Hot take, but some of yâall donât know what goth means. Libby doesnât wear nude lipgloss and white crop tops; she wears heavy black eyeliner and dark lipstick, and platform knee high boots with buckles.
Normally, I wouldnât be this picky about the representation of a book character, but as someone whoâs be made fun of A LOT for having an alt style, it hurts to see that what is a coping system for many people (not saying it is for her, but it doesnât seem far fetched); fashion, is being diluted to make her more digestible. When Libby changes her image to please Alisa, she dyes her hair AND drastically changes her fashion, and that is what I feel is happening here. Again, normally, I wouldnât care, but being goth is such an important part of her character, and itâs so common for alternative or âweirdâ traits/characters to be adapted so people are able to see someone they relate to. Alt characters are frequently changed or dumbed down to niche one trait (for Libby, itâs often her hair/liking black) so instead of having interests that are weird and creepy, they are just quirky and different while still being societally acceptable. She IS weird and she IS creepy. Thatâs not an insult.