CW:
Has Chloe changed the timeline of the canon in this book? The characters' birthdays are on different dates, and even the events don't correspond to the timeline of the first books...?
Note:
This is an addendum outside the book that I can't help but mention. The publicist — or Chloe's secretary (I really don't know what she is) — was feeding fanwars on Instagram during the launch week. Jesus, you're an adult and in a professional environment, I believe...
Lizzie: Poor girl.
I still haven't been able to write about her.
lizziegibsie:
It's so sad to read about how close they were and got on so well, and to see that being destroyed by Mark through manipulation!
The two of them really mirror each other.
I hope they soon forgive each other and rebuild the friendship they had as children.
— Thor
— Little Viper
☹️
Hughie:
I have mixed feelings about him. At the same time as I like him and he's a good boy, I just can't bring myself to like him completely — which genuinely makes me sad.
Also, I'll point out a few things that left me with conflicting thoughts.
Hughie, at the age of 12, knew better how to deal with Lizzie's bipolarity than his own therapists throughout his life. He had more maturity as a CHILD than all the adults around them.
Hugh practically moved into Lizzie's family home in his early teens and became the man of the house for the Young family at just 14/15 years old (that's actually a quote from the book, by the way). However, after the break-up, all that personality of being very mature for his age — an old soul who understands people so well — simply disappears.
Yes, I'm talking about the spoilers Chloe gave about T10 and excerpts from his Spotify playlists where, apparently, he says that Katie won't let him end the relationship, blaming her.
Like, you really want to make me believe that this Hugh from age 7 to 15 had more maturity than the adults and was open with his feelings, but after 16 this regresses and he becomes a guy who gets involved (because he wants to, by the way) with a girl knowing that he likes another, and in the end Katie is to blame for putting him in this situation?
But if I mention misogyny, we'll all be quiet, won't we?
This book kind of just proves that Chloe doesn't know how to develop characters who have no apparent trauma and just get over everything.
Hugh saves Lizzie from suicide and breaks his arm because of it — it's never mentioned again.
In fact, both Biggs brothers have only one function within their respective books: to be an undeveloped emotional support.
I'll say it: Hugh even manages a little more than Claire in this respect, but even so, he's always in the background.
Claire's life revolves around Gibsie, and Hugh's life revolves around Lizzie.
Their hobbies are left to one side, their traumas are barely touched on, and when they are, they revolve around Liz/Gibs; both fiercely defend their love interests.
In fact, we can't fail to mention how the Bot fandom only criticizes one of them for this reason, but the other is cheered on.
But if I mention misogyny, we'll all be quiet, won't we?
Hughie & Gibsie:
This book really gave me a basis for understanding the relationship between the two (something that doesn't appear in the other books). I think they're cute, and I like how Hughie loves Gerard like a brother and protects him.
In T7, we hardly see anything about this relationship — it's as if the two have grown apart, even if that doesn't seem to be the case in this book.
Gibsie always saw Hughie as a comforting person growing up, but that changed a lot after Hughie said he would stay with Lizzie.
I know he had to do it, and it was the right thing to do. Lizzie is lonely and needs someone by her side.
But I think this is the exact point where Gerard realizes that Hughie — as much as he loves him like a brother and says he'll be there for him — wouldn't be the same from then on.
In T7, Gerard hardly interacts with Hughie in any deep way, and when he needs comfort, unlike when he was a child, Gibs turns to Johnny! And I think this distancing is mainly due to Gerard constantly thinking that his friends are going to abandon him.
But he knows that would never happen with him and Johnny. Gibs has always been Johnny's number one friend from day one, and Johnny would go to war because of him.
In conclusion, about that bit between Hughie and Hughie/Gibsie, I can't get the events of T7 and Hughie's omission out of my head.
Honestly, that really got to me, and I hope the next book changes that, because I want to like Hughie.
Gibsie:
Ahh, I love him! He's definitely one of the best characters in this series. He's always been caring, funny, and protective of those he loves, and it's so nice to know that, even after growing up, none of those qualities have disappeared.
The best dancer in Ireland!!!
I have to say: it's sad that we get more character development here than in his own book.
Johnny & Gibsie:
They're everything! Every time they appeared, I was automatically happy. I love how their friendship always brings comfort and loyalty.
Johnny only caring about rugby and Gibsie? He's so real for that!
Claire:
We got more of the character here than in her own book — but it was great! It showed how she grew up surrounded by love and a lot of protection!
I think it's really cute how she doesn't let anyone walk all over her, and how, every chance she gets, she calls Mark disgusting, weird, ugly, annoying, weird, stinky.
And to think that if Hughie hadn't been there to protect her, she'd have been just another one of Mark's victims...
I love how she and Gerard have always taken each other in, comforted each other, and, above all, protected each other since they were babies!!!
Every time Mark is near Claire, Gibsie constantly checks that she's okay. In contrast, Claire is always by Gerard's side and keeps him safe. Too cute.
She's an airhead... but I love her!!!
Claire & Lizzie:Mario from my Luigi!!!
I think they're really cute, and as much as they've both failed each other at different times...
They love each other very much, despite their woes.
And yes — they both failed each other!
I know it's common in the BOT fandom to turn a blind eye to the views of other characters who aren't your favourites.
The animosity and the Jamie affair: it hurt Claire to the point where she vocalised that if Gibsie wasn't around, she was used as a punching bag.
And Claire's omission and outbursts of anger: they hurt Lizzie.
So yes, they failed each other in different ways — but they love each other, as they both make clear in their respective books and points of view.
Patrick Feely:
I loved every part he appeared in. I can't wait for his book!
In the other books, it's said that he had three sisters, but in this one, he actually has four older sisters (???).
Anyway, I really want to understand the root of his behaviour — apart from the problem with alcoholism, he appears to be hypersexual (?). It's mentioned that girls just come up and touch him, and he doesn't react, he just lets it happen.
Maybe that explains why he and Lizzie get so close after their second year at Tommen...
katiefeely:
Him blushing at the bus stop because of Katie, the new year in bcs and him in a bad mood in tommen — ahhh, give them to me soon!
Katie:
I've seen a lot of people taking the parts where she appears out of context, calling her a mean girl and desperate.
Reading the book, I didn't see any of that.
Katie is a very cute character, and her intentions with Hughie are incredible and very light-hearted. They would make great friends.
I really want to know more about her and her relationship with her father, who is clearly very distant.
Oh, and I loved that when her father didn't pay for her studies, she went and got a scholarship herself! This diva!