A review by tabea_a
Saving 6 by Chloe Walsh

4.25

⁑ I was so excited to read this book ngl, I loved Joey in Binding 13/Keeping 13 so so much and I couldn't wait to hear more about him. I was fully expecting this to be a five star and it felt like it too for like half of the book but I lost that feeling. ⁑

"I never knew devastation until he walked into my worl and gave me a glimpse into his. I never knew demons until I stood beside him and watched him battle monsters more frightening than my imagination could ever concoct. I never knew heartbreak until he decimated my heart by decimating his body. I never knew hurt until he walked away from me."

General

❧ Darren leaving already felt so bad in the recent books but getting Joey's pov hurt on a different level. I can only imagine how that must've felt, so then be responsible for all your sibling's wellbeing at only like 12 years old. It must be so hard when all you want to do is leave as well but you can't leave your siblings that are only small children to take your beatings.

❧ I truly love Joey with my whole heart and seeing him so broken, empty, sad and lost hurt indescribably. He deserves all the happiness in this world and yet he hates himself for his parents mistakes. The constant confrontation with addiction was really hard and exhausting to read about (in a "good" way I guess??). When Aoife found him at Shane's place after Joey took heroin? It broke my heart.

"I couldn't care if I wanted to. And I didn't. I just wanted to stop feeling. To stop caring. To stop, period."

❧ I knew that I felt really hateful about Joey's mom but damn, how dare she repeadetly say that Joey was like his father? With that she kept breaking him even more, her own child. For all I know it's a miracle he was still alive after everything he had to go through.

❧ Not to criticize Shannon at all but what kind of bothered me was that she was so small, fragile and didn't stand up for herself (don't get me wrong, I totally get it why she was like that) and I think that's why I prefer Joey and Aoife since they're different.

❧ Tony being like a father figure for Joey was so sweet and healing to see even though he was not perfect himself. "I remember looking at this small scrap of a lad standing in the garage, down on his luck and with the weight of the world on hit shoulders. That small boy asked me for a chance that day. I took a achance on that boy, and I'm glad I did, because the man that small boy turned into is a man who I am damn proud of."

"The truth was that nothing about being with Joey was easy, and yet being with him felt so incredibly right."

❧ I can't even begin to start to describe my feelings for that fucker Paul. How DARE he treat Aoife like that? Him trying to pressure and guilt talk her into giving her virginity to him was disgusting. And Aoife kept on staying with him and staying with him even when he literally made her walk home alone in the dark after she said that she was not ready.

❧ I got so mad at literally everyone for seeing the domestic abuse and knowing about it and still not doing anything about it. They literally blamed Joey all the time for being violent and getting in trouble but yet they never asked why he did those things.

❧ When my man Gibsie made an appearance? SAY NO MORE.

Joey and Aoife

❧ Them teasing each other was sooo funny, sweet and wholesome to watch. Even them saying "I don't love you" instead of I love you was just so accurate.

❧ I can't even imagine how hard it must've been for Aoife to watch the love of her life slowly but surely destroying himself and turning into a totally different person and seeing his addiction swallow him whole.

"Because you might not love yourself, but I do. I love you enough for the both of us."

Pace etc.

❧ I truly flew through this book even though it was over 600 pages. I couldn't put it down at all and allthough the font was pretty small as well it was never hard to read.

❧ This might feel contrary to what I just said but the reason why I'm not giving this 5 stars is because I wish that there was more tension. I feel like there wasn't that much happening (for example in comparison with Keeping 13) but I feel like this is the same for me as with Binding 13. Binding 13 was 4.25 as well and Keeping 13 5 stars since we experienced more.

❧ The chapters were mostly really short, chef's kiss.

❧ I think that Chloe Walsh wrapped up this book really well and realistic. Of course I would've liked it if they got back together again but it's not how the story is supposed to go.

Conclusion

↬ I can't wait to read Redeeming 6 and see how they're gonna work out everything. I think it's going to be even harder to read but it'll be totally worth the work. I truly don't know how CW managed to write such an emotionally intense story where you get so attached to the characters and feel everything with them, what a masterpiece.