gabi⋆˙⟡♡✨'s Reviews > Binding 13

it's official, i think i need johnny kavanagh for keeps 🤧

also, this book in a nutshell:

• matilda by harry styles
• family line by conan gray
• seven by taylor swift
• hope ur ok by olivia rodrigo

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Let's start this off by saying that this was NOT AT ALL what I expected... in a good way. I knew it was a sports book, but I thought it would be the typical cute story, with just a little bit of teen drama and that's it. BUT NO. I'd even say that rugby takes a backseat (for me at least) at one point.

I don't like to mince my words and thoughts when I talk about a book, especially one I liked, so I might give away a couple of spoilers, if you haven't read the book and plan to... it's up to you to read the rest of my review.

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Reading this broke me to pieces, I was sad, a little happy, a little relieved... and then sad again, and angry.

𓍯𓂃Shannon: for a fmc she's not my fav, but maybe that's just a personal preference. I usually prefer stronger fmc's, with more personality. Even so, it's obvious that she's going through a VERY difficult situation of abuse, both at home and at school, and it's something that's been slowly accumulating for years, so I understand why her personality is more fragile and why she's so easily intimidated by others.

It was very hard to read the scenes in which she was about to get in her house bc i could also feel her anxiety, not knowing if it was going to be an ok day or if she had to start thinking of how to cover the bruises and make up stories for the next day.

Biological family is that part of life that you cannot choose, you're either born in a good loving caring supportive family or you don't. So reading her longing for a happy place, a safe place, it was very heart wrenching and i just want her to find the happiness and peace she deserves.

“For once in my life, I wanted a safe place to run to instead of from.
I felt like I was slowly dying in that house.
In my home.
Where I was supposed to lay my head.
Where I was supposed to feel safe.”

𓍯𓂃Johnny: now... i never thought than a man called johnny would make me feel like this, but here we are. I'm always DOWN for a man who is determined, has his goals clear, looks like he wants to kill everyone but is willing to go all the way and beyond to protect you and keep you safe. And Johnny is all that and more. He's tough and ready to fight anyone who gets in his way, but as soon as he senses that Shannon is in trouble (which happens every 2 secs), he's right there ready to take matters into his own hands... and I'm weak, what can I say?

Regarding his ambition to pursue a rugby career, it was honestly so impressive bc from the start you realize how big of a deal it is for him, that's what he has always wanted and worked for, to the point that he's been compromising his own health for it because he doesn't think he's anyone without rugby.

And at the same time he's starting to realize that for the outside people rugby is his whole identity and there's no world in which he can be considered an individual asides from it, so it's very important for him, once he meets shannon, that she seems to be one of the few people who think about him just as johnny the teenager, not the rugby player.

“I wanted to fight all her battles. I wanted to give her all her smiles and make her laugh and snatch her away from the rest of the world and keep her all to myself. I just wanted her. For keeps.”

𓍯𓂃Claire and Gibsie: they were both very cute, I loved reading their banter and how it is CLEAR as daylight that they both love each other, so I can only imagine how their relationship will go on their own book (if the author doesn't mess it up). They were always so so so supportive of their friends, especially Gibs, I found him to be like the BEST wingman and "sidekick" lol, he was always a call or txt away from showing up and helping Johnny in whatever he was needing.

𓍯𓂃Joey: my baby... ughhhhh!!! i just KNOW that he has suffered SO SO SO much, having to step up and basically grow up prematurely and raise his siblings as if they were his own.. i'm sure we don't know the EXTENT of his trauma yet and as an older sibling myself, who's always looking out for the younger ones (darren doesn't count to me idc), it breaks me just imagining his suffering.

𓍯𓂃abusive violent w anger-issues dad and stupid negligent mom: sigh... honestly what can i say about them? Their dad is a BULLY, a beater, a sexist, cruel and vicious man, there's nothing remotely redeemable about him bc sometimes evil people are just that... evil. no explanation or backstory needed on why they are the way they are. Their mom though... that's a whole different story, and I KNOW at some extent she's a victim too, but i couldn't care less about her. She makes me so mad, it's infuriating just having to read the pages she's in bc i know i'm about to read the most stupid woman on fictional land. I honestly don't know how you see your kids being BEATEN, mistreated physically and verbally for YEARS and do nothing but stay around pretending nothing happens... like, you're the adult in that situation, do something please!! she's an enabler and i dont think i'll ever feel bad for her.

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——⭑⋆⋆⋆⭑——Plot♡⁠——⭑⋆⋆⋆⭑——

I MOSTLY enjoyed this book, it was nothing like I was expecting, and that's something I like and appreciate, but at the beginning i was a little bit thrown off knowing that our mc were 15-17 bc i'm older and idk.. i guess i'm not used to read from THAT young perspective anymore but i got to forget about it quickly.

There were some moments, especially with Shannon, in which i was cringing so bad lol, bc she was borderline clumsy, for no good reason, just to make her seem all so quirky and helpless. And sometimes her attitude was so chidlish but again... she's only 15-16 so.. it makes sense and i guess i was cringey too at that age lol.

Overall, i ENJOYED a lot of this book, but i felt it too unserious at times and there were a lot of parts that the author dragged unnecessarily and that could have been shorter without affecting the plot. I think this book could have used like 200 pages less and it would still be as good.

I still think this is worth the try and for those who feel intimidated by the amount of pages it really flies by bc the writing is very easy to follow and the story keeps you locked in, so.. that's it.