Powerful: A Powerless Story

Adena’s obsession with sticky buns is symbolic of Adena herself—her sweetness and her sunny optimism. Lauren Roberts first introduces Adena as she attempts to steal a sticky bun from a merchant prior to meeting Paedyn. The description of her flight from the Imperial who gives chase includes repeated mentions of the honey coating her hands and fingers. Five years later, she meets Makoto during a similar act of theft in which Roberts again uses descriptive details that emphasize the sweet, sticky honey that ends up all over her hands. Adena herself often thinks about her love for these honey-glazed treats, and when she bargains with Makoto over the terms of their agreement, she makes daily sticky buns one of her conditions. Over the course of the novel, Roberts continues to identify Adena with sticky buns, reinforcing the connection through Makoto’s observations that she “smells of honey, of happiness incarnate” (41). He even develops a habit of calling her “Honey,” because, he teases her, “You are what you eat” (164). Makoto reflects that, on the day they met, Adena “risked it all for a sticky bun” (31), indicating not only Adena’s devotion to the sweet snack, but also her passion for what it symbolizes: preserving an optimistic outlook and a positive attitude, despite the adversities she faces on a daily basis in the grim city of Loot.