A review by bribreez
Saving 6 by Chloe Walsh

dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

*Please Check Trigger Warnings before reading 

4.5⭐️

I’m back in the boys of Tommen series, and with this book focusing on, Joey and Aoife. This series has been an unexpected surprise for me in which to this very day, I still think about the characters and want to know how the story continues. Joey was someone who stuck me as the type who shouldered a lot of the responsibilities at home that someone his age as well as struggle with his inner demons. Now, in this book, I got to see the raw and emotional parts of both Joey and Aoife’s relationship from the moment they met to the tumultuous days Joey faced in his home life. If you’re read the previous books, you’ll know that when it comes to Joey’s story, it isn’t by any means happy, as well as his siblings stories too namely, Shannon. Chloe Walsh did a great job illustrating the highs and lows in Joey and Aoife’s lives that it wasn’t hard to become protective and adore these characters just as much as Shannon and Johnny. Prepare yourselves for even more emotional moments, heartbreaking scenes, and a whole lot of angst, and raw emotions throughout this book. 

Going into this book, I knew there was going to be some heavy stuff talked about, but there was still some fun, entertaining moments with Joey and Aoife. Seeing how Joey and Aoife met was an interesting thing, definitely agreed on it being a unique meet cute, and it set the precedent for how Joey and Aoife got along. I immediately loved the banter between Joey and Aoife and how they both went back and forth with the sharp yet also entertaining conversations. Seeing how Joey and Aoife were before they even got together romantically was an interesting experience for me, and I throughly enjoyed it. There was never a dull moment for me while reading that I found myself reading more and more through the day than when I read Johnny and Shannon’s story. Not sure exactly what it was, but there was just something special about Joey and Aoife that I felt the need to keep reading as I got to fully know them, and see all their intricacies in what made them the characters that many love. 

I think what I’ve come to love about this book and series is, seeing how the characters are flawed, have their own struggles, and yet later on find some happiness along the way. Joey had taken on the role of being the protector right after Darren, his older brother up and left him and his family right as Joey had started secondary school. Imagine having to take on the responsibilities that Joey had had, but add on the fact that his home life wasn’t by any means safe or easy for him and his siblings? (Sigh) it was terrifying and stressful for Joey, but regardless he did what needed to be done for the sake of his family. Reading this book, I obviously got to know Aoife and Joey on a deeper level from their personalities, and banter, but also how even in the early stages Joey was dealing with a lot already before he fell for Aoife. 

Aoife and Joey’s story was compelling, intriguing, angst filled, and a whole lot of obstacles in front of them, but no matter what, I could see the love and care they had for each other. Now, I can see why so many people love this book, and the series as a whole. At the start, I went in knowing it was going to be dealing with heavy topics, but what surprised me was how in the midst of all the trauma, there was also youthful joy in Aoife and Joey’s friendship in the early days and all the way as they grew up into being teenagers. Getting to know Aoife, I got to see how much sass and how unapologetic she was in her confidence and outgoing personality. Aoife was the perfect girl for Joey because, much like Joey, Aoife wasn’t someone you could control, she was a force to reckon with. Joey was a young guy trying to juggle everything all at once, and while his form of coping wasn’t the healthiest, I could see that in his situation, it seemed like the only option for him in order to get through to the next day and so forth. I really did love both Aoife and Joey, and I’m more than interested to see how things play out in the next book, but something tells me there will be a lot more pain and sadness in my future when I read it. Regardless, I’m along for the ride, and dare I say I’m becoming more and more of a die hard fan of this series. Highly recommend this book, and the previous books in the series, and as always make sure to check the trigger warnings. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings