summary, Characters and Themes
“That Sik Luv” by Jescie Hall is a dark psychological romance that explores the transformation of a sheltered, religious girl into a fierce survivor.
The novel is about obsession, survival, and the complicated intersections of love and violence. The story follows Briony Strait as she’s stalked, hunted, and ultimately seduced by Aero — a masked figure who forces her to confront not just her fears, but the corruption of the very system that raised her. It’s a brutal, haunting, and deeply emotional narrative about breaking free from oppressive control — and the dangerous cost of that freedom.
Summary
“That Sik Luv” opens with Briony Strait, a devout girl raised under strict religious doctrines that prize purity and obedience above all else. Her life, carefully structured by her oppressive church community, begins to unravel when she becomes the target of a masked stalker named Aero.
Aero is not just a threat; he awakens in Briony suppressed fears, forbidden desires, and a hunger for freedom she never knew she had.
At first, Briony resists. She tries to cling to her faith and trust the authority figures around her — her family, her church, her old friends.
But Aero’s relentless pursuit, leaving cryptic messages, Bible verses, and symbolic warnings, begins to reveal a deeper corruption: the very people Briony is taught to trust are the ones plotting against her. Saint Westwood, a boy from her childhood and supposed protector, turns out to be as cruel and manipulative as any enemy. Even Mia, Briony’s best friend, betrays her under pressure from the church’s powerful families.
Events escalate violently: a disastrous ceremony, a fire, and a near-drowning mark the beginning of Briony’s fall from grace.
As Aero orchestrates increasingly brutal “tests,” forcing her to defend herself against would-be assailants, Briony begins to change. Each test pushes her further from the innocent girl she once was, and closer to the survivor she must become.
The community that once promised salvation reveals itself as rotten, violent, and willing to kill to maintain control.
By the middle of the novel, Briony has been kidnapped by members of her church, with the intention of silencing her permanently. Aero rescues her in a gruesome, bloody showdown, after which their bond deepens into something raw and undeniable.
In the aftermath, Briony grapples with the moral collapse she’s undergone: she’s no longer merely defending herself — she’s willing to do violence to protect her new sense of self.
As the story progresses, the power dynamic between Briony and Aero shifts. No longer just a captive, she becomes his partner.
Aero, once a hired killer shaped by an abusive past, confesses that he’s been orchestrating her awakening from the start — not to break her, but to free her from the chains of hypocrisy and repression. Their relationship grows into a twisted kind of love, one built not on innocence or purity, but on mutual survival and understanding.
The final third of the book is a war: Briony and Aero systematically dismantle the corrupt Covenant Church that once ruled their lives.
Betrayals are exposed, abusers are brought to ruin, and Briony herself becomes an active participant in the destruction, taking bloody revenge on those who hurt her. A final confrontation with Saint — who tries to “rescue” Briony one last time — ends with Briony delivering the fatal blow herself.
The novel closes with Briony and Aero severing all ties to their past. They forge new identities, flee the ruins of their former town, and ride off into an uncertain future.
Their love, though dark, violent, and deeply flawed, becomes a powerful statement: salvation is not found in innocence or tradition, but in choosing each other and their own brutal, honest form of freedom. The story ends not with redemption in the traditional sense, but with a kind of rebirth — through fire, blood, and an unbreakable bond.
Characters
Briony Strait
Briony is the central character in That Sik Luv, and her evolution throughout the novel is both disturbing and fascinating. Raised in a strict religious environment where purity and faith are emphasized, she begins the story as a naive and innocent girl who believes that her salvation lies in adhering to the teachings of her community.
However, her world is turned upside down when she becomes the target of Aero, a masked figure who ignites within her a complex mixture of fear, desire, and curiosity. As the narrative progresses, Briony’s relationship with Aero forces her to confront the darker aspects of herself, including desires and instincts that contradict the moral values she was raised with.
The trauma she experiences, both physical and emotional, leads to her moral collapse, as she begins to embrace violence as a means of survival. By the end of the story, Briony is no longer the girl who was defined by her religious upbringing, but a woman forged in the fires of betrayal, manipulation, and darkness.
Aero
Aero is the enigmatic and haunting character who acts as both Briony’s tormentor and protector. Initially, he seems to be a villain, orchestrating a series of dangerous and psychologically taxing encounters to test Briony’s strength and resolve.
Aero is a figure of violence, secrecy, and obsession, but he also plays the role of an unlikely savior in moments of crisis. His motives are gradually revealed, showing that he was hired to kill Briony, but over time, his obsession with her grows to the point where he wants to see her transformed into someone who can survive in the brutal world he inhabits.
Aero’s past is steeped in tragedy and manipulation, as he was raised in a violent and oppressive environment. His love for Briony is twisted and complex, as he draws her deeper into a relationship that is both seductive and destructive. Aero is ultimately a product of his past, shaped by abuse and a system of power that used him as a weapon, and his relationship with Briony is both an act of control and a form of twisted redemption.
Saint Westwood
Saint is a pivotal figure in Briony’s life, though his true nature is obscured by his manipulations. Initially portrayed as a childhood friend and potential ally, Saint gradually reveals himself as one of the primary antagonists in Briony’s life.
His connection to the church and his family’s influence make him a significant threat, and as the story progresses, it becomes clear that his relationship with Briony is not based on genuine friendship or affection but on power, control, and manipulation.
