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A review by tabea_a
Keeping 13 by Chloe Walsh
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book broke my heart and put it back together like a million times SIMULTANEOUSLY!!
Was this book perfect? No.
Was the writing perfect? No.
Was this still everything I needed in life? Hell yes.
I can’t begin to put my feelings into words because there simply are no words that could make justice for what Chloe Walsh made me feel. But let’s get to the actual review:
♥ As with Binding 13 I just could not put this book down for the life of me. I read 350 pages in one sitting and only stopped when my eyes literally hurt so much that I couldn’t see the words anymore, wow.
♥ This book was so triggering I can’t even put it into words, so I highly advise you to go into this with a healthy mindset.
♥ Gibsie is such a funny character, every time he came onto the page, I couldn’t keep myself from laughing and my heart getting all warm and fuzzy. He’s so sassy and cheeky and makes the best and worst jokes ever. He’s an incredibly lovable character that gives the book so much depth but at the same time makes it lighter.
♥ Oh and Johnny’s and Gibsie’s friendship? It’s so wholesome and comical and they truly love each other, I felt that right through the page.
♥ I literally can’t wait to read Claire’s and Gibsie’s book, I’m so incredibly excited to see their story from their POVs. They gave me so much joy and laughter and I’m rooting for them so hard. The banter and teasing between them is everything!!
♥ I really enjoyed seeing how Shannon and Johnny finally talked to each other and were being honest about their feelings toward each other. I really got to see how they were slowly getting more mature and also confident around each other.
♥ Shannon’s character growth was immense! I cheered so much for her when she was slowly but surely starting to defend herself and not let everyone decide stuff over her head. I love that she started to do what SHE wanted to do.
So now let’s get to the things that I dind’t love about this:
ϕ I still hate the tiny and fragile talk to this day and oh my lord, was there much of it in this book!! Why can’t we just leave it? :(
ϕ I hated how Shannon’s mom was trying to keep the one thing away from Shannon that truly made her happy. I know it was necessary for the plotline tho.
ϕ I found myself to get annoyed sometimes when Shannon and Johnny were behaving pretty immaturely but then I had to remind myself that they’re just teenagers and they’ve never made experiences like that and it’s all new to them.
ϕ I wish Shannon wouldn’t have been projected as a little child that is naïve and knows nothing about anything. She was so strong and she was becoming a woman and I didn’t like that she didn’t get the credit for her strength.
ϕ I HATED Johnny’s mother not giving them ANY space at all, it truly made me furious. Like I get it, protecting your child from making dumb decisioins but damn, they’re just teenagers that love each other and wanna experience and finally truly be together. Give them some slack Edel!!
ϕ Let me just say one thing: Bella. Bella I hate you and I never wish to hear from you ever again. Thank you.
Wow, I could talk about this book for ages to be honest but let me just say some things to wrap this up:
→ When Joey said to Shannon ‘What about me, Shannon?’. That broke my literal heart into pieces. I love Joey with my whole heart and can’t wait to read about his story in the following books. He’s so precious and deserves the whole world.
→ The burial was really hard to read about with the kids and everything. And especially Joey’s and Aoife’s “goodbye” scene. I truly coulnd’t hold my tears back at that point and started sobbing.
→ I’m so sad that I never get to directly read about Johnny and Shannon ever again, I can’t put into words how I’m feeling about them. I seriously don’t even know if I could do a reread because reading about the numerous triggering points really wasn’t easy.
→ I think that Chloe Walsh wrapped up the story of Johnny and Shannon beautifully. It wasn’t too unrealistic and made me feel peaceful at heart. I know for a fact that she did the best for the characters that she could and I really appreciate how much of her soul she put into this book and gave me the opportunity to feel all these emotions and discover new sides of myself.
