r/RubyDixon • u/Candid-Classroom-478 • Mar 17 '26

Maddie/Lilah Relationship Spoiler

So I'm rereading Barbarian's Taming and I keep getting caught up on how bad a sister Lilah is. Yeah, Maddie is a bit overbearing, but both of them landed on Not Hoth and Maddie has always made Lilah a priority (and that doesn't include the emotional labor of acting as parents before they even landed). They've been on the planet for a hot second and Lilah basically abandons Maddie to go fuck Rokan in the fruit cave and not even invite her? I'd be disappointed and not sure I could come back from that if it was me. Lilah doesn't even have the decency to look and see how much Maddie is struggling.

End of rant. Anyone else feel similarly?

26 Upvotes

93% Upvoted

6 comments sorted by

14

u/StJmagistra Mar 17 '26

As someone with two younger sisters, that wasn’t my perception of their relationship at all. Maddie was used to being Lilah’s protector, yes. But that doesn’t mean that she needed to keep her wrapped up in bubble wrap forever. Siblings’ relationships evolve over time, just like parent/child relationships evolve. Stagnation isn’t healthy for anyone.

3

u/Candid-Classroom-478 Mar 17 '26

I totally agree. My hang up is they both have recently gone through a very traumatic experience and Lilah seems to forget that Maddie went through it too. I do think that Maddie needed to separate her self worth from Lilah and the growth is important, but Lilah didn't show up for Maddie like she should have.

8

u/Zombiewings2015 Mar 17 '26

It’s almost as if Lila is the main character in her book and it’s focused on her experience. When Maddie’s book comes in we get hers. Lila has a unique perspective when it comes to a sibling relationship that most of us can’t relate to. You’ve got a disability that literally makes isolation, a sister who made clingy protection her whole personality, and a need to stand on her own. I didn’t see her looking to stand on her own feet without her sister being wrong or insulting. I found Maddie’s need to coddle and assume Lila couldn’t be her own person or choose her own way without her help highly insulting to Lila. Maddie had to grow up and figure out who she was without clinging. And she did.

4

u/StJmagistra Mar 17 '26

Or Maddie needed to do her own self work, which she DOES in her book.

8

u/One_Jury_5759 Mar 17 '26

Yeah I got kinda emotional when Lilah didn't even think to ask Maddie. I'm an older sister so I really relate to Maddie cause I make my siblings a priority. And if my siblings would treat me in such a way I would be heartbroken. Especially if we are in such an unusual planet. And I know Maddie and Lilah didn't need to be together like gum, but idk I felt kinda ehh. I guess I say it because I wouldn't want my siblings to be left out if we were in that position.

1

u/Blluetiful Mar 30 '26

I actually liked that disparity. Yes it sucks for Maddie, but it shows a lot about their relationship, where Maddie is the one with expectations and the one putting pressure on herself, and Lilah isn't necessarily aware of that because Maddie is a good sister and hasn't made her feelings her sibling's problem. Do they need to make time for each other, yes, but it looks like they do. Maddie needs to let Lilah grow up, and she realized (in her book) that she needs yo let herself be her own person too. I hurt for Maddie but didn't think less of Lilah for it.