Saint’s betrayal is one of the most shocking developments in the story, as he is shown to have been complicit in the plot to harm Briony, even going so far as to spy on her for his family. Despite his flirtations and occasional moments of seeming support, Saint’s true motives are revealed in the later chapters, solidifying his position as a dangerous antagonist in Briony’s story.
Mia
Mia is Briony’s best friend, and her role in the story serves as a significant turning point in Briony’s understanding of loyalty and betrayal. Mia’s initial role as a confidante and trusted friend gradually shifts as it is revealed that she has been manipulated by Saint’s family to spy on Briony.
This revelation is a moment of great emotional betrayal for Briony, as she realizes that even those closest to her have been part of the conspiracy against her. Mia’s actions highlight the theme of trust and deception that runs throughout the novel, and her betrayal is part of the larger web of lies and manipulation that surrounds Briony.
Jacob
Jacob is another figure who plays a key role in Briony’s journey. He is one of Saint’s friends and is involved in a violent confrontation with Briony, which exposes the corruption and decay within the religious community.
Jacob’s assault on Briony is a pivotal moment in the story, as it is orchestrated by Aero as a test for Briony’s survival. The event forces Briony to confront the harsh reality of the world around her, and her subsequent actions — defending herself — signal the beginning of her transformation from a passive victim to an active participant in her own fate. Jacob’s role in the story is relatively minor compared to the other characters, but his actions catalyze Briony’s awakening.
Themes
A Struggle Between Faith and Identity
In That Sik Luv, Briony’s upbringing in a rigidly religious environment is marked by a relentless pressure to uphold purity, which serves as the bedrock of her survival. However, this belief system becomes the very force that traps her in a web of contradictions.
Throughout the novel, Briony grapples with a profound inner conflict: the rigid expectations imposed by her community versus the disturbing desires that her stalker, Aero, awakens in her. This tension between her longing for freedom from oppressive purity and the fear of falling into sin underpins her journey.
Briony’s transformation is intricately tied to her battle against the ideals of purity that once defined her identity, challenging the very foundation of her faith and her understanding of self-worth. The community’s supposed sanctity is revealed to be built on hypocrisy, as the clergy and other influential figures exploit the concept of purity to maintain control and suppress individuality.
Power Dynamics Between Captor and Captive
Aero’s relationship with Briony is a chilling exploration of control, power, and manipulation. Initially, Aero appears as a threatening figure, but as their relationship develops, it becomes clear that his obsession with Briony is not solely rooted in violence but in a desire to shape her into someone who can survive in a brutal, lawless world.
He orchestrates numerous “tests” designed to break down her moral boundaries and force her to adapt to a violent existence. However, Briony’s increasing willingness to embrace Aero’s methods signals a dark evolution in her character — one in which she begins to gain power through submission.
This power struggle between them evolves from mere fear and dominance to a twisted form of mutual obsession, where both are consumed by their need to control and be controlled. Their bond is fraught with emotional and physical manipulation, where trust is built through acts of violence and psychological warfare, cementing their unbreakable, yet toxic, connection.
Transformation Through Suffering
The theme of rebirth is central to Briony’s journey, but it takes on a dark and disturbing form. Her transformation is not marked by salvation or redemption but by her complete embrace of violence and the loss of her innocence.
This rebirth is symbolized by Briony’s willingness to commit acts of violence that sever her ties to her former, sheltered life. Throughout the novel, her understanding of morality is dismantled, and she increasingly sees violence not as a sin but as a necessary tool for survival.
Her first kill, encouraged by Aero, is a pivotal moment that represents the final severance from her old self — the pure girl raised in the church. Instead of seeking forgiveness or redemption, Briony embraces her new identity, shaped by trauma and survival instincts.
This violent rebirth marks her entry into a world where survival is tied to embracing the darkest parts of herself.
A Perverse Relationship Built on Trauma and Obsession
The relationship between Briony and Aero evolves into a twisted form of love, rooted not in traditional affection but in mutual dependence and trauma. They are bound not by healing or protection but by their shared experiences of suffering and their need to dominate and control each other.
Briony’s initial fear of Aero morphs into a deeper, more complex attachment, where love and violence intertwine. What begins as a cat-and-mouse game of manipulation and terror becomes a bond that neither can escape.
The love between them is marked by intense moments of violence, emotional manipulation, and even physical intimacy that is both liberating and destructive. In this dark love story, Briony learns that love is not about healing or sanctity but about survival — a survival that is sustained through their shared brutality and emotional scars.
The narrative blurs the lines between victim and perpetrator, with both characters feeding into each other’s darkness in a relationship that, while profoundly damaging, becomes their only means of existence.
Rejecting the Old World for a New Order
As Briony and Aero systematically dismantle the systems that once oppressed them — particularly the corrupt church and the societal structures built on their rigid beliefs — the theme of rejecting the old world becomes central to the story’s resolution.
Briony’s former life, with its strict moral codes and religious doctrines, crumbles as she fully embraces a new order governed by survival, power, and a twisted sense of loyalty to Aero. Her actions, particularly her violence against those who once held power over her, signify not only a personal liberation but also a radical rejection of the societal structures that sought to control her.
In a final act of defiance, Briony and Aero destroy the old world that tried to break them, choosing each other over any remnants of the past. This violent overthrow of the established order is not portrayed as an act of revolution or justice, but as a necessary step in their quest to build a new life free from the constraints of morality, faith, and the systems that once defined their lives.