So let’s finish up this review with some beautiful and heartwrenching quotes:
❀ I knew she was afraid of him; I understood what it felt like to be petrified of the man in our kitchen, but she was the grown up. She was supposed to be an adult, the mother, the protector, not the eighteen-year-old-boy whose shoulders that role had fallen onto. – Shannon Lynch
❀ «Hi, Gibsie,» I sniffled, wiping my eyes with my sleeve. “Little Shannon,” he replied with a wink. “You good?” I nodded weakly. “Damn straight you are,” he said, tone encouraging. “Little fighter.” – Gerard Gibson
❀ «From the very first day you walked into my life, you changed me. That very first time I saw you? You sparked to likfe something inside of me.” Releasing a heavy sigh, he shrugged, eyes locked on mine. “And I haven’t been the same since.” – Johnny Kavanagh
❀ «I love you, Johnny Kavanagh,” I choked out, clenching my eyes shut as I grabbed his arm and held it to my chest. “Most in the world.” “I love you back, Shannon Lynch,” he said quietly in my ear and I felt the connection I had to him in the deepest part of my soul. “Most in the world.” “For keeps?” I breathed. He kissed my shoulder. “For keeps.” – Johnny Kavanagh
❀ «Joey, please!» Desperate to stop him, I grabbed his seleeve and pulled him to a stop. “What about me?” “What about me?” he roared back in my face, green eyes filled with tears. A huge sob tore through him and his voice cracked. “What about me, Shannon?” – Joey Lynch
❀ «Mammy’s in heaven,” Ollie cried. “The Guards said Daddy took her away.” Sniffing, Joey nodded and pulled them closer. “It’s okay.” Mam burried her face in my father’s chest, sobbing quietly. “Shh,” Dad whispered, wrapping a arm around her. It’s okay, baby.” “But she’s gone,” Ollie wept. “Gone to heaven withous us.” “Mammy,” Sean cried. “Mammy gone.” “She’s not gone, guys,” Joey whispered, sniffling. “She’s just an angel now instead.” – Joey Lynch
❀ «Jesus-« Shuddering, Joey pulled her close and rested his forehead against hers. “You don’t wait, do you hear me?” Sniffling, he cupped her cheeks in his trembling hands and looked into her eyes. “You live your life, okay?” “You shut up, Joey Lynch,” she sobbed, gripping his sides. “I love you.” “You shut up, Aoife Molloy,” he shot back gruffly and pressed a kiss to her brow. “I love you, too.” “I’ll be here when you get out,” she told him. “Don’t be here,” he strangled out. “Be somewhere better.” “I don’t take orders from you,” she squeezed out. “You should know that by now.” – Aoife Molloy
❀ «Don’t forget that you’ll always be my 13. My binding 13. Now I’m keeping 13,” she told me. “So come home to me when you’re done, okay?” – Shannon Lynch
Was this book perfect? No.
Was the writing perfect? No.
Was this still everything I needed in life? Hell yes.
I can’t begin to put my feelings into words because there simply are no words that could make justice for what Chloe Walsh made me feel. But let’s get to the actual review:
♥ As with Binding 13 I just could not put this book down for the life of me. I read 350 pages in one sitting and only stopped when my eyes literally hurt so much that I couldn’t see the words anymore, wow.
♥ This book was so triggering I can’t even put it into words, so I highly advise you to go into this with a healthy mindset.
♥ Gibsie is such a funny character, every time he came onto the page, I couldn’t keep myself from laughing and my heart getting all warm and fuzzy. He’s so sassy and cheeky and makes the best and worst jokes ever. He’s an incredibly lovable character that gives the book so much depth but at the same time makes it lighter.
♥ Oh and Johnny’s and Gibsie’s friendship? It’s so wholesome and comical and they truly love each other, I felt that right through the page.
♥ I literally can’t wait to read Claire’s and Gibsie’s book, I’m so incredibly excited to see their story from their POVs. They gave me so much joy and laughter and I’m rooting for them so hard. The banter and teasing between them is everything!!
♥ I really enjoyed seeing how Shannon and Johnny finally talked to each other and were being honest about their feelings toward each other. I really got to see how they were slowly getting more mature and also confident around each other.
♥ Shannon’s character growth was immense! I cheered so much for her when she was slowly but surely starting to defend herself and not let everyone decide stuff over her head. I love that she started to do what SHE wanted to do.
So now let’s get to the things that I dind’t love about this:
ϕ I still hate the tiny and fragile talk to this day and oh my lord, was there much of it in this book!! Why can’t we just leave it? :(
ϕ I hated how Shannon’s mom was trying to keep the one thing away from Shannon that truly made her happy. I know it was necessary for the plotline tho.
ϕ I found myself to get annoyed sometimes when Shannon and Johnny were behaving pretty immaturely but then I had to remind myself that they’re just teenagers and they’ve never made experiences like that and it’s all new to them.
ϕ I wish Shannon wouldn’t have been projected as a little child that is naïve and knows nothing about anything. She was so strong and she was becoming a woman and I didn’t like that she didn’t get the credit for her strength.
ϕ I HATED Johnny’s mother not giving them ANY space at all, it truly made me furious. Like I get it, protecting your child from making dumb decisioins but damn, they’re just teenagers that love each other and wanna experience and finally truly be together. Give them some slack Edel!!
ϕ Let me just say one thing: Bella. Bella I hate you and I never wish to hear from you ever again. Thank you.
Wow, I could talk about this book for ages to be honest but let me just say some things to wrap this up:
→ When Joey said to Shannon ‘What about me, Shannon?’. That broke my literal heart into pieces. I love Joey with my whole heart and can’t wait to read about his story in the following books. He’s so precious and deserves the whole world.
→ The burial was really hard to read about with the kids and everything. And especially Joey’s and Aoife’s “goodbye” scene. I truly coulnd’t hold my tears back at that point and started sobbing.
→ I’m so sad that I never get to directly read about Johnny and Shannon ever again, I can’t put into words how I’m feeling about them. I seriously don’t even know if I could do a reread because reading about the numerous triggering points really wasn’t easy.
→ I think that Chloe Walsh wrapped up the story of Johnny and Shannon beautifully. It wasn’t too unrealistic and made me feel peaceful at heart. I know for a fact that she did the best for the characters that she could and I really appreciate how much of her soul she put into this book and gave me the opportunity to feel all these emotions and discover new sides of myself.
So let’s finish up this review with some beautiful and heartwrenching quotes:
❀ I knew she was afraid of him; I understood what it felt like to be petrified of the man in our kitchen, but she was the grown up. She was supposed to be an adult, the mother, the protector, not the eighteen-year-old-boy whose shoulders that role had fallen onto. – Shannon Lynch
❀ «Hi, Gibsie,» I sniffled, wiping my eyes with my sleeve. “Little Shannon,” he replied with a wink. “You good?” I nodded weakly. “Damn straight you are,” he said, tone encouraging. “Little fighter.” – Gerard Gibson
❀ «From the very first day you walked into my life, you changed me. That very first time I saw you? You sparked to likfe something inside of me.” Releasing a heavy sigh, he shrugged, eyes locked on mine. “And I haven’t been the same since.” – Johnny Kavanagh
❀ «I love you, Johnny Kavanagh,” I choked out, clenching my eyes shut as I grabbed his arm and held it to my chest. “Most in the world.” “I love you back, Shannon Lynch,” he said quietly in my ear and I felt the connection I had to him in the deepest part of my soul. “Most in the world.” “For keeps?” I breathed. He kissed my shoulder. “For keeps.” – Johnny Kavanagh
❀ «Joey, please!» Desperate to stop him, I grabbed his seleeve and pulled him to a stop. “What about me?” “What about me?” he roared back in my face, green eyes filled with tears. A huge sob tore through him and his voice cracked. “What about me, Shannon?” – Joey Lynch
❀ «Mammy’s in heaven,” Ollie cried. “The Guards said Daddy took her away.” Sniffing, Joey nodded and pulled them closer. “It’s okay.” Mam burried her face in my father’s chest, sobbing quietly. “Shh,” Dad whispered, wrapping a arm around her. It’s okay, baby.” “But she’s gone,” Ollie wept. “Gone to heaven withous us.” “Mammy,” Sean cried. “Mammy gone.” “She’s not gone, guys,” Joey whispered, sniffling. “She’s just an angel now instead.” – Joey Lynch
❀ «Jesus-« Shuddering, Joey pulled her close and rested his forehead against hers. “You don’t wait, do you hear me?” Sniffling, he cupped her cheeks in his trembling hands and looked into her eyes. “You live your life, okay?” “You shut up, Joey Lynch,” she sobbed, gripping his sides. “I love you.” “You shut up, Aoife Molloy,” he shot back gruffly and pressed a kiss to her brow. “I love you, too.” “I’ll be here when you get out,” she told him. “Don’t be here,” he strangled out. “Be somewhere better.” “I don’t take orders from you,” she squeezed out. “You should know that by now.” – Aoife Molloy
❀ «Don’t forget that you’ll always be my 13. My binding 13. Now I’m keeping 13,” she told me. “So come home to me when you’re done, okay?” – Shannon Lynch