A review by bribreez
Keeping 13 by Chloe Walsh

dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • 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 

*Potential spoilers ahead!

4.5⭐️

Shannon and Johnny’s story wasn’t over yet, especially with that ending from the previous book. With the events that occurred in, “Keeping 13”, as well as the big cliffhanger at the very ending, this book picked up right where we last left off. Everything (for the most part) was out in the open meaning, Johnny knew EXACTLY what really happened to Shannon. Shannon on the other hand was dealing with so many things varying from the trauma, pain, and utter mess her life was, but through it all, her ray of light was, Johnny. More heartbreaking moments mixed with sadness illustrated the difficult path both Johnny and Shannon were on, but as they grew closer, and had their best friends beside them, there was still more things headed their way.

(Sigh) the beginning chapters really didn’t hold back on all the pain that Shannon endured. For all that Shannon went through, this story continued to break my heart each time I had to read what Shannon went through. Poor girl didn’t deserve that treatment at all! Shannon’s dad was a piece of garbage and ugh it made me so mad to see him in any instance! Even seeing how Joey how in this book broke me too (sigh) and don’t even get me started on the younger siblings too…all those kids living in that house was not the type of environment that should be around. Regardless, I was just happy to see some help come through despite Shannon’s reluctance to believe she anything would make a difference.

Ok, I may have spoken too soon and now with this sequel, I’m enjoying Shannon and Johnny a lot more. In the first book, I think since everything was being set up, and I was still trying to get a sense of everything, I didn’t necessarily form a strong bond to the characters. With this book, I feel like I not only got to see more of Shannon and Johnny’s romance start to develop into something more, but also feel a bit more protective about them. Again, this story isn’t for the faint of heart or if you’re not a fan of sad/heavy topics then I don’t think you’ll enjoy this story. Nonetheless, seeing Shannon and Johnny take on the many obstacles in front of them showed how much they were willing to go in order to be together. Plus, with Gibsie, Joey, and Claire appearing once again, I got to know them even more, and dare I say, I started to appreciate and adore them just like everyone else. 

While reading this book, I kind of got, “Romeo and Juliet” vibes from Johnny and Shannon due to her mother and older brother, Darren not wanting them to be together. Oh to be young and in love, Shannon and Johnny were in full force in love with each other, and amongst all the cute, and heartfelt moments they shared, they continued to share their deepest feelings and fears to one another. With everything starting to pick up, Shannon and Johnny’s feelings weren’t just the simple crush variety, instead it felt like the all consuming love that you feel when you’re in love for the first time. For Shannon and Johnny, they knew that what they felt for each other wasn’t just a case of wild hormones, and lust (although it did come up a few times), their connection was based on understanding, support, and friendship that they had since the first book. I found myself enjoying Shannon and Johnny’s story and romance a lot more in this book compared to the previous one. I even found myself annotating and highlighting a lot of cute, romantic quotes shared between Shannon and Johnny, it was sweet to see them be together against all odds. 

Umm…I’m sorry, but…WHAT THE?!?! I knew this book/series was going to be sad and heavy, but like…I WASN’T EXPECTING THINGS TO GO DOWN LIKE THAT?! (Sigh) oh sweet baby Jesus, Shannon, Joey, and their little brothers MUST BE PROTECTED AT ALL COSTS, and you know what? IN THE END THEY GOT THE SAFETY AND HELP THEY NEEDED! This book packed the emotional punches especially towards the end with everything that went down with Shannon’s father, and without spoiling it, just know this story had a lot more that’ll leave you feeling sad and downright depressed for these characters. I was literally on edge, feeling so anxious at a specific chapter that I didn’t know what was going to happen, and just when I thought everything was ok…it went in an entirely different direction that changed Shannon and her siblings lives. If I didn’t feel a sense of protectiveness over Shannon and her siblings before, this book made me! Even with somewhat of an idea of this book being sad and having a romance, it caught me off guard with the way it turned into a whole other set of heart wrenching experiences Shannon and her siblings went through. 

PHEW! This book was such a wild ride! From the very beginning, this book went all in from the emotional experience Shannon and her family endured to the ever growing romance getting more intense between Johnny and Shannon. The first book I wasn’t sure if I was going to continue this series, but this book really changed my mind. I became enamored with Shannon, Johnny, Gibsie, Claire, Joey, the younger Lynch brothers, and Johnny’s parents. The found family in this book in particular really stood out to me, and it was really great to see how the friends in this book supported each other. The romance was honestly even sweeter and more potent in this book that I was really loving it! Shannon and Johnny have come a long way from the day when Johnny accidentally knocked Shannon out on the pitch haha. Now the two young lovers were even more wholeheartedly committed to one another, and experienced things together that most teenagers don’t. Once again, I was LOVING any scene with Gibsie and Claire! Honestly, I’m really excited for when I get to Gibsie and Claire’s story because, I just feel like there’s a lot more to their story. With all the trauma and pain Shannon and her siblings experienced, in the end they found a warm, loving home, and their lives changed for the better. I genuinely adored this book, and I’m really happy to see how this book ended with Shannon and Johnny’s story. 